Living Up to My Expectations: The Perfect Hamburger Macaroni

Hamburger macaroni was one of the first recipes I searched for when I got into food blogging. It isn't a dish I grew up eating, but I always thought it looked so good. But despite my best efforts and several bookmarks, I never made any of the recipes I found. Why? Because I knew what I was looking for and it was clear that none of the recipes I found had it.


Based on the recipes I found, I realized that my take on Hamburger Macaroni might not be exactly the traditional. But I wanted it the way I always THOUGHT it would, or should, taste like. Flavorful, a little cheesy, a little spicy, and hearty. So I took the best of the recipes I had found to use as a guide and put together this: The Perfect Hamburger Macaroni.

The Perfect Hamburger Macaroni

4 servings

1 Tablespoon oil

½ cup Diced Onion (about half a medium onion)

3 cloves garlic

14.5 ounce can roasted tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon italian seasoning mix

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

dash of paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

¾ cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar (+ ½ cup for topping, if desired)

1 lb. Ground Beef or equivalent Vegetarian Crumbles

1 lb. Small Pasta (like elbow macaroni, medium shells, or anything else of similar size)

If using ground beef, brown in a large skillet. Drain and set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions and set aside.

Heat oil in the skillet.

Add onion and cook until soft.

Add garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add roasted tomatoes and tomato paste to pan. Stir to blend paste into tomato liquid.

Add italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, paprika, and salt and pepper if desired. Stir to combine.

Mix cooked ground beef or vegetarian crumbles into tomatoes.

Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Mix in shredded cheese. Once cheese melts into the sauce combine with cooked pasta.

If desired, top with another ½ cup shredded cheese and transfer to oven just until cheese melts.

For more great pastas check out this weeks Presto Pasta Nights- I'll post the link as soon as the dished are posted.

Beyond Grilled Cheese: Smoked Salmon Croque-Monsieur, Two Ways

I first heard of a croque-monsieur several years ago watching episodes of Rachel Ray. She is crazy about them and makes a few variations regularly on her shows. Once I tried one, I was pretty crazy about them too. If you like grilled cheese, you will like this.


Traditionally, a croque-monsieur is made with ham, and I generally use veggie ham but I was halfway thru putting this post together when I got my hands on some really good smoked salmon. (This stuff is amazing, truly the best smoked salmon I have ever had and you can get it here).  The light bulb went off, and next thing I knew I was starting from scratch with smoked salmon replacing the ham.

The first time I made croque-monsieurs I must have gotten lucky because we did everything right. Since then I have made some that, while not bad since it is probably impossible to make this sandwich bad, were not as good as they could be.  But along the way to getting it right again I learned a few things. So, let me share the secrets with you.


#1: Use sandwich bread. It normally seems intuitive that better bread equals better sandwich, and most people (like me) consider a fresh loaf to be better then bagged sliced bread. In this case however, sliced bread is the way to go (and according to my french roommate how you will find them made in their birthplace, Paris).


#2: If you are going to make these with cheese on the outside, shred it with a fine grater. This sticks to the bread better and gives a more uniform and thin layer.


#3: If your grilling it with cheese on the outside, grill it beyond the point of just turning golden. Grill it until the cheese gets crispy.  When the cheese is still soft, the whole sanwich just seems kindof mushy and greasy.


Most of the recipes I have found include a few defining components: ham, swiss-style cheese (swiss, gruyere, emmental), and sauce (bechamel or mornay), and the bread.


How these components are combined also has general trends but still a variety of styles. Sauce on the inside and cheese outside. Cheese inside and sauce plus more cheese outside. Sauce and cheese inside, neither outside. So play around with it, and find your way.

After trying a few variations I have settled on two I like in particular, presented in this post: Extra Cheesy and Monte Cristo Style.


The Monte Cristo style is the Rachel Ray version I first encountered, with cheese and sauce inside the sandwiches, then dipped in egg batter and fried.


For the extra cheesy style I decided I like the cheese on the outside AND the inside. Yum, cheese...

Smoked Salmon Croque-Monsieur, Two Ways:

For Both Sandwiches:

Bechamel Sauce

2 servings

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Flour

½ cup Milk

2 pinches Nutmeg

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

salt and pepper

Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan

Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk to combine into roux

Add milk and increase heat to medium-low. Whisk to mix roux into milk so no more think lumps remain.

