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    panko bread crumbs

    Mac and Cheese

    February 23, 2018

    macaroni, cheese

    cheese, macaroni

    Snow Days

    This week was a doozy! Today marked the 6th day my kids were home, yes, 6th day, I did not stutter!  Let me run it down for you:

    Saturday & Sunday: Weekend
    Monday: President's Day
    Tuesday: Snow in the morning , school didn't delay or close but I refused to drive on our untreated roads. However, my judgment was good because then the district released kids at 1 and ENCOURAGED parents to pick them up early if they could. Yeah, no thanks, we'll stay put.
    Wednesday: Snow, school closed. 
    Thursday: Snow was still coming down Wednesday night and Thursday morning, roads were covered again. 2 hour delay by the district but there was still snow falling, so again I vowed a big fat NO! I didn't feel like schlepping my kids in the snow, not my thing. 

    So here we are, 6 days of my children at home...all 3...and my husband because well he had the same weekend schedule + President's Day and he can work from home, so he did. So it was a FULL HOUSE! In theory, I had all this time on my hands, no rushing kids around from here or there, I honestly barley left the house most of those days. I could have finished all the laundry, reorganized closets and drawers or any number of things. Oh, I forgot to mention, we also gutted our main bathroom (fun times!) Truth be told, some of those things happened but the majority of the time I was cooking the next meal, or getting the next snack, then cleaning up, over and over and over. 

    On the upside, I was basically in my PJs for the last 6 days, not even my nice going out yoga pants, my actual PJ bottoms, the ratty ones with paint on them and stained tank tops...yeah! I'm not sure if that's an accomplishment or not. I was definitely comfy! What else do people do on snow days? I think it's only natural to stay in PJs and bake, PJs and baking! I did do some baking and quite a bit of cooking. Like this homemade Mac & Cheese that is so incredibly delicious. It is the perfect snow day food, so comforting especially after playing in the snow. 

    macaroni, cheese

     

    macaroni, cheese

    The Good Stuff

    Mac & Cheese is as classic as pizza in America. It's a classic American comfort food. Who doesn't love pasta smothered in gooey delicious cheese? Before getting to the gooey cheese, there needs to be a base and the most perfect base is actually French, Béchamel sauce. Béchamel sauce, also called white sauce, is made of a white roux (flour and butter) and milk. This creamy sauce is the ticket to a perfect Mac & Cheese and also a wonderful sauce to learn to make for many different meals. 

    macaroni, cheese

     

    Next is your noodle. What's the best noodle for Mac & Cheese? Elbow or Shell? Your choice! Today I picked these adorable Italian Campenelle by Private Selection, they are a cross between a shell and elbow but I really love the little ridges on each one. Search the aisle for the noodle that calls your name. 

    macaroni, cheese

     

    Then the cheese, mmmmm! Cheese is a beautiful thing and you need the right cheeses for the perfect Mac & Cheese. Always go with a cheese that has a good melting point, classic would be a cheddar and mozzarella mix. You can also use any variety of these cheeses: gruyere, colby, monterey jack, pepper jack, or provolone in place of the cheddar. The mozzarella is really to give it that nice gooey stretch and stringiness but doesn't hold a lot of flavor. I used Tillamook Cheddar Jack, which has a blend of medium cheddar and monterey jack. I also added mozzarella and some smoked cheddar for a little smokey flavor. 

    macaroni, cheese

    Top it all off with some panko breadcrumbs and you have a classic and delicious Mac & Cheese. I love the panko  bread crumbs because they are much lighter and get super crispy. You can find them in the Asian section of your grocery store. 

