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Neapolitan-Style Mac and Cheese Is Dangerously Addictive

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:30:49 -0700

I don't take advantage of them too often, but lazy Saturdays are the best. Not only because I'm at home enjoying doing nothing, but also because my favorite shows on KQED, San Francisco's public television station, all happen to be on: Check, Please!, Made in Spain, Lidia's Italy, and Secrets of a Chef.

Recently the boy and I were watching an episode of Lidia's Italy in which she prepares a Neapolitan version of mac and cheese. Her recipe called for ditalini in lieu of macaroni, smoked provola instead of American or cheddar, and bacon, potatoes, and diced tomato. We sat there in captivation, practically smelling the sizzle of smoked bacon vaporizing in our living room.

We were so tantalized that we drove to the grocery store to make it immediately, with the notes I'd taken while watching the show as our guide. It tasted just as good as we'd hoped. Later, I got my hands on the book for the written recipe. Want it? Read more.

Taste Test: Domino's Bread Bowl Pastas

YumSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:00:53 -0700

The world of fast food is certainly quick paced, so the second Domino's begun advertising five flavors of pasta housed in a bread bowl, it seemed everybody was buzzing about it. When Party and I first got word of these monsters, we were simultaneously shocked (who came up with the concept?), appalled, and eager to try them. Yesterday turned out to be the Domino's day of reckoning - to find out how the bowls stood up to their shock value, read more.

It's hard to fathom why Domino's rolled out this concept of carbs inside more carbs, but the fact that competitor Pizza Hut has already racked up more than $500 million in sales of its Tuscani Pastas and lasagna, puts things more into perspective. However, as soon as we opened the delivery, we were faced with many unanswered questions: How many people was each bread bowl supposed to feed? Was the dish designed to be eaten like a pizza, or were we supposed to eat the pasta first, then the bowl?

Pasta Primavera: This bread bowl was filled with pasta, baby spinach, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and a goopy, oily Alfredo sauce. While the sole vegetarian option was filled with vegetables, I questioned whether the dish contained any protein.

Chicken Carbonara: Although this tasted somewhat like carbonara, it was covered with similar globs of white sauce.

Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese: This was our least favorite. We love macaroni and cheese, but the flavors of the dish - bland, artificial nacho cheese, subpar penne, and a yeasty bread bowl - just did not seem to meld at all.

Italian Sausage Marinara: If we had to choose a best of the tasting, it would have been the Italian Sausage Marinara, which was rather reminiscent of regular pizza delivery with breadsticks. But then again, why not just order pizza and breadsticks?

Chicken Alfredo: All of the bowls were loaded with sodium (I drank water for hours afterward), but the Chicken Alfredo was swimming in a sauce that was over-the-top salty, to the point of being unpleasant to eat.

Unsurprisingly, the Pasta Primavera, Chicken Carbonara, and Chicken Alfredo flavors - which possess the same mysterious creamy white sauce - all taste remarkably similar. The bread bowl itself, which tastes a lot like Domino's breadsticks, was satisfying, but overall, unless we were starving and had no other options, or were carbo loading for a marathon the next day, we wouldn't eat this again.

Have you tried any of the Bread Bowl Pastas? If so, what was your assessment of them?

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Taste Test: Pizza Hut's Tuscani Pastas

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:15:08 -0800

Earlier this year, Pizza Hut played a trick on the country by claiming it had changed its name to Pasta Hut. Although the name change turned out to be an advertising prank, the pizza delivery chain did roll out a new line of Tuscani Pastas ($12.99). After trying out Domino's new line of subs, I decided that to be fair, I'd give Pizza Hut's pastas a try, too. To find out how the chain's new offerings tasted, read more.

Much like we felt Domino's subs tasted like pizza, PartySugar and I thought Pizza Hut's pastas actually looked like pizza. I did a double take on the Meaty Marinara, as it looked like a standard cheese pizza!

Meaty Marinara: This pasta arrived with slightly burnt edges, and was the least appetizing to look at. Thank goodness its name includes the word "meat," since the dish actually looks like it's vegetarian: The pasta, marinara, and meat are on underneath a thick layer of melted mozzarella. The sauce tasted more like pizza sauce than pasta sauce, but this option, with its tomato base, seemed the healthiest of the three.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo: Although the chicken strips were tender and meaty, this was my least favorite of the pastas. The congealed Alfredo sauce was representative of why I usually hesitate to order Alfredo.

Premium Bacon Mac 'N Cheese: This was the best of the pastas, with its smooth, creamy Velveeta-like texture and crisp and meaty bits of smoky bacon.

