Have You Been Wondering?

Have you been wondering when the next exchange is, since technically it was supposed to be last week? Well, truth be told I am on a bit of a budget so that B and I can accomplish a few things by the end of the year and I realized that I was running out of grocery money so I selfishly decided that we would do the exchange the first Wednesday in May. That would be May 5th or Cinco de Mayo.

Let us know by May 3rd (Monday) if you are participating or not so we can plan meals accordingly.

Thanks much, ladies.

Make Ahead Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Okay, okay.  Here it is.  Mind you, I'm omitting the explanations for things like why heavy cream, why under cooking pasta, why the mixture will look really soupy when you pour it into the casseroles, etc.  The recipe is from Cook's Country Magazine, which is awesome, by the way...especially when you get a free copy of it in the mail.

4 slices of hearty white sandwich bread torn into pieces
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
8 T unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 lb elbow macaroni
6 T flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c heavy cream
4 c shredded colby cheese
2 c shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1.  Process topping.  Pulse bread, parmesan, garlic, and 2 T butter in food processor until coarsely ground.  divide mixture between 2 zip-lock freezer bags

2.  Cook Pasta.  Bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat.  Add 1 T salt and macaroni and cook until barely softened (about 3 minutes).  Drain pasta and then spread out on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.

3.  Make Sauce.  Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard, cayenne in empty pot over med-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes (it took me a lot longer, but maybe because I was tripling this or whatever).  Off heat, whisk in colby, cheddar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper until smooth.

4.  Freeze.  Stir cooled pasta into sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined.  Divide pasta mixture between 2 8-inch square baking dishes.  Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  Wrap dishes tightly with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.

5.  Bake.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove foil from casserole and reserve.  Microwave casserole until mixture is thawed and beginning to bubble around edges, 7 to 12 minutes (this took a bit longer for me), stirring and replacing plastic halfway through cooking.  Discard plastic and cover pan with reserved foil.  Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle with 1 bag frozen bread crumbs.  Continue to bake until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Serve.

Next Up

According to my calculations the next exchange should be March 3rd. You in? Please let us know.

PS- Jodie. Um, pretty much the BEST mac and cheese I've ever had. Would be much obliged to have the recipe.

kiss kiss,
Julia

Time Again...

Well, my dear friends, tis time once again to cook your butt off.
**Wouldn't it be nice if one could be rid of an oversized derierre so easily?**

The first exchange of 2010 will be January 20th. My house 4:30. Problems? Let us know.

xoxo,
J

PS If I remember correctly we decided every 6 weeks rather than monthly for this year, is that right?

December/January Exchanges

For those of you interested in doing a goody exchange meet at Julia's house at 4:30 on December 9th with 3 dozen of your treat. If that doesn't work, lmk.

For those of you interested in exchanging in JANUARY meet at Julia's house to exchange on January 20th 4:30pm, frozen meals in hand.

Happy Holidays!

Requesting Recipes

I have LOVED all the meals from the October exchange. Please post your recipes when you get a chance. I'd love to use them again.
xoxo

What's Next?

I'm typing this with Hayden on my lap so if there are any mispellings and what not, I apologize. I was talking to Denise and she wondered if anyone wanted to do a baked goods exchange in this holiday season. I'm game, but there is no pressure and no guilt if you are just not feeling it.

Also, I was thinking that when we start the regular exchange again in January what are your thoughts on every 6 weeks instead of monthly. I say this because as I type this I still have a couple of soups in our freezer, plus most of the meals from the October exchange. With six of us we can easily have a freezer meal a week and not need to be replenished for 6 weeks or so. Am I the only one feeling this way? Please let me know.

Finally, all the meals have been fabulous and time/sanity savers. My gratitude goes out to all of you!