MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

This is a retro Macaroni and Cheese Casserole recipe that I adapted from my Betty Crocker cookbook that I purchased in 1986 and was printed in 1984 (eleventh printing).  It has a copyright of 1969 and 1978 from General Mills Inc. It is my go to recipe for Macaroni and Cheese and it is the original way to make it and the best way, in my books.  I have added more macaroni and more cheese to make a large casserole in an 11 x 14 glass casserole dish.

Ingredients:

900 grams of uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup margarine or butter (4 tablespoons)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 package (450g to 500g) of cheddar cheese cut up into cubes
Add in:  cooked ham, cut up into cubes

Instructions:

Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Add margarine, chopped onion, salt and pepper to a pan and saute until onion is slightly tender and translucent. Stir in flour.  Cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in milk.

Return pan to heat and stir constantly until mixture boils ad thickens.  Reduce heat and add cheese.  Stir thoroughly until cheese is melted and evenly mixed through the sauce.  This is where you can also add cubed ham if desired.

Grease casserole dish with margarine or softened butter.

Mix cheese sauce into the macaroni either in the pot where macaroni was cooked or pour macaroni into casserole and stir sauce evenly into the macaroni.

Cook uncovered in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

I found this recipe online that is exactly like the original one from my Betty Crocker cookbook that I adapted above:  http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=350280

Zeppole Cake

Instead of making individual Zeppole, I made a quick boxed French Vanilla Cake in a bundt pan and combined custard cream and sour pitted cherries for the filling.  Sprinkle icing sugar on top and you have the taste  and look of Zeppole in a cake.

Ingredients:

1 boxed French Vanilla or White Cake mix prepared in a bundt pan
1 jar of sour pitted cherries
1 recipe of easy custard cream that you can get from here (Cooking with Nonna site)
Icing sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Cut in half a cooled prepared vanilla or white cake (from a mix) baked in a bundt pan
Lift off the top half of cake and place cut side up on another plate.
Spoon juice from jarred sour cherries on the two halves of the cake to moisten and flavour the cake.
Spread half of the cooled custard cream on the bottom half of the cake
Add cherries on top of the cream
Add the remaining custard cream in dollops and spread--save about half a cup of custard cream
Place the top half of the cake back on.
Add custard cream to the hole in the center of the bundt cake
Place cherries in the cream center (hole) and around the perimeter of the cake
Sprinkle icing sugar over cake and enjoy!

Banana Walnut Bread

This Banana Walnut Loaf is so moist, it will be disappear before your eyes. I love the walnuts in this loaf, they add crunch and texture to a smooth, moist banana bread.

Ingredients:

3-4 large ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup softened butter, partially starting to liquefy. I used a very low setting on the microwave to start to melt the butter. Heat at short 20 second intervals to make sure you don't melt the whole thing.
1/3 cup of sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of chopped walnuts

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas, softened butter, sour cream and eggs at a low speed until combined. Add vanilla and mix just to combine.

In a separate medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and chopped walnuts until they are well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the moist ingredients mixing at a low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.

Prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray or by greasing with butter or margarine and lightly flouring the loaf pan.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, removing when the loaf is brown, firm and cooked through. Get your coffee pot or teapot going, cut and enjoy! Moist,crunchy, flavourful and not too sweet.


Inspired by:  Homemade Banana Bread--http://womenlivingwell.org/2011/04/homemade-banana-bread/