Add nutmeg and dijon mustard, a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Continue whisking, over medium low to medium heat, until sauce thickens to the consistency of country gravy.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Monte Cristo Style,(from Rachel Ray):

(2 sandwiches)

Smoked Salmon, enough for 2 sandwiches (I used about 4 ounces)

4 Slices Bread

1 recipe Bechamel Sauce

1-1/2 to 2 cups grated Gruyere (or other swiss style cheese)

1 egg

1/3 cup Milk

Beat together egg and milk, set aside.

Spread all 4 slices of bread with Bechamel sauce, then sprinkle each with a thin but complete layer of cheese.

Top 2 slices of bread with smoked salmon, then top with remaining two slices of bread, cheese side down.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, swipe with or melt a little butter in pan.

Dip sandwiches into egg mixture and place in heated skillet. Fry until golden brown, about 5 min.

Flip and fry second side until golden.

Remove from pan, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Extra-Cheesy Croque-Monsieur

(2 sandwiches)

Smoked Salmon, enough for 2 sandwiches (I used about 4 ounces)

4 Slices Bread

1 recipe Bechamel Sauce

3 cups grated Gruyere (or other swiss style cheese)

2 Tbsp Softened Butter

Spread all 4 slices of bread with Bechamel sauce, then sprinkle each with a thin but complete layer of cheese.

Top 2 slices of bread with smoked salmon, then top with remaining two slices of bread, cheese side down.

Butter both sides of each sandwich with softened butter.

Spread a thin but even layer of finely grated cheese on a plate or cutting board. Press sandwich into cheese. Repeat so all 4 sides are covered in a thin layer of cheese.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, swipe with or melt a little butter in pan.

Place sandwiches into the hot skillet and grill until the cheese later becomes brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.

Flip over to cook opposite side.

Remove from pan, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Damn Good: Scrambled Eggs with Leeks, Fava Beans, Crispy Breadcrumbs, and Parmesan

Being my second egg recipe post it may SEEM that I like eggs, but I am actually not a big fan.


I particularly dislike scrambled eggs. Flavorless egg curds? It does nothing for me. However, this recipe from the Bon Appétit April issue stood out to me immediately. 

It was while I was still looking for recipes using leeks.  I have also been wanting make something with fava beans.  The huge Fava bean pods at the Farmers Market have been enticing me, I'm not sure why.  I have a tendency to become fixated on random things for no discernable reason.


After making this dish I have to admit that it is entirely possible I will NEVER EVER cook with fava beans again. They were very high maintenance, and I think lima beans would be pretty much the same.


I cut the recipe  in half, but other then that I pretty much followed it.  Thats pretty unusual for me, I can't really explain it. It's probably because I don't make scrambled eggs on my own.

Scrambled Eggs with Leeks, Fava Beans, Crispy Breadcrumbs, and Parmesan Cheese

Adapted from Bon Appétit, for 4 servings

(Recipe mostly split in half, I didn't decrease the amount of fava beans)

For the Breadcrumbs:

1 cups good quality bread torn in small pieces (recipe calls for French bread but I used sourdough)

1 - ½ tablespoons olive oil

Fine sea salt

For the Eggs:

1 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, chopped and rinsed

1 cup peeled fresh fava beans or frozen (double-peeled)

6 large eggs (preferably organic)

¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

a couple dashes of fine sea salt

Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Thoroughly coat torn bread with olive oil and a pinch of salt

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 400° for 12-18minutes, until they are golden and crispy

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the peeled fava beans and cook for approx. 14 minutes or until tender

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with cream and salt

Melt butter over low heat in a large skillet or sauce-pan

Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes

Stir in fava beans and increase heat to medium-high, then pour egg mixture into pan

Let sit (without stirring) until edges start to set. Then use a heat-proof spatula to gently stir mixture. Keep repeating, stirring more often as the eggs become more cooked

 (There are good tutorials for easil;y making perfect scrambled eggs at Bon Appetit or Smitten Kitchen)

When eggs are still slightly creamy and a tad wet-looking, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish

Top with crispy breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese

So, like I said before, I usually find scrambled eggs pretty gross. These were an exception! I may have to re-evaluate the opinion completely.  They tasted better then I ever knew scrambled eggs could taste.


I can't say EXACTLY why these are sooooo good, but I think it is worth substituting sour cream for milk in  a plain batch, they may be what made the difference.

Utilizing My Cookbook Collection: Cod with Leeks and Tomatoes from Everyday Cooking

I love cookbooks. I find them very inspirational. Especially ones with lots of pretty pictures.  


This is probably why I needed to own Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook.  In addition to carrying the Martha Stewart brand name, it also has a picture of every single recipe.


But while I love looking at cookbooks, I rarely use them.  My collection is not too big yet, but it is hard to justify buying ANY when I fail to utilize the ones I already have. ( For example, although I have owned this Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook for almost a year and a half, this is only the second recipe I have made from it). 


