Squash & Potato Gratin

This came up on the Bountiful Baskets Blog the other day and I am extremely eager to try it! It might just be what's for dinner tonight!! (I'll put my own picture up once I've made it!)

Theirs.

Mine. Not so pretty. I may have used too many veggies and

Mozzarella instead of Monterrey Jack. It was still yummy though!!

 Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow summer squash
• 1 pound red or russet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz of Monterrey Jack
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. dried basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Slice the squash and potatoes very, very thin. (Mandolin slicer would be perfect)
3. Place 1/3 of the squash and potato slices into the bottom of the pan. Layering them by alternating squash and potato but you could just spread them evenly.
4. Season with some salt and pepper and half of the cheese.
5. Repeat the layering with a 1/3 of the veggies, seasoning with S&P and sprinkling with cheese.
6. Finish the gratin by layering the final veggies on top and seasoning with S&P
7. Pour the milk over the dish then top with parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes covered then uncover and finish baking for 15 minutes.

Meatballs

I've always wanted to try and make some meatballs and even more since Abbie is always asking for spaghetti and meatballs. So, we'll soon give this recipe a whirl!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef (I use turkey)
1 small onion diced
1/4 dry breadcrumbs or as needed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl until just combined.
3. Divide the mixture into equal portions and then roll each of the portions into meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center about 8-10 minutes.

Paula Deen's Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

A friend of mine made this the other day and it was awesome so I hunted down the recipe and posted it here so that I don't forget it when I want to make macaroni and cheese again. This is super yummy!

 Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1   (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
3   eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cup (about 10-ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8 ounce box isn’t quite 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Add eggs. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Melly's Mac & Cheese

I have no clue how to make mac & cheese NOT out of a box. So, Melly as usual is here to rescue me! Here's her recipe so I don't lose it!

Ingredients:

elbow macaroni (cooked as usual)

shredded cheese (I usually use a combination of cheddar and colby jack

1 c. milk

1 egg

salt and pepper

a few pats of butter (about 5)

Directions:

I put a layer of elbow macaroni, then a layer of cheese, then another layer of macaroni and another layer of cheese. Then I beat the egg in a mixing cup and add the milk to 1 c. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and stir. Then pour egg mixture over the top of the layered macaroni and cheese. Top with pats of butter. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.