     

    macaroni, cheese

     

    You can find all the steps to make this delicious, kid friendly and approved meal below. As always, I love seeing your creations. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page. 

    macaroni, cheese

    Print Recipe
    Mac and Cheese
    This Mac & Cheese is very versatile and can be adjusted for different tastes with the various cheeses.
    macaroni, cheese
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Servings
    servings
    Ingredients
    • 1 lb Elbow or Shell pasta noodle
    • 13 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
    • 10 tablespoon all purpose flour
    • 8 cups whole milk can use 2%, but whole is preferred
    • 2 cups shredded medium cheddar/monterey jack mix can sub other cheeses mentioned above
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
    • 1 cup smoked cheddar can sub another cup of mozzarella for a less smokey/milder flavor
    • ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • kosher salt & pepper to taste **only salt AFTER cheese has been added
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Servings
    servings
    Ingredients
    • 1 lb Elbow or Shell pasta noodle
    • 13 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
    • 10 tablespoon all purpose flour
    • 8 cups whole milk can use 2%, but whole is preferred
    • 2 cups shredded medium cheddar/monterey jack mix can sub other cheeses mentioned above
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
    • 1 cup smoked cheddar can sub another cup of mozzarella for a less smokey/milder flavor
    • ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • kosher salt & pepper to taste **only salt AFTER cheese has been added
    macaroni, cheese
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Boil pasta according to package directions less 1 minute in a salted pot of water. Drain, add back to pot with 1 tablespoon butter. Set aside.
    3. In another heavy bottomed pot begin making your Béchamel sauce. Cut 10 tablespoons of butter and place in pot on medium heat. Add in 10 tablespoons of flour and whisk to create your roux.
    4. Once your roux (flour and butter) has thickened and bubbled, slowly begin adding your milk, whisking as you add.
    5. Continue to add the remaining milk and continue to whisk while pot is on medium-high heat. Whisking continuously is important so the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
    6. Whisk until the sauce comes to a boil, once it begins to boil, remove from heat.
    7. Add your shredded cheeses to the sauce and finally your cooked pasta.
    8. Mix until combined.
    9. Add pepper and salt to taste, note that many cheeses are salty so you may not need as much.
    10. Pour your macaroni mixture into a 9x13 pan or cast iron skillet.
    11. Prepare your panko topping by melting 2 tablespoons of butter then add in your panko and garlic powder. Top your macaroni pan with the breadcrumb mixture.
    12. Bake for 20-25 minutes and do a quick broil on the top for the breadcrumbs to brown.
    13. Remove and serve warm. Enjoy!
    Share this Recipe

    Trio Meatballs in Cream Sauce

    February 3, 2018

    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.

    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.

    I don't know about you but dinner is always the wild card around our house. Breakfast is pretty much the same options; cereal, eggs, avocado toast, bagels, some baked good. Lunches also don't change too much: sandwiches, leftovers, small bites of cheese, salami & crackers. But dinner, dinner always has to be different. I can't serve pasta every night of the week or my family would go berserk! We aren't the family that has the same meals on rotation (but sometimes I wonder how great that would be)! Instead, I try to come up with new ideas, twists on old favorites and create some yummy food. But I guess I wouldn't be very good as a food blogger if I didn't at least try to be inventive, am I right?

    While meal planning is clearly one of the best and most practical ways of creating wholesome meals, let's face it, sometimes life throws you too many balls and you drop them all so meal planning does NOT happen. Like these past few weeks, I have been completely off my game and truly winging it day in and day out. On those afternoons I stumble into the grocery store, searching for some food gods to tell me what to feed my children, I generally turn to the meat department first. We aren't that non-meat eating family, so if you're into that sort of thing this might not be for you. My children legitimately tell me that if there isn't meat in a meal it's not a full meal (goodness, I have some picky foodies at my table)!

    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.

    As I shopped the meat department the other day, ground lamb caught my eye and I thought, meatballs! While I love lamb, it is definitely a strong flavor and I wanted to mellow it out especially since I was thinking about making a creamy sauce. I threw in some ground beef and ground veal to make quite the eclectic meatball trio. What I love about making meatballs is that they can be a meal on their own, frozen to use later or added to a variety of meals throughout the week. It's definitely great food item and if you're more organized than me, making these ahead on the weekend can give you a head start on those weekday meals.

