The Cheap Gourmet

Baked Spicy Macaroni and Cheese with Ground Beef and Bacon Casserole

Baked spicy macaroni and cheese with ground beef and bacon casserole is one of our family favorite recipes. This one-dish meal is a cheap gourmet version of America's all-time favorite comfort food. It pairs well with a fresh salad and piping hot dinner rolls.

Baked spicy macaroni and cheese with ground beef and bacon casserole is a great dish to take to pitch-in parties and cook-outs. It can be served for lunch or dinner, as an entrée or side dish, and makes a great leftover meal that can be taken to work and reheated in the microwave.

This Mac' and Cheese casserole can be transformed into a healthier version by using whole wheat pasta, substituting ground beef with ground chicken or turkey, and using turkey bacon instead of pork. I have used low-fat cheddar cheese in the past, but found it to be a bit too rubbery in this particular recipe. I hope you, your family and friends enjoy this macaroni and cheese recipe as much as we do!

BAKED SPICY MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH GROUND BEEF AND BACON CASSEROLE
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 10 – 12 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 to 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound lean Ground Beef, Chicken or Turkey
6 slices Bacon, (Pork or Turkey)
1 16-ounce box Corkscrew Pasta (or Elbow Macaroni, Penne or Bowtie)
1 or 2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeds removed and diced
2 medium cloves Garlic, minced
1 16-ounce jar Ragu Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon dried Basil
Salt and pepper, as desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place bacon strips in large skillet and cook over medium heat approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side. Bacon should be crisp on both sides for ease in breaking into smaller pieces.
3. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up grease.
4. Crumble ground beef into skillet, allowing it to cook in the remaining bacon grease. Stir frequently and break up any large pieces using a spatula. 

5. Using a 3-quart pot, add 2 quarts of water, pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Bring to a boil, add pasta and cook as per package instructions.

6. While ground beef and pasta are cooking, wash jalapeno peppers, remove seeds and dice. If you prefer super spicy, chop entire pepper including the seeds.
7. Remove skin from garlic cloves and mince.
8. Break bacon into bite-size pieces and add along with jalapeno peppers and garlic cloves to ground beef during the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking.
9. Lightly grease a 9x12 baking dish with olive oil.
10. Drain pasta using a colander and transfer to baking dish.

11. Drain hamburger mixture in colander and rinse with water to remove excess grease.
12. Add hamburger mixture and Ragu Cheddar Cheese Sauce to pasta. Gently stir to incorporate ingredients.

13. Top casserole with shredded Cheddar Cheese. Evenly sprinkle with dried Oregano and Basil.

14. Place Mac' and Cheese in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese melts and begins to turn brown on top. 

15. Using oven mitts, remove casserole from oven. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates and serve immediately.

Gourmet "Souped-Up" Rice-a-Roni

I've been a fan of Rice-a-Roni since I was a kid. It was a staple in our household because it was a cheap food nearly everyone liked. With a husband and four kids to feed, my mom was not only the Cooking Queen, she was also the Queen of Frugality. Who knew her frugality would lead me to my destiny of becoming The Cheap Gourmet ;-).

Last week, our grocer was selling Rice-a-Roni as buy one, get one free. I love BOGO sales, don't you? Considering Rice-a-Roni is still one of my favorite "San Francisco treats", I stocked up. After all, this is probably one of the most versatile and easy-to-prepare dishes on the planet.

Today, Rice-a-Roni is owned by the Quaker Oats Company and offers 18 varieties. Although I haven't tried all of them (Yet!) my favorites include: Chicken, Beef, Red Beans and Rice, Rice Pilaf, Long Grain and Wild Rice, and Fried Rice.

Since I had purchased a total of 20 boxes of Rice-a-Roni, I decided to experiment a bit. I figured if my experiment failed, I would only be out a couple of bucks. But, I had a feeling my idea would work and I'm happy to report that it did!

I added one of my other favorite products, Campbell's French Onion Soup, to a box of Beef flavored Rice-a-Roni. The package called for 2-1/2 cups of water. I replaced the the water with one can of French Onion Soup and about 1 cup of water. It really "souped-up" the flavor and the onion chunks added a new layer of texture.

This dish is "souper" easy to prepare ;-). Did you like my pun, LOL! All that is required is one box of Beef flavored Rice-a-Roni, one can of Campbell's French Onion Soup and one cup of water. Food prep doesn't get much easier than that does it?

Follow the package directions for preparation of the Rice-a-Roni. Instead of using the full 2-1/2 cups water, replace with the French Onion Soup and one cup of water. Within 25 minutes, you will have a yummy side dish bursting with flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving - Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection

Happy Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe turkey day is only 2 days away. If you haven't planned your Thanksgiving feast and are looking for healthy alternatives to your favorite holiday fare, I'd like to offer you my FREE "Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection".

This 23-page report includes a complete menu to help you create a healthy holiday meal. Simply choose one recipe from each category, along with two side dishes and you'll be well on your way to creating the perfect holiday feast.

Categories include: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Side Dishes, Beverages and Dessert.

Click here to download - Download Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection.

*Please note the recipe collection is a PDF report and requires Adobe Reader to view.

