Roasted Butternut Squash Mac' n Cheese

from Censational Girl

 

This was easy and great to make a day ahead and then bake and serve later. And as you can see I substituted a lot of things for ingredients I had on hand and didn't use exact measurements on everything. And it turned out great, which is one reason why this is awesome. I actually had an acorn squash on hand I needed to use so I used that and it tasted great. I may have had a little more macaroni and less squash because of this and using macaroni shells instead, but it didn't taste too "noodley".

Roasted Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
4 cups diced raw butternut squash (acorn works too)
3 cups (about 12 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni (used shells, usually just use a full 16 oz box)
sprig of fresh sage or ½ tsp dried sage
3 tbsp olive oil
7-8 oz. fontina cheese (used a mix of parmesan, mozzerella, and colby I had on hand)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
⅔ cup half and half (used whole milk, have also used sour cream and might like it better?)
⅓ cup breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)


Directions:

1. Coat the butternut squash in olive oil, top it with chopped sage and roast it in the oven at 350º for 40 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Cook macaroni in salted water according to box instructions. Remove roasted butternut squash from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Place squash in mixing bowl or blender. Add half and half and salt and puree with hand mixer or in blender until smooth.
3. Toss cooked macaroni with pureed squash mixture and layer in large baking dish. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs, melted butter, and shredded fontina. (I did the cheese then breadcrumbs, then melted butter which was great as the breadcrumbs were a little crispy)
4. Bake a total of 35 minutes at 350º, uncovered for 15 minutes until topping is slightly browned, then cover with foil for remaining 20 minutes. 

Serve hot! Serves 6-8 people.

Quick & Easy Noodle Stir Fry

from Our Best Bites

 

Quick & Easy Noodle Stir-Fry

 This is great to use up all those odds and ends in your fridge (cabbage, peas, mushrooms, bacon, etc). Has a lighter flavor, limes and ginger are optional ( I like both ways). And Camilla enjoys it!

Ingredients:

1 12-oz. package linguine (whole wheat or regular)
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sweet red chili sauce (Thai Kitchen makes one that’s great and easy to find; this is not the chili sauce you find near the ketchup)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 small orange, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame, or green beans
1 medium zucchini, julienned or chopped
Optional: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss in 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. Set aside.
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas (or beans or edamame) and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until the veggies are crisp-tender. 
4. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables.
5.  Give the sauce a quick whisk and then drizzle it evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. 
6. Serve immediately–if you want, you can garnish individual servings with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and black sesame seeds. 

Serves 6-8.

Capellini Pomodoro

Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro
Love this but always feel guilty ordering it as it is so easy to make at home. From the official Olive Garden recipe archives.

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

10 minutes

Serving Size:4

Ingredients

14 oz capellini pasta (angel hair)
8 medium tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
11 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedures

1. COOK capellini pasta according to package directions.
2. MIX diced tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. DRAIN pasta. Toss pasta with tomato mixture in a sauté pan and heat throughout.
4. SERVE immediately.