So I am making a concerted effort to try more recipes from my cookbooks.  And this recipe was a logical choice for me. It was one of the recipes that first caught my eye when I initially looked thru the book.  I have been trying to eat more fish. AND I have been wanting to cook with leeks, because I've never cooked with them before.


I did a pretty good job of sticking to the recipe, too.  The only adaptation I made was to add some carrot, because I thought it would be a good addition. 

Cod with Leeks and Tomatoes (and Carrots)

barely adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

2 medium Leeks

2 large Carrots

1 tsp Lemon Zest

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tbsp Olive Oil

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme

Coarse Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

2 ½ cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

4 Cod Fillets, 6-8oz a piece

Thinly slice white and light green parts of the leeks. Rinse thoroughly until no grit remains. Pat dry.

Peel carrots, then use peeler to make thinly sliced carrot shavings.

In a 9x13 glass dish toss together leeks, carrots, lemon juice and zest, leaves from the sprigs thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 450° until leeks soften, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half and season both sides of the cod fillets with a little salt and pepper.

Remove baking dish from oven and stir tomatoes into the leek and carrot mixture. Place cod fillets on top and place foil back over the dish. Continue baking until fish is cooked thru, about 15-20 minutes.   

Results:


 I'm sorry to say I just did not think this recipe was anything special.  The vegetables came out pretty good. I think the carrots were a good addition that worked well with the leeks and tomatoes. I haven't cooked much with thyme and I don't think it is my favorite herb, but I can't blame the recipe for that.  


My main reason for being a bit disappointed was the fish itself: it just wasn't seasoned enough and came out pretty bland.  If I make this again I will have to try to give the cod more flavor.

Veggie Taco Filling

I adore tacos. All kinds of tacos. 

Crunchy shell, four tortilla, or corn tortilla. All yummy. Bean filling, rice filling, meat filling, or any combination. Then of course there's fish and shrimp, fried or barbecued. And potato tacos! Cheese baked to melt onto the shell, or sprinkled cold over the top. Tex-mex style. Baja style. 

OK. You probably get the point.

And one thing I have been wanting to work out a recipe for is a veggie taco filling. Diced up veggies and beans, sauteed and taco seasoned. I made a couple of half hearted attempts awhile back, but never really came up with anything that I was especially happy with.  Mostly because I was being lazy about spices.

But I think those tres leches cupcakes inspired me. Because I left work that day intending to make one thing for dinner (I can't remember what) and by the time I got home I was dead set on figuring out the veggie taco filling once and for all.

Veggie Taco Filling

(about 4 servings)

2 Tbsp Oil

½ cup Onion, diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 can Corn (or about 1 cup of kernels)

1 can Black Beans (or about 1 cup), mostly drained but not rinsed

1 cup Tomatoes, diced

2 medium Zucchini, diced small enough to mix with corn and beans

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Chili Powder

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp Cumin

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

a pinch of Salt

Heat oil in saute pan or large frying pan over medium heat

Add onion and cook until soft

Add garlic and cook about one more minute, until fragrant

Add zucchini and cook until it starts to soften and is almost cooked through

Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Turn up heat if needed. Continue heating until zucchini is cooked and mixture is heated throughout.

Serve with tortillas and all your favorite taco toppings!

I am pretty pleased with this recipe. It has a little bit of kick, but not too much. And I like the contrast with the sweet corn.  The sweet corn might add too much sweetness for some people though, or even for me if I'm in a certain mood, so I might omit it sometimes.  I think some diced up red bell pepper would also be a food addition to the mix, so I might try that next time.  This is probably just as much a starting point as a firm recipe.

My Favorite Meal of Convenience: Shrimp Succotash

I really wish this dish was as easy to photograph as it is to cook.

This is my #1 go-to convenience dinner. It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand and I can make it from start to finish, in one pan, in 30 minutes. (Including washing the pan.) AND it tastes great!

It should have been one of the first food I wrote about. It is one of those meals I truly wish to share with everyone on earth. But it is just so damn hard to photograph. Seriously, this is the third time I have tried and this is the best I can come up with. I am not sure it will ever get better then this.


So here it is.




