Mac and Cheese is always good. I admit to eating the stuff from the blue box with hot dogs on a late night of studying. I was really hungry one night and evaluated what we had in the fridge and this was the outcome. If I were to buy the ingredients, I would use a sharp cheddar cheese or another hard cheese with lots of developed flavor in it. But my method of cooking is taking ingredients I have on hand and making something. You might call it being lazy, I prefer to think of it being adaptive. Anyway, here is the dish...I bet you always have this stuff in your pantry right now.
The Ingredients
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons butter + 2 Tablespoons more
4 Tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
1/4 cup cream
1 lb elbow macaroni or other small pasta
1 cup grated cheese (Cheddar)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
olive oil
salt
pepper
The Method
Start by prepping the ingredients. Cut the chicken into small cubish pieces. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Drain when the pasta is done.
In a large pan, saute the chicken in some olive oil on medium high heat. When one side is brown, add the bay leaf, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is done and the onions are translucent.
In a saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter and then whisk in the flour. Whisk constantly to get lumps out. Add the heated milk in small increments when the roux turns very slightly brown. Think white beach sand. Keep whisking until the bechamel sauce returns to the boil.
Take off the heat. Add the cream, cheddar cheese, half the Parmesan cheese, paprika, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine the pasta, chicken mixture, and cheese sauce in the large pan. Mix well and check for seasoning again.
Take out a 9 x 13 pan and grease with a little butter. Pour in the pasta and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Then covered the pasta with the panko bread crumbs. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden browned and delicious. Resist the temptation and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Preparing food has always been a passion of mine. The purpose of this blog is to provide a way for people, especially college students, to create their own culinary masterpieces. I will write about recipes that my friends and I enjoy to help others create their own culinary works of art.
I am going to start with the basic tomato sauce. This sauce is versatile and can be combined with all kinds of pasta for a simple and tasty meal.
The Ingredients
2 lbs of ground turkey
2 large yellow onions
6-7 garlic cloves
2 - 28oz canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup basil
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
olive oil
salt
pepper
The Method
I like to get all of my ingredients ready, or as the French call it, Mise en Place. This makes the cooking process flow smoothly and it also allows you to make sure you have all the ingredients. I start by cutting the onions in half, then peel them. Make longitudinal cuts along the onion and then turn it 90 degrees and cut a fine dice. Next, take the garlic cloves and place th
em on the cutting board, lay the knife on top (with the blade facing you, or this could be the last meal you cook) and smash the garlic with your fist. This should loosen the cloves from their skins. Mince the garlic finely. Next, wash and pick off the leaves of the basil. Lay the leaves on top of each other and roll them up like a cigar. Slice the basil in think ribbons. (Cutting the basil too much will render a blackish-green mess...not so great).
Now that all the prep is done, heat up a large pan on medium high heat and put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan. Put the ground meat in and add about a teaspoon or salt and a few cranks of pepper. When the meat is done (about 5 minutes), put the meat in a bowl and set aside.
Put another tablespoon of oil in and put in the chili flakes. Stir around for about 30 seconds and put the onions in with about teaspoon of salt. Sweat the onions until translucent, then add the oregano and garlic. Cook for another minute.
Add the ground turkey back as well as the crushed tomatoes in the pan. Once the sauce starts to bubble, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper accordingly. Lastly, add the basil and turn off the heat. This prevents the basil from overcooking and leaves the sauce with a fresh taste.
My favorite way to enjoy this simple yet hearty sauce is spooned over gemelli pasta with a sprinkle of Romano cheese. Other optio
ns include the makings of a great lasagna, or baked ziti.
This pasta is very simple to make; it only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. Pure flavors and simplicity are the essences of this dish.
The oil will start to heat and the garlic will start to sizzle and lightly brown. Drain and add the pasta and sprinkle in the basil. Toss to coat and serve. 
