Parmesan Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Wisconsin cheddar
1 cup grated Wisconsin parmesan
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

for the breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly made bread crumbs
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt


1 lb small or medium sized pasta, cooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together the breadcrumb ingredients. Set aside.

In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with the spices and stir until smooth. Add the milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Whisk in the Parmesan and cheddar until smooth. Pour over the drained pasta. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.

My thoughts:

I was approached by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to develop a recipe using Wisconsin cheese for their 30 Days, 30 Ways Mac & Cheese blog for Macaroni and Cheese month. I picked parmesan because I was interested to see how non-Italian parmesan would taste like. As it turns out, it was remarkably good. Not quite as sharp as Italian Parmesan, it made for a very family friendly mac & cheese.

Mac + Cheese with Tomato + Bacon

Ingredients:
12 oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 cup shredded extra sharp, aged cheddar
1/3 cup panko
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 slices thick cut bacon, crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz canned, diced tomatoes, drained
1 lb small or medium sized pasta, cooked

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and heat through. In a small, dry skillet, quickly toast the panko.

In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Add the milk and evaporated milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Whisk in the cheddar until smooth. Pour over the drained pasta. Add the tomato mixture and bacon; stir to evenly distribute. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.

Yield: about 4-6 meal sized servings, 8-10 side dish sized servings

My thoughts:

Years ago an older lady lived across the street from my mother. She was really nice (in fact she gave me my first slow cooker!) and we would visit her and my mom would take her shopping and out to lunch. To repay us (not that she had to) she would occasionally make this macaroni and cheese that was unlike any mac and cheese that I had ever had. It had bacon and a tomato-y sauce. I never did get the recipe but I've thought of it fondly over the years and thought I'd try to recreate it with a few of my own touches. It actually ended up being pretty much nothing like her mac and cheese beyond the bacon and tomato additions but I think she'd like it just as much. It is creamy and flavorful and surprisingly, not as heavy as you would think. The perfect comfort food to help ease into the colder months.

Bacon Cheddar Chipotle Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup shredded chipotle cheddar
1/4 cup diced green onion
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 strips thick cut bacon, crumbled
1 egg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Oil or spray with baking spray one 8x8 baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Fold in the cheese, bacon and green onion. Pour into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

It's been a while since I've made cornbread so when Matt put in the request for some I was happy to oblige. At first he wanted a chile cornbread but then found a bag shredded chipotle cheddar at the store so we decided to try that instead. The bacon was added to accent the smoky flavor and the green onions were a last minute flash of genius. The result is a really moist, surprising not heavy, slightly smoky-spicy cornbread that not only complements chili but pretty much any Southern/Southwestern entree.

Rachel's Famous Chili Dogs

Ingredients:
1 lb 94% lean ground beef
15 oz tomato sauce*
15 oz canned dark red kidney beans, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon cumin
hot sauce
salt
pepper

to serve:
8 hot dog buns
8 hot dogs
chopped onion (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
mustard (optional)

Directions:
Slow cooker instructions:
Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet, breaking it up into fine bits. Drain off any excess fat. Add the beef and the remaining ingredients to a 2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. If it is too wet, remove the lid and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Stove top instructions:
Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet, breaking it up into fine chunks. Drain off any excess fat. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated and everything is cooked through.

Cook the hot dogs according to your preference. Nestle into buns and top with chili and other desired toppings.


*Not chunky pasta sauce. Look for it in the canned tomato aisle.

My thoughts:

Every once in a while I am hit with an overwhelming urge for a chili dog. Unfortunately Baltimore has a severe lack of quality hot dog houses. There are some truly delicious yet deadly dogs from Ann's Dari-Creme out on Ritchie Hwy but that is quite a hike. There are a few in the city but none that I can say that I love. When I was a child, we'd make chili dogs with chili from the soup counter at the grocery store. I have to say, homemade chili is much better. And after developing an entire chapter of chili for my slow cooker cookbook, I am the self proclaimed slow cooker chili queen. I wish I had thought to put a recipe in for chili for hot dogs in the book (although it is a healthy slow cooker cookbook)but I didn't so the book's loss is your (free recipe) gain. Slow cooking the chili means that all you have to do to have from scratch chili dogs is to pop some stuff in the slow cooker in the morning, go about your day, come home, broil or grill some dogs for 10 minutes and you are ready to go.

There is a lot of contention on what makes the best chili for hot dogs (everything from a bean only mixture to the various versions of a "Coney" to a thin sauce) but this is what I like the most on my dogs. Not too spicy or chunky and with kidney beans. I think it is best made in the slow cooker where the flavors develop throughout the day but the stove top version is tasty too.

The leftover chili is great on baked potatoes.

Matt's Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:
6 pieces of bacon
4 eggs
2 green onions, green parts, chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle (divided use)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked, cubed Yukon gold potatoes
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt
pepper
6 small soft tortillas, warmed (I prefer fajita sized, but taco sized works too)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Fry bacon until crisp. Reserve the drippings and break up the bacon onto bite-sized pieces. Add 2 teaspoons of the bacon drippings to a small pan and saute onion, garlic and jalapenos over a medium heat. When the onion mixtures begins to brown, add the tomatoes, the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the chipotle powder, and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Remove from heat and cover. While sauteing the onion mixture, crack the eggs into a small bowl. Whisk in the green onions, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder, a dash of salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the bacon drippings in a skillet and scramble the eggs.

