Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Check out this incredibly easy yet extremely cheesy recipe for macaroni and cheese. Its sure to comfort the souls of the most die hard comfort food enthusiasts.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of macaroni noodles

6 cups of water

1 stick of salted butter

 

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 cups of whole milk

½ cup of Velveeta cheese cubed

1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese

6 slices of American cheese

¾ cup of sour cream

Thyme for garnish

DIRECTIONS

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

*Start by pre-boiling 6 cups of water. Add 2 tsp of salt, 1/4 stick of butter and macaroni noodles to the boiling water. Boil noodles according to package instructions which is usually 10-12 minutes or until noodles are tender.

*Strain macaroni noodles and place them into a 9x13 greased or buttered casserole dish.

*Season noodles with black pepper and stir.

*Add one cup of the shredded cheddar cheese to the macaroni noodles.

*Next add the cubed Velveeta pieces throughout the dish

*Spoon in ¾ cups of sour cream into the dish by adding dollops spread across the casserole

*Stir macaroni mixture together incorporating all ingredients well

*Slice 3/4 stick of butter into small cubes and place them thru out the macaroni dish

*Add remaining shredded cheddar cheese across the macaroni mixture

*Pour 2 cups of whole milk into the dish

*Finally cover macaroni with six slices of American cheese evenly over the top

*Bake macaroni for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown

*Allow macaroni to rest for 5 minutes, garnish with thyme, plate and enjoy!

Easy Orange-Dijon Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS

(1) 2 ½ to 3 lb Pork Tenderloin

(1) 12 oz jar orange marmalade

(1) 12 oz bottle Dijon mustard

1 tbsp of salt

1 tbsp of coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

*Start by placing your pork tenderloin into an oiled 9x12 inch cooking dish.

*Season pork tenderloin with salt and black pepper, be generous. Coat well.

*Next, squeeze generous portions of Dijon mustard on the top of your pork loin, smear mustard all over making sure to cover well. Flip the pork loin over and repeat the same process with the mustard.

*Once pork loin is fully coated well with the Dijon mustard spoon your jar of orange marmalade over the top. Don’t skimp on this process you will use the whole jar; make sure to spread the marmalade well over the meat as it makes an awesome glaze on the loin.

*Add 1 cup of water to your cooking dish

*Cover loin and dish with aluminum foil then place the pork loin into a 350 degree oven for approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours basting every 45 minutes.

*When pork loin is done to fork tenderness, remove from oven and baste one last time.

*Allow pork tenderloin to rest for about fifteen minutes, then slice and enjoy.

Pork, Cabbage and Potato Stew

Want to warm the hearts and souls of people closest to you? Check out this light, yet hearty stew that's so easy to make even the kid's will enjoy helping you bring it all together.

INGREDIENTS

4 thick-cut pork chops

1 small cabbage (1 ½ to 2 lbs) coarsely chopped

6 medium sized Yukon potatoes chopped coarsely

6 cups water

3/4 cup of dry white wine

1 (32 oz) carton of chicken stock

2 tsps red pepper flakes

3 tsps salt

3 tsps black pepper

2 stems of fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

*Start by adding the water, white wine, and chicken stock to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat.

*Season your water, wine and stock mixture with the salt and pepper and/or any other seasoning to your liking.

*Once your liquids are seasoned, you may then add in your thick-cut pork chops.  Allow pork chops to simmer for approximately 45 to 50 minutes or until tender.

*Next add in the coarsely chopped potatoes. Potatoes should boil/simmer for about 15-18 minutes.

*When potatoes are determined fork tender, add in red chili flakes, rosemary and cabbage, cabbage should only simmer for about two (2) minutes.

*Turn the pot off and let all the ingredients incorporate for around ten minutes.

*Serve in a large bowl or on a small plate with a side of toasted bread.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Making your own tortilla chips is so quick and easy! So worth it too! They are great on their own, but excellent with your favorite dip. Try it with our Easy Guacamole recipe. Thank you to a close family member for passing this recipe along!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Peanut Oil

12 Corn Tortillas, cut into quarters

Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

*Heat the oil in a large pan up to 350 degrees

*Add about 8 of the tortilla quarters (2 tortillas) at a time to the hot oil

*Let cook until they start to get slightly golden and crispy

*Remove the tortillas from the oil with a metal strainer and place on a plate covered with a couple layers of paper towels. Immediately season them with salt and start your next batch of chips.

