Macaroni & Corn Bake: Recipe

Today's Food Friday brings you one of my favorite comfort food meals of all time. Seriously, this one takes the cake. It's so good, but watch out - you may just want to eat the entire pan at once. I have to portion it out as soon as it's out of the oven so I don't eat too much at once.

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you know how much I love macaroni and cheese. You can check out my favorite side dish mac & cheese here and the mac & cheese burritos with green chilies that I loved here. But today is all about the macaroni and corn. Mmmmm.

I've been making this since college. It's actually one of the first recipes I ever mastered, and it's what I would take with me whenever there was a social get-together. (This or zucchini casserole, which I'll hopefully be sharing soon as well). It's such a crowd pleaser, and it's something not everyone thinks of.

Seriously - just check out the cheesiness. It's so ooey-gooey good.

And the best part? You can use whatever cheese you like best OR whatever cheese you happen to have in your fridge! It doesn't matter (though I do like it best with sharp cheddar myself, but this one has Swiss and mozzarella added in as well because I had annoying amounts of it left in my fridge, just waiting to be used up).

I know, I know. You're dying for the recipe now. Well, here it is. Enjoy... and I mean it!

• Do you like macaroni and cheese?
• What's your favorite thing to mix with it?
• What is your all-time favorite comfort food?

    

Recipe: Mac & Cheese Burritos

Yes, you read that title right. And yes, it's just as amazing as it sounds. You HAVE to try this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of prepared macaroni and cheese (your favorite kind)
• 4 flour tortillas
• 1 cup peeled / chopped roasted green chile
• oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the macaroni and cheese with the roasted green chile.
2. Place macaroni down the center of tortillas.
3. Roll the tortilla up.
4. In a shallow frying pan, fry each burrito in 2" of oil.
5. Fry seam side down first. Fry until golden all around.
6. Cool burritos off on a paper towel until serving.

• Do you love mac & cheese as much as I do?
• Will you be trying these delicious burritos?
• What's your favorite 'weird' recipe?

Top Ten Food List

What would you do if you were told that you could only eat ten foods for the rest of your life? Would you panic? Or would you excitedly make a list of your favorite dishes? 

I think I would be a little sad knowing that I would never experience a new meal again, and it would be devastating not being able to list everything I REALLY love. That said, I do have several go-to foods that I will almost always happily devour. Ten of those foods, in no particular order are as follows:

1. Macaroni and Cheese - CLICK for recipe

2. Spinach and Onion Enchiladas

3. Chile Rellenos

4. Vegetarian Chili

5. Lemon Cake

6. Cheesy Black Bean Nachos

7. Broccoli Cheese Soup - CLICK for recipe

8. Zootskies (family recipe of sausage {I use vegetarian sausage} soaked in beer and cooked with lots of peppers)

9. Green Bean Casserole - CLICK for recipe

10. Baked Brie

It would be difficult to limit myself to those ten items, though, as I’m a big foodie. I love baking and cooking, but I especially love eating. Trying out new recipes for the first time is great, and I LOVE when Dan cooks for me. He’s great in the kitchen! I also adore going out to eat… there’s just something fun about not having to do the dishes! ;) 

PS - I only have recipe links for three of these. Expect the rest of them to have photos and recipes by the end of this year. One thing I want to work on is making more of my favorite foods and sharing the recipes with all of you.

• What are your favorite foods? 
• What is your favorite restaurant?
• Do you prefer eating in or dining out?

Recipe: Macaroni & Cheese (With Onions & Garlic)

As we approach Thanksgiving, I've decided to showcase some of my absolute FAVORITE vegetarian side dishes. Since I don't eat turkey, I live on sides during the holidays... and I wouldn't have it any other way! Side dishes are the BEST, so I'll be posting one recipe a week until Thanksgiving to give ideas to my fellow vegetarians (or anyone with taste buds, really). 

This recipe is a favorite of mine. No, it's not healthy. I won't even lie about that. But this is THE BEST COMFORT FOOD you will EVER find!

Ingredients Needed:
Medium Pasta Shells
Penne Pasta
1/2 of an Onion (your favorite kind)
2 Cloves of Garlic
4 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
1 Cup of Milk (I use almond milk, but cow's milk works great too)
1/2 Block of Velveeta Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Cheese (any kind - I like to mix several different kinds in)
Salt/Pepper to taste

The Recipe:
1. Cook pasta (both types together) to your preference. I like it just softer than al denté.
2. While the pasta is cooking, dice your onion and garlic into small pieces.
3. Add vegetable oil and onions to frying pan, and sauté them on medium heat for about five minutes.
4. Add the garlic to the onions and continue cooking over low heat for another two to three minutes.
5. Remove onions and garlic from heat.
6. Strain pasta.
7. Add butter, milk, and Velveeta cheese to the saucepan to create a creamy sauce.
8. Add the pasta back into the saucepan with the sauce, and stir it up.
9. Add the sautéed onions and garlic to the saucepan.
10. Add the shredded cheese gradually, stirring as you go.
11. ENJOY!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It's my go-to mac & cheese recipe when I have people over since it's such a crowd pleaser! Let me know what you think if you decide to try it!

High Five For Friday (+ Bloglovin')

I've never posted a "high five for Friday" post before, so I'm excited to share one now. 

First things first, though: Google Reader is shutting down on MONDAY... yes, in three days! Are you following me on there? It looks like 101 of you are! If you would like to keep following me, you must do so through Bloglovin', which is an amazing website that lets you subscribe to all of the blogs you'd like and read through them when you want. Even better? They send you an email each night with all of the blogs you're subscribed to, so you won't miss any of them! 

You can follow my blog on Bloglovin' by clicking on the icon on the right of my page (just under the info about my handsome fiancé, Dan) or by going to my Bloglovin' profile by CLICKING HERE and following me. PLEASE don't forget to do so! I will always follow you right back if you're on Bloglovin' as well. Thanks! :) 

ANYWAY,

My top five for this week are:

1. I went running on a regular basis all week, and that includes getting up early and everything!

2. I've had a lot of time to work on some crafty projects, and I can't wait to share them soon! I've made a few new photo collages on canvas, and I'm working on a super top-secret project as well.

3. Brie Macaroni and Cheese. Yep. When I went to Las Vegas earlier this month, there was mac & cheese made with Brie (my favorite cheese) at one of the casino buffets. It had bacon in it, though, and as a vegetarian, I could not eat it. (I have always disliked bacon anyway, so I likely wouldn't have anyway). I have been craving it since I saw the idea, though, so last night, I made a Brie Macaroni and Cheese with Onion and Apple Compote. AMAZING.

4. I got to spend lots of time with my little furballs, and they seem to have enjoyed that fact as well!

5. I am having a girls' night tonight with Ellen and Maddi, a couple other USAFA girlfriends, and I can't wait!

And now, a few pictures, just for funsies!

Isn't Gilligan just adorable?! I love this little guy.

Stormy is adorable too, but she is ALWAYS trying to get herself into trouble... 

I can't call my kitties adorable without posting my favorite adorable man! My fiancé has been in the military for seven years now, and as the class of 2017 enters USAFA this week, I am reminiscing to Dan's inprocessing to the Academy in 2010 when he completed his third and final basic training. These pictures all come from WebGuy, a wonderful group of photographers who capture the USAFA basic training for friends and family to see. 

Well, that's all, folks!