 

Announcing: The Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection

It's official. The holidays are rapidly approaching and it's time to start thinking about what we'll be serving for holiday meals, social gatherings and office parties. Since many of us are attempting to eat healthier foods, I wanted to share my collection of healthy holiday recipes. Best of all, it's free! ;-)

The Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection is a 25-page report that includes a Holiday Menu Planner that is super easy to use. Simply select one recipe from each category, along with two side dishes and you'll be well on your way to creating a delectable, tasty holiday meal everyone will be talking about!

Categories include:

• Appetizers
• Soups
• Salads
• Entrees
• Side Dishes
• Beverages
• Desserts

Recipes Include:

• Artichoke and White Bean Dip
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• The Great Pumpkin Soup
• Quinoa Soup with Greens and Potatoes
• Quinoa Apple Salad
• Persimmon Mesculin Salad
• Roasted Turkey
• Baked Honey Ham
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Quinoa Stuffing
• Asparagus with Lemon Butter
• Pumpkin Dumplings
• Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with Homemade Whipped Cream
• Orange Coconut Frost
• Creamy Pumpkin Pudding
• Rice Pudding with Cranberries

Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection is a PDF file and requires Adobe Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, you can download it for free at www.Adobe.com.

Click the underlined link below to download your free copy of
Download Healthy Holiday Recipe Collection

Best Homemade Potato Salad Recipe

Today, I'd like to share my best homemade potato salad recipe with you. BUT! You must promise not to share it with anyone else because it's a family secret and has been served by my family members for four generations.

I can only assume this would be classified as German Potato Salad, as it originated with my great grandmother who was German. Personally, I'm not all that crazy for Bavarian foods. Can't stand the taste of sauerkraut, not a big fan of beer (although I do enjoy one on a hot summer day), and absolutely refuse to eat rabbit, deer or boar. However, I do enjoy potato pancakes, dumplings and Spätzle; a German delicacy consisting of tiny noodles or dumplings made of flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and occasionally nutmeg.

The following homemade potato salad recipe can be adapted to suit your tastebuds. I rarely measure ingredients, so you might need to tweak this a bit to obtain the consistency you prefer. I like thick potato salad, while others prefer it to be a bit lighter. If you prefer the lighter taste, simply reduce the amount of mayonnaise and mustard by half.

Best Homemade Potato Salad Recipe
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours, minimum

Ingredients:

6 medium Idaho potatoes (you can use any type of potato you prefer including Yukon Gold or Red)
4 slices thick-cut Bacon, diced
1/4 medium Yellow onion, diced (you can use White Onions or Scallions if you prefer)
1 Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's because it is super thick - Yum!)
1-2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Paprika, optional
2 hard boiled eggs, optional

Directions:

Wash potatoes and cut into bite size cubes. If you prefer, you can remove the peel. Obviously, you would want to do this before cutting the potatoes into cubes.

Place potatoes in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover with water. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender -- meaning, when you are able to stick a fork in them with ease, they are done.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can begin preparing the bacon. Stack slices of bacon on top of one another. Cut in half and stack. Then cut slices in half lengthwise. Next, cut slices approximately 1/2-inch in width. Separate and place in small skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. If you prefer, you can fry bacon slices whole, then break them into small pieces afterwards.

If using boiled eggs, you will want to boil them at this time. Simply wash the eggs off, then place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook eggs for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and place eggs in the refrigerator to cool.

When potatoes are done, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and ensure the potatoes don't get smushy. Transfer potatoes into a mixing bowl and place in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Cooling the potatoes will help prevent them from breaking down when you mix the remaining ingredients with them.

Remove cooked bacon from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb grease. Retain the bacon grease in the skillet.

Once potatoes are chilled, add the bacon, along with 1 teaspoon of bacon grease, diced onions, sweet pickle relish, sugar, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.

If desired, sprinkle paprika on top of potato salad and top with sliced boiled egg. Chill for at least 2 hours. To create the look below, use two egg slices for the eyes, then cut the remaining slices in half and place around the edges, one half above each "eye" and four half slices to create the "smile". Use the bottom portion of the egg to create the "nose." Enjoy!

Food Wishes Video Recipes

I recently found an amazing cooking blog. It's called Food Wishes Video Recipes and it's owned by Chef John. This blog features step-by-step cooking videos for American Classics, Asian and French Cuisine, Desserts, Dressings, Pasta, Poultry and much more. It truly is a feast for the eyes!

At Food Wishes Video Recipes you will find an ever-growing collection of mouth-watering gourmet recipes including. A few of the delectable creations include:

Chicken Breasts with Herbs de Provence and Mushrooms
Braised Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Lemon, Cherry Peppers and Thyme
Mascarpone Brulee with Fresh Berries

If you love to cook, you're going to love this Food Wishes Video Recipes. Be sure to thank Chef John for sharing his cooking secrets!

Click here to visit Food Wishes Video Recipes blog.

Red, White and Blue Recipes for the 4th of July!

It's not too late to plan a bodacious red, white and blue menu for your 4th of July celebration. The Recipe Zaar offers an abundance of deliciously delightful concoctions that are certain to please your family and guests. You'll find everything from 4th of July Margaritas to Red, White and Blue Burgers and plenty of tastebud exploding desserts!

If you've never been to Recipe Zaar, you are missing out! Not only will you find thousands of mouth-watering recipes, you'll also be able to interact with other home cooks and chefs in the Recipe Zaar community, share your own recipes, and save recipes in a personal cookbook. Go check them out at www.RecipeZaar.com and sign-up for your free account today!

Photo by RecipeLink.com