Half & Half

Leek Mac & Cheese

August 19, 2014 by Kay Leave a Comment

A rich and flavorful dish, Leeks Mac & Cheese combines the taste of sharp cheddar with the sweetness of leeks for a new twist on mac and cheese.

Are you familiar with leeks? They have the flavor of a mild onion. I really like leeks in this recipe, it adds a new element to the dish and compliments the sharp cheddar cheese very nicely.

If you are not familiar with cleaning leaks, here is a link,How to Clean Leeks. Dirt tends to lie in the creases and crevices, so it’s important to clean them properly before cooking with them.

I have always been a fan of Mac & Cheese and Leek Mac & Cheese has become my new favorite. As far back as I can remember, way back into my childhood, my Mom would make Mac and Cheese regularly. Any dish that combines pasta and cheese rates high on my list and I am sure you will fall in love with this dish as much as I have.

Enjoy!

Leek Mac & Cheese

Rating: 51

Yield: 6 Servings

Leek Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb. pasta, medium in size
4 tbsp. butter, divided
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. flour
1 ½ cups half & half
1 ½ cups skim milk
4 tbsp. cheese powder *
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to package directions
Melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a large sauce pan. Add the leeks and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the leeks start to brown. Set the leeks aside.
In the same saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, making sure to whisk while it cooks.
Add the half & half and skim milk. Whisk the mixture until the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking until the mixture is thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper and cheese powder.
Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and whisk to combine.
Stir in the pasta and leeks. Pour the mixture into a 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*If you don't have cheese powder, increase the amount of cheddar cheese to 2 cups.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/leek-mac-cheese/

Saute the leeks.

Once the sauce is bubbly add in the cheese powder.

Whisk in the cheese.

Toss in the pasta and leeks.

The thick sauce sticks to the pasta

Bake until the cheese is golden brown.

Leek Mac & Cheese

So creamy

Leek Mac & Cheese

I love a good Mac & Cheese!

Caramel Frosting

March 9, 2014 by Kay 1 Comment

Caramel Frosting can be used for frosting many different recipes and it’s quick to make, using brown sugar, vanilla, half & half, butter and powdered sugar.

I initially made this recipe to frost my Zucchini Muffins but it can easily be used to frost cupcakes, cakes or donuts. It’s a very versatile frosting. I will be honest, I could eat JUST the frosting, I don’t really need something to put the Caramel Frosting on.

Caramel Frosting

Add caramel frosting to the Zucchini Muffins.

Yummy!

Enjoy!

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter
¼ cup half and half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, butter and half and half; bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil and whisk for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 10 – 15 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar. Let cool for 5 more minutes and you are ready to use the frosting.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/caramel-frosting/

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup

March 5, 2014 by Kay 3 Comments

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup tastes like you went to your garden and picked the fresh vegetables and created this wonderful soup. I love soups made in the slow cooker, to me, they just taste better. I don’t know why, they just do. So, to continue with my love of slow cooker soups I created this recipe for Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup.

I had high five’s from my daughter’s Hailey and Mackenzie on this soup. My hubby, Mr. B had other opinions. I asked him how he liked it (I was riding pretty high as I LOVED this soup) and he said it was good and then admitted to me that he doesn’t like his tomato soup creamy. I guess I learned something new about Mr. B even though I’ve been married to him for almost 25 years, just saying, I thought I knew him so well.

The tomato flavor is enhanced with carrots, celery, onions and broth. This soup really comes together in the end when you melt parmesan cheese into some half and half and added it to the pureed soup. I served it with homemade rye croutons. They were very tasty in the soup, I really liked the rye and caraway flavor.

After the soup has cooked for hours you puree the soup.

The half & half and parmesan cheese are added in.

Croutons added on top.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup

Yield: 8 Servings

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

4 cups diced fresh roma tomatoes, with seeds and juice
1 ½ cups diced carrots
1 ½ cups diced onions
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano
2 tbsp. basil
2 tbsp. sugar
4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup half and half
½ cup parmesan cheese, I used Kraft
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Add to your slow cooker; tomatoes, carrots, onions, paste, oregano, basil and vegetable broth. Cook on low for 5 hours or until the vegetables are very soft. Take an immersion blender (or you can use a blender) and puree the soup mixture.
In a small pan, cook the half and half on low until heated through, add the parmesan cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Add the mixture to the soup base and stir to combine. Taste the soup for seasonings, you may want to add some salt and pepper at this point, but most likely you won’t need to.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/slow-cooker-creamy-tomato-soup/

Broccoli Cheese Soup

February 19, 2014 by Kay 1 Comment

Broccoli, carrots, chicken broth, half & half and lots of cheddar cheese come together to make this delicious soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This recipe starts with a classic roux, a mix of butter and flour, that is used to thicken the soup. The half & half and chicken stock help to make the soup creamy. Broccoli and carrots add a good portion of vegetables while the cheddar cheese gives this soup the added amount of zing to make this soup sing.

Serve it up with a piece of crusty bread and call it a meal.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Rating: 51

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 ½ cups half and half
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups carrots, sliced thin
6 cup broccoli, chopped, use the florets and stalks sliced thin
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions, cook for 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine, cook for an additional 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, making sure the onion roux is mixed in. Add in the half and half and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and add in the carrots and broccoli. Bring mixture back to a boil and reduce to low and cook for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
Take the pan off the heat and put ¼ of the mixture into a blender or food processor, pulse until smooth. Continue processing the rest of the batches and return the soup to the stove. On medium heat, bring the soup back up to a warm temperature (almost to a boil) and stir in the shredded cheese, stir to combine. When the soup is heated through and the cheese is melted, it is ready to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/broccoli-cheese-soup/

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