#21 Lord of the Blue Box, Volume 3!

Shownotes for #21 Lord of the Blue Box: Volume 3!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for is less than 30 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotes and click on comments. Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at [e-mail].

The podsafe music used in the show:

This week, I'm featuring a song called Let it rain by Nashville singer/songwriter named Laura Clapp.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

You won't find any of these recipes on the back of the box. In all of them, you begin by cooking the macaroni in boiling water for the amount of time indicated on the box. You then combine it with the flavored milk, butter and cheese packet as directed. In some cases, I have change the proportions, so pay attention to the recipe.

Ratatouille MacNCheese (V)

Vegetarians rejoice! This recipe makes enough to feed four as a main dish or to six people as a side dish

2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese
3 tbs butter
2 red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, cut into thin strips
1 medium yellow squash (about 1/2 pound), cut into thin strips
1 medium zucchini squash (about 1/2 pound), cut into thin strips
1 medium eggplant (about 1/2 pound), cut into cubes
2 medium Vidalia onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tbs honey (optional)
1 tbs red wine vinegar (optional)
3 tbs raisins, soaked in hot water for ten minutes (optional)
3 tbs pine nuts, toasted (but not burned) in a dry frying pan (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter or spray a 2 quart baking dish with vegetable cooking spray, set aside.

Heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the two squashes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Finally, add the eggplant, garlic, the thyme, black pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt (with the optional ingredients), and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, adding a little water if more liquid is needed. Drain the vegetables in a large colander set over a bowl. Add the vegetables to the pasta and set the juices from the vegetables aside.

Prepare the macaroni and cheese as directed. Stir in the drained ratatouille.Transfer to the 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cheeseburger MacNCheese (C)

Meat Eaters Rejoice! This will become your favorite MacNCheese.

1 box macaroni and cheese
1/2 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Prepare macaroni and cheese as indicated on box. Set aside.

In a skillet, add ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper. Brown meat and drain grease. Mix beef, onions, macaroni and cheese sauce, and Italian seasoning in a shallow baking dish. Top with shredded mozzarella and cheddar. Bake until cheese is melted.

Elegant MacNCheese (V)

OK, this isn't made from a box. But I had to give you one last recipe to make from scratch that will show you how many calories you can pack into one recipe of MacNCheese.

2 tablespoons (1/4 sticks) butter
1 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 pound blue cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon celery seeds
Cayenne pepper
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves
1 pound penne pasta
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and celery and sauté until just beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cream, half and half and blue cheese in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Add celery seeds. Season sauce with cayenne, salt and pepper. Beat yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in half of cheese sauce. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk to blend. Add celery leaves.

Butter 13 3/4x10 1/2x2 3/4-inch (4-quart capacity) oval baking dish. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to same pot. Add sauce and vegetables; stir to blend. Transfer to baking dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle Parmesan over surface of pasta. Bake until pasta is heated through, sauce is bubbling and top is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

If you want to make Macaroni and Cheese from scratch that has the same qualities of the boxed variety, here's a healthier and tastier way to do it. You can then use this as the base for any of the recipes I give you here.

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 10 ounces)
8 ounces small elbow macaroni, freshly cooked

Topping:
4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from 8 ounces trimmed sourdough bread

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon dry mustard in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk over medium-high heat until sauce thickens and boils, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheese and whisk until smooth. Mix in macaroni. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until crumbs are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle crumb mixture over macaroni and cheese. Bake until warmed through and bubbling at edges, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to have some more fun with dough. This time we'll use crescent dinner rolls instead of biscuit dough. So buy a few cans. You'll need some imported black olives with pits still in them, an dry Italian herb mix, some eggs, some feta cheese and either some Kaskaval cheese, or parmesan, about 10 thin slices of sopressata salami, or any dry salami, 1/2 c of a Roquefort or blue cheese, a few tbs of walnuts, some fresh parsley, and a little bit of heavy cream. Sound interesting? You'll see how we put it all together next week.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week: