Mac'n Cheese

This recipe is a modified version from Paula Dean.

Ingredients

2 boxes macaroni shells (12 oz boxes)

4-5 strips of bacon, cut in small bits

1 cube butter

3 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup sour cream

2 cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni according to package directions but only for about 7 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. Cook bacon bits in a small pan until bacon is browned. Pour bacon and the bacon grease into the crock pot.

In a medium saucepan on medium low heat, melt butter. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. In the crock pot, combine cheese/butter mixture with the bacon, add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir until well combined. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Your mixture may be a little clumpy with cheese, but the clumps of cheese will melt as it cooks. Set the crock pot on low and cook for approximately 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Low Fat Hummus

Ingredients

One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (buy the more expensive brand as it will contain less husks)

1/2 cup plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

This is where you add your own seasoning or not. I like just plain old garlic flavor in which case you don't need to add any additional seasonings.

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin & 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or;
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning or;
• Greek seasoning or;
• Italian seasoning or;
• Etc.

Directions

In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients. If texture isn't quite hummus like, add a tablespoon at a time more yogurt until you get the right consistency. Serve with corn chips or pita bread.

Chicken Paprika

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless whole  chicken breasts

1/4 cup Paprika

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 or 2 cans chicken broth

16-ounce sour cream

1/4 flour

Pepper

Cooked noodles

Directions

Dredge chicken breasts in paprika until completely covered (use tongs as paprika will stain your hands.) Brown chicken breasts in butter until chicken is very browned; about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts and set aside. In the same pan, cook the onion and garlic until the onion is just translucent (you may want to add a bit more butter if pan is too dry.) Add the chicken broth to the pan and scrape to loosen brown bits. Add the chicken breasts, cover and simmer until chicken is completely cooked; about 10 minutes.

Once chicken is cooked, remove breasts from pan and set aside - keep warm. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, flour, and pepper. This is where you can add more broth to the pan if you feel there isn't enough for a good amount of gravy. Wisk the sour cream mixture into the  pan and cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Serve the chicken breast over pasta with liberal amounts of gravy.

Almond Joy Pie

Makes one 8 or 9 inch pie.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

1 Oreo cookie crust (I buy mine from the store instead of making my own.)

3 eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup almonds

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together until smooth the eggs, flour, sugar, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in shredded coconut. Pour mixture into pie shell. Lightly press the almonds into the top of the pie so there is a pretty almost asterisk type design. Bake 1 hour or until center is set.

Topping

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

4 tablespoons half-and-half

In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring half-and-half to almost boiling. Add the chocolate squares and stir until completely melted. Spread topping on the pie after pie has cooled about 45 minutes.

This is a modified recipe from an unknown source (meaning, I have had it so long I don't remember where I got it.)