{recipe: spicy herb mac n’cheese}

Heyy June!

It’s summertime which means days out on the water, fresh cocktails, fancy sunglasses, and of course tons of cookouts! For me summer also means lots and lots of mac n’ cheese. I don’t know why, it just seems like a cookout staple. Just ask my hubs---if it’s on the menu, I’ll most likely want to try it. I especially love when the traditional mac n’ cheese is recreated. Some have been absolute fails, but others have taken my taste buds straight to the moon. I just love it! Can’t you tell? Recently, I had a craving for cheesy noodles and decided to experiment with a few random ingredients I had on hand. It all amounted to this delicious recipe. The hubs gave it two thumbs up! Try it out and let me know what you think. Seriously, I’m always open to suggestions!

spicy herb mac n’ cheese:

Servings: 4

Source: Jkrabbits INC Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 cups of cavatappi pasta

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

3 oz of velveeta (cubed)

1/4 cup of shredded smoked gouda

1 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of chipotle powder

1 teaspoon of garlic salt

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup of bacon pieces (optional)

How To:

Step 1: Bring slightly salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. 

Step 2: In the meantime, add whipping cream, velveeta, gouda, and butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted. 

Step 3: Once cheeses have melted, add minced garlic, pepper, chipotle powder, garlic salt, parsley, and basil.  

Step 4: Incorporate baby spinach leaves and bacon pieces. Turn heat to low and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Step 5: Once pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from heat, strain, and rinse with cool water. Shake out any excess water. 

Step 6: Add pasta to your serving dish and pour cheese sauce over top. 

Step 7: Slowly combine the sauce and pasta until all the noodles are covered. 

Step 8: Serve warm and enjoy!

Super easy and incredibly good! If you want to tone down the spice, take out the chipotle powder. I personally enjoy it as it adds a bit of a smoky flavor. I may experiment with it some more in the future and come up with a baked version.

J

So long for now!

The Mrs.

{recipe: herb roasted baby potatoes}

{delish}

We had some friends over for steaks awhile ago and I thought potatoes would make a perfect accompaniment. I’m not a huge fan of large potatoes though---too heavy, but I love baby potatoes. They’re bite size, can be cooked in many ways, and are the perfect side if you’re craving some starchy goodness but are watching your waistline. I added a few basic seasonings, tossed them in the oven, went for a quick run (don’t worry Jesse was at home watching the oven), then returned to the delicious smells of roasted potatoes. Enjoy!

{a perfectly light addition}

herb roasted baby potatoes:

Servings: 3-4

Source: jkrabbits kitchen

Ingredients:

·         1 pound of new baby potatoes

·         1 tablespoon of herbs du provence

·         2 tablespoons of olive oil

·         4 cloves of minced garlic (you can add more or less depending on your affinity with garlic)

·         Salt & Pepper

How To:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Mix herbs du provence, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium sized bowl.

Step 3: Toss and coat potatoes in herb/oil mix.

Step 4: Spread potatoes evenly apart on a baking pan and drizzle any remaining herb/oil mixture over them.

Step 5: Roast potatoes for about 40 minutes.

Step 6: Display potatoes on a nice plate and serve warm.

And that’s all there is! An easy and light side for your next dinner party.

So long for now!

The Mrs.