*After the chips are salted, they can be placed in a large bowl to serve.

Easy Guacamole

Fresh, homemade guacamole is an easy way to please your family and friends. This recipe always disappears quickly! The key is finding the perfect avocados. Buy them when you are ready to use them. They should be somewhat firm, but give to gentle pressure.

INGREDIENTS

3 Ripe Avocados

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Can Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles (used Rotel)

1 Small Onion (or ½ of a large onion), chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

*Prepare the avocados by cutting them in half, setting the pits aside and scooping out the inside into a medium sized bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork until smooth (leave slightly chunky if desired).

*Add the lime juice and mix thoroughly. The lime juice helps to keep the avocado from turning brown.

*Stir in the remaining ingredients.

*Serve immediately. The avocado pits can be placed in the guacamole to help keep it green, but don’t eat them.

Chocolate Crusted Banana Cream Pie

Want to impress your family and friends with a decadent yet easy dessert? Check out this awesome recipe sure to win any Chocolate or Banana lover’s heart!

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups, approximately 16-18 Chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbled

1 stick of unsalted butter

½ cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon juice

7 ripe bananas

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding

1 box (3.4 oz) banana instant pudding

2 cups whole milk

(1) 8 oz carton of whipped cream (preferably vanilla flavored)

 DIRECTIONS

*Start by preparing the chocolate crust by melting ¾ stick of the unsalted butter.

*Add the melted butter along with 1 tbsp of granulated sugar to 1 cup of crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan and mix well, forming the crust along the sides and bottom of the pie dish.

*Place pie crust in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for approximate 7-10 minutes. Remove pie crust from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

*Next prepare a custard by cutting up 3 ½ bananas. Place a sauté pan on medium high heat. Add remaining butter (1/4) stick to the pan.  Once butter is melted add sliced bananas. Top bananas with ¼ cup of granulated sugar and 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.  Cook and stir bananas well until they are extremely tender (approximately 10-12 minutes).

*Place cooked bananas into a bowl and smash with fork creating a custard like consistency. Allow custard to cool for approximately 10-12 minutes.

*Slice the remaining 3 ½ bananas and place them in a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

*Prepare the pie filling by pouring each 3.4 oz packet of instant pudding in a medium sized mixing bowl. Next add 2 cups of cold milk to the pudding. Mix well until pudding sets up to a more solid state. Divide pudding mixture in half.

*Add half of the whipped cream to one half of the pudding mixture in a bowl and set aside.  You are now ready to build your pie.

To build your Banana Cream Pie:

*Begin by spreading your custard mixture as your bottom layer into your pie crust.

*Next place your lemon sprinkled bananas on top of the custard mixture.

*Now add the regular pudding mixture as your third layer.

*The fourth layer will be the pudding and whipped cream mixture.

*The last layer of your pie will be the remaining half of the whipped cream.

*Top your pie with ½ cup of chocolate cookie crumbles.

Loaded Potato Casserole

Looking for an easy, tasty way to prepare potatoes? Love all the flavors of a loaded baked potato? Look no further! This Loaded Potato Casserole is just the thing. It is a true crowd pleaser that will surely become a family favorite. This recipe is about 8 servings. Any variety of potatoes can be substituted for the red ones used here.

INGREDIENTS

1 Small Red Onion, chopped

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

13 Medium sized Red Potatoes, washed and cut into small cubes

¾ stick of salted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

¾ lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Sour Cream and Fresh Chives (chopped) to Garnish

DIRECTIONS

*Start by caramelizing the red onion in a skillet with the olive oil, set aside

*Boil potatoes for approximately 15-18 minutes, or until just fork tender

*Place potatoes in large casserole dish and coat with melted butter

*Gently stir in the caramelized onion, salt, pepper, cheese and bacon

*Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 18-20 minutes

*Garnish individual servings with sour cream and chives