Shrimp Succotash

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

½ cups Onion (About Half Of A Medium-Sized Onion), I Use Sweet Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped

2 whole Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped

1-½ cup Zucchini, Cut Into 1/4-Inch Thick Half Circles (about 2 Medium-Sized Zucchini)

1 cup Corn, Canned

1 cup Peas, Frozen

1-¼ cup Lima Beans (Full-Sized Are Better Than Baby) OR Edamame Beans

Fresh Ground Pepper

30 whole Medium-Sized Shrimp, Fully Cooked Frozen Shrimp With Tails Removed, Thawed

1 cup Cherry Or Grape Tomatoes, Sliced In Half

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

½ cups Fresh Basil, Coarsely Chopped (loosely Packed Before Chopping)

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Once oil is hot, add onion, cooking for about 3 minutes until it softens.

Add garlic and cook for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly so garlic does not burn.

Add zucchini, corn, peas, and lima beans or edamame. Generously season the entire pan of vegetables with pepper. Stir to combine with the onion and garlic. Turn heat up to medium-high.

Stir in thawed shrimp. Continue cooking until zucchini softens and is just short of done.

Add halved tomatoes. Thoroughly season with pepper and saute again. Gently stir to combine tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are just warmed.

Add apple cider vinegar. If the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pan, use it to scrape everything up from the bottom. Mix gently to thoroughly combine the vinegar without crushing the tomatoes.

Mix in the chopped fresh basil. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to bowls.

Sometimes I don't manage to keep basil around, since I killed a basil plant in under two weeks and bunches of it in the fridge don't last long. I make this without in that case and it still tastes great.

I am sure this would be good with other proteins too, if shrimp is not your thing I would try chicken, scallops, or maybe even salmon.

You could also use fresh shrimp if you prefer and have the time, (I like frozen because it is easy to keep on hand) just add it to the pan before the veggies and give it a few minutes to cook.

I have also made this, omitting the shrimp, as a really flavorful vegetable side dish.

Breakfast For Dinner: Eggs Goldenrod

This is one of my absolute favorite foods in the world. I grew up eating it for dinner, even though it would traditionally be considered a breakfast dish.

It is also one of the recipes I struggled to learn, even though it really isn't too hard. Being a family recipe, there were no measurements recorded. My sauce got too thin, too thick, too thin, too thick...Until I had way to much of it and I was thoroughly frustrated.

After I went off to college and didn't live at home any more this was one of the things I always asked for when visiting. Finally, after living across the country for a couple if years, I learned to make it for myself.

It's pretty simple really. A peppery white gravy, like sausage gravy but we never made it with breakfast sausage, just butter. (You could definitely use sausage grease if you were making some.) With hard boiled eggs. All over toast.

Eggs Goldenrod

(This recipe makes 2 servings with pretty generous helpings of sauce. That's how I like it, but it may make more servings for you if you like less, just add additional eggs.)

4 whole Hard Boiled Eggs

4 Tablespoons Butter Or Margarine

6 Tablespoons Flour

2 cups Milk

4 slices Bread (Not TOO Crusty)

Salt As Needed

Pepper To Taste

4 dashes Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

Hard boil the eggs. (I have had a lot of trouble getting hard boiled eggs just perfect. Recently I got this cool gadget, pictured with my eggs, from crate and barrel. It lets you know when your eggs are done by measuring how much heat it had absorbed. I waited until the whole egg turned black and they were just right.)

Peel eggs. Separate whites from yolks, slicing the whites into big chunks and reserving yolks. (If you are preparing this alone, it is a good idea to get the eggs to this point before starting the sauce.)

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat.

Add flour, whisking until smooth and thick.

Add 1 cup of milk. Whisk to completely combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue stirring constantly until it thickens. Add the remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time and allowing it to thicken before adding more each time.

If you are using white flour, keep repeating until the mixture is white like milk. If you are using whole wheat flour, look for all the yellow color from the butter to disappear.

This sauce is very forgiving. If it becomes overly thin to the point that it will not thicken enough, add 1/8 of a tablespoon more flour at a time. If you have already added the 2 cups of milk and it thickens up again while adding the spices, just add more milk a splash at a time. In the end, it should be the consistency of thick country gravy.

Use your non-stirring hand to toast the bread. Put two slices on each plate and top with the sliced egg whites.

Add salt, a little at a time. The amount will vary depending on whether you use salted or unsalted butter, but taste as you add because it will change from under-salted to overly salty very quickly.

Add pepper to taste. Lots of pepper. Cover the surface with ground pepper, mix, repeat three of four times. The gravy at this point should be quite peppery.

Add about 4 dashes of cayenne pepper, adjusting to taste. The goal is to have a good balance of heat and pepper. You should be able to taste both in the final sauce.

When sauce is done immediately spoon out to cover the toast.

Top it off with egg yolks, either simply crumbled and sprinkled, or worked through a fine strainer for fluffy, fine yolks.