Let us give thanks for all the bountiful blessings that come in the form of nourishing, tasty food, in all its many forms: Macaroni, dressing, sweet potato pie…
Patti Labelle’s, Over the Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese
This is one of my favorite macaroni and cheese recipes; and though the ingredients can be pricey due to all the cheeses, the end result is worth every penny.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) of butter, plus another tablespoon on the side
1/2 cup of shredded mild Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup of shredded Muenster cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)
1 cup of Velveeta cut into small cubes (8 ounces)
2 cups of half and half
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I just use regular pepper and season to taste)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.
Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.
In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.
Bake until it’s bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.
Heavenly Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (a Thanksgiving Staple)
Okay, this recipe has become a Thanksgiving tradition in my family. I love taking off from work the day before Thanksgiving so that I can make this cake for my hubby and me every year. It calls for a lot of ingredients, but believe me, it is so worth it! And what I love about it, (besides the taste), is that I don’t have to shred up any carrots at all. Thanks to Patti’s ingenious use of carrot baby food as a substitute. Go ahead and thank me now. This recipe is from Patti’s cook book, “Recipes to Sing About”. I own it. You should too. Enjoy!
Makes 15 servings.
CAKE
2 1/2 cups
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Four 4-ounce jars carrot baby food (1 1/2 cups)
One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
3/4 cup (3 ounces) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temp
1 tablespoon half and half or milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (1 pound)
15 walnut halves, optional
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 13X9 inch baking pan, tapping out the excess flour. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together and set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the carrot baby food. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and mix until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the pineapple, chopped walnuts, and raisins. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake until the top springs back when pressed lightly in the center, about 1 hour. Cool completely in the pan on a wire cake rack.
To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, half-and-half, and almond and vanilla extracts until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar.
Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Cut into 15 pieces (I don’t do this part). If desired, garnish each piece of cake with a walnut half.