Beware that these pastas are certainly not light. After tasting a sample of each, I felt satisfied for hours. Later, I had a few more bites of each, and I felt thirsty, bloated, and a little sick. However, if you're already inclined to order delivery from Pizza Hut, there's no harm in ordering a pasta instead - my vote goes to the Premium Bacon Mac 'N Cheese (2 a.m. after a night on the town, anyone?). Have you been tried out Pizza Hut's pastas? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Yummy Link: Lobster Mac 'n Cheese

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:31:58 -0700

If you want to work more seafood into your diet, why don't you start with this gorgeous Lobster Mac 'n Cheese? - Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

Reader Recipe: Turkey Breasts and Cheesy Pasta

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:01:39 -0700

I was browsing through TeamSugar when I came across this recipe for "Macaroni" and Cheese with Juicy Turkey Breasts. TeamSugar member celebrity_soup learned that her grandmother had never tasted mac & cheese before and decided to remedy the situation. There were no elbow noodles available, so she went for spaghetti noodles instead. The end result looks absolutely delicious, and I bet her grandma was thrilled! To check out her recipe, read more

Recipe submitted by celebrity_soup

Special "Macaroni" & Cheese Along with Juicy Turkey Breasts

I made this DELICIOUS recipe when I was on vacation in Europe about 2 weeks ago. I stayed a bit at my grandma’s house and couldn’t help but cook some food after always eating at restaurants! So I cooked up some cheesy magic for dinner, something my grandma never tasted before, mac & cheese baby, For this I used spaghetti so lets say its more of a gourmet cheesy pasta thing. I got a lot of compliments on this dish, some cousins ate over. It was perfect!
*drooling
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup skim milk
Your favorite creamy cheese (I used some fresh, French, creamy goats cheese)
Feta cheese
½ cup chopped up tomatoes
Some ham (I used turkey ham)
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Ketchup

On medium heat add the milk and flour at once, stir rapidly with a fork or whisk. Add in the salt, pepper, thyme and butter (always stirring). Once it starts to get a little thick add in all of the cheese and ham. Keep on stirring and meanwhile have your pasta drained and ready to be tossed in the mixture. Before adding the pasta, add all of the tomato and cover for 3minutes. Then, add the pasta and ketchup (this is what changes this dish completely into something out of this world delicious).

Turkey/Chicken breasts my way:

Grab your breast and sprinkle in some salt, pepper, paprika and chopped up garlic. Rub this on breast until it’s completely covered all over. Then, add in some white wine or lemon juice. Let it marinate for an hour. Once it’s ready grab a skillet and get it nice and hot, drizzle in some olive oil and add the breasts. Let them fry nicely and viola!

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Mac Attack! Kraft-Style Stove-Top Mac and Cheese

partysugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:21 -0700

When I was little my favorite meal was Kraft macaroni and cheese with slices of Ballpark hot dogs stirred in. Although I haven't had this dinner in years, I remember it fondly and sometimes crave an intensely creamy stove-top mac and cheese. I considered giving the old package a try, but the thought of powdered cheese made me cringe. That's why I decided to make my own version of Kraft's classic mac. Surprisingly, it's very quick and easy to put together and the resulting dish is comforting and nostalgic, yet a little more gourmet. To ensure a smooth rich texture, I combined Velveeta - what can I say, it's a guilty pleasure! - with a good-quality, extra-sharp cheddar. The mixture works wonderfully and from now on instead of reaching for a box, I'll reach for this recipe! To do the same, get it now and read more.

Kraft-Style Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Original Recipe

Although I used whole milk, you could probably substitute 1 or 2 percent and still have a thick orange sauce.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups small pasta shells
1 1/2 cups large pasta shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces velveeta, diced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan of boiled water, cook the pasta shells until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and add the cheddar and velveeta in handfuls, whisking to melt. Stir until all the cheese is combined and
Season with the mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
Fold in the cooked pasta and stir well to coat all of the pasta with the sauce. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 4.

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Mac Attack! Goat Cheese and Pesto

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:15:41 -0700

You love pesto, I love pesto! I have to admit I was giddy when I found a recipe that combines the comfort of mac and cheese with pesto. It also uses another one of my favorites, goat cheese. Since I had already eaten a lot of elbow macaroni, I picked up a box of orecchiette. They are said to be shaped like small ears, but I think they look more like little bowls; a perfect vessel to fill with sauce!

The combination of goat cheese, Parmesan, and pesto is insanely creamy. For a great crunch and texture, the mac and cheese is topped with panko. Rather than make a big pan, I cooked it in easy-to-serve individual ramekins. With a little planning this recipe won't take much longer than a box of Kraft - except it's a million times more rewarding. If you want to wow your friends and family with scrumptious mac and cheese, keep reading!

Mac Attack! Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:00:21 -0700

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Tex-Mex is one of my favorite cuisines of all time, my top dish pick being chili con queso with Ro-Tel. Naturally, when I came across a Tex-Mex mac and cheese with green chilies, I knew I had to make it.

The recipe comes from Robert Del Grande, one of the Lone Star State's best-known chefs and restaurateurs, and the roasted poblanos give the melted cheese dish an addictive kick. Want the recipe? Keep reading.

Three-Cheese Mini Macs

partysugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:14:23 -0700

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Photo Gallery: Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:13:11 -0700

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