    This dish would be great to serve to a crowd without the pasta or even as a meatball sub. Ultimately, it is a wholesome meal that your family will love. My kids gobbled up every bite! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy! 

    As always, I love seeing your creations, tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

    xoxo
    Cosette

    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.

    Print Recipe
    Trio Meatballs in Cream Sauce
    This recipe makes a large batch of meatballs, feel free to freeze some or adjust and cut the recipe in half.
    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.
    Course Appetizer, Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 1 hour
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Meatballs
    • 1 pound lean ground lamb
    • 1 pound lean ground beef 7% fat is preferred
    • 1 pound lean ground veal can substitute ground pork
    • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs can use standard unseasoned breadcrumbs as well
    • 3 large eggs
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
    • 1 ½ large onions
    • 1 tablespoon dried basil
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
    • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced can add 2 teaspoon of toum instead if you have available
    • 2 ½ tsp kosher salt + additional as needed
    • 2 tsp pepper
    Sauce
    • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 8 tablespoon flour
    • 6 cups beef stock can sub vegetable or chicken stock
    • 2 cups heavy cream can sub whole milk or half and half
    • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
    • kosher salt to taste
    • ground pepper to taste
    Pasta
    • 1 lb egg noodle pasta
    Course Appetizer, Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 1 hour
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Meatballs
    • 1 pound lean ground lamb
    • 1 pound lean ground beef 7% fat is preferred
    • 1 pound lean ground veal can substitute ground pork
    • 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs can use standard unseasoned breadcrumbs as well
    • 3 large eggs
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
    • 1 ½ large onions
    • 1 tablespoon dried basil
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
    • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced can add 2 teaspoon of toum instead if you have available
    • 2 ½ tsp kosher salt + additional as needed
    • 2 tsp pepper
    Sauce
    • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 8 tablespoon flour
    • 6 cups beef stock can sub vegetable or chicken stock
    • 2 cups heavy cream can sub whole milk or half and half
    • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
    • kosher salt to taste
    • ground pepper to taste
    Pasta
    • 1 lb egg noodle pasta
    Delicious trio of lamb, ground beef and ground veal combined with a creamy white sauce.
    Instructions
    Meatballs
    1. Combine your meats, eggs and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
    2. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan on medium high heat and add your chopped onions + 1 teaspoon kosher salt, allow to soften and become translucent. After about 2-3 minutes add in your dried herbs, saute until fragrant. Then finally add in your garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
    3. Let your onion mixture cool slightly then add to your meat mixture.
    4. With clean hands, combine the mixture until it's cohesive. Add the remaining salt and pepper. If your mixture seems too dry, you can add a touch of olive oil.
    5. Form your meatballs into large golf-sized balls (you can make smaller if you choose, especially if you cut the recipe in half).
    6. Heat a large skillet and add your remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Place meatballs in pan and cook on each side until browned (they will not be cooked all the way through).
    7. Remove and continue until meatballs are all browned.
    Sauce
    1. Place a large pot on medium high heat, add your butter and begin melting. Add your flour and whisk until it forms a paste.
    2. Slowly add in your beef stock and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a slight boil and thickens.
    3. Turn heat down to low, add your salt, pepper & thyme to taste. Next, add in your meatballs. Let simmer and add in your cream.
    4. Cook your pasta according to package directions, drain and mix in your sauce and meatballs.
    5. Top with fresh parsley and additional thyme if desired. Enjoy!
    Recipe Notes

    **You make make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze or store in fridge. If storing in fridge, I would recommend cooking the meatballs all the way through. You can either place the pan fried meatballs in the oven to finish cooking or skip pan frying and bake the meatballs at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes until cooked through. 

    **Meatballs and sauce can be served as is without the pasta, great as an appetizer

    Share this Recipe

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    My name is Cosette Posko and I reside in Portland, Oregon with my family of five. Originally from Pennsylvania, I moved to the great Pacific Northwest about 15 years ago and have been here ever since.

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