Assembling the tacos: I suggest a sprinkle of cheese then topping with egg then top with the rest of the ingredients.

My thoughts:

For brief period during the dark years before he knew me my husband lived in Texas where he became quite opinionated about things like barbacoa and barbecue. He also became enamored with Tex-Mex breakfasts. Since we live in Baltimore, our hot & spicy breakfast taco/burrito options are pretty limited. So, Matt took matters into his own hands and made these yummy tacos. No more difficult than making a simple omelette (barely more than making just eggs and bacon) but so much more fun.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided use
1 1/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook until the onions and shallot are soft and translucent. Do not let them brown. Add the cauliflower, spices and 2 cups stock. Bring broth to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and easily cut, stirring occasionally. The broth will not totally cover the cauliflower but don't worry- stirring will be enough to ensure the cauliflower cooks through.

Using a regular blender or immersion blender, blend the cauliflower mixture until very, very smooth and creamy. If you are using a regular blender, you will probably have to do this in steps so pour the blended soup into another large pot as you go. If using an immersion blender, you can blend the soup right in the same pot. Once blended, add the milk, remaining stock, vinegar and broccoli. Return to heat and allow to simmer until the broccoli is fork tender. Pulse the blender until the soup is mostly smooth. Stir in the cheese and serve.

My thoughts:

I love the idea of broccoli-cheddar soup more than I actually like the soup itself. It is just a little too rich for me. I've seen "light" versions of the soup but they all seem to call for reduced fat cheese (blah) or using milk which I think makes the soup too thin. I remembered how creamy this cauliflower soup was that I made (could it really be four years ago?) and posted. That soup was rich and creamy but the body of the soup came from the cauliflower, not heavy cream. Why couldn't I use pureed cauliflower as a base for a broccoli soup? I experimented and I have to say, the results were great. The cauliflower blends into a smooth, creamy soup that has a rich, thick mouthfeel without the need for heavy cream and unless you were told, I don't think most people would guess that the "secret ingredient" was cauliflower. The broccoli and cheddar flavor is much stronger and of course complements each other just as it does in the full fat versions.

Rachel's Ultimate Crab Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz blue crab claw meat
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1 shallot, minced


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar cheese until they are evenly distributed. Or, if you are like me and you hate mincing yet don't want any chunky shallot bits in the final dip or want make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated, place all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar and crab in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Then stir in the crab.

Spread into a 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese in an even layer. For bonus points, shake a bit of Old Bay on top of the cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serve warm with crackers, pretzels, bread wedges, or plain Utz chips. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes or so to reheat. I don't recommend microwaving.


Note: For this recipe, quality reduced fat sour cream and cream cheese will work just fine.

My thoughts:

Crab dip is serious business here in Baltimore. We are a people who like our (blue) crabs and our cheesy dips. Growing up, my family didn't do much in the way of entertaining and well, crab is pricey so we didn't make it but I loved having friends whose families would make it for holiday parties and such. Of course, it has been on the menu of nearly every locally owned restaurant and pub at some point or another. I think if it doesn't make an appearance on the menu at least once, your food permit gets yanked.

Anyway, for the perfect crab dip you need, crab, some sort of combination of cream cheese, mayonnaise (or occasionally straight mayonnaise, no cream cheese), shredded cheese and lots of Old Bay. Beyond that I've had versions with garlic or garlic powder, onions or shallots, mustard, Parmesan cheese, and crab meat of every variety of from lump to backfin. I like to use claw because it has a flavor that is stronger than lump meat (but still sweet and not "fishy") and has a good mix of big chunks and smaller bits of crab. I like how the crab is distributed in the dip if you use claw or even backfin, with jumbo or regular lump you end up occasionally getting a bite that is entirely crab free. Not a problem with the claw.

When I set out to make the ultimate crab dip I had some parameters in mind. It had to be thick, creamy but not too mayonnaise-y, and spiced but not overpoweringly spicy. I am a sour cream addict so I always have to add that to my dips. I think the slight tang keeps the dip from tasting too rich or cloying. The trick is not to use too much or the crab will be spread too thin. You want a dip that is thick with crab meat. I like the crab flavor to be the star so I only put a thin layer of cheddar on the top (not mixed in as I've seen in some recipes) and just enough spices to accent the crab flavor, not overwhelm it. I always use extra sharp cheddar but a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack (in a 2:1 ratio) is a good variation.

Crab dip is so popular here in Baltimore that it actually has spawned a spin off appetizer, the crab pretzel, which isn't quite as common but perhaps it should be, it is sort of a twist on the dip in the bread bowl fad of 30 years ago and is oddly satisfying.

Cheddar Horseradish Spread

Ingredients:
2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: This would make a great cheese ball. Simply chill it for 30 minutes and then roll it into a ball. Roll in herbs or crushed nuts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

My thoughts:

I first made this recipe as part of our 1950s night. When flipping though vintage cookbooks and my reproduction of that masterpiece, 1950's Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook. I didn't come across a recipe I particularly liked but I was pleasantly surprised by how robustly flavored cheese spreads, cheese balls and dips were. Strong mustard, cheese and horseradish were all used with great abandon. So I created a recipe that used a bunch of horseradish and my favorite extra sharp cheddar cheese. The spread is wonderful on celery sticks (as suggested by Betty Crocker), apples and of course, a variety of crackers.

Ham, Cheddar & Poblano Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cubed smoked ham
2/3 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup diced poblano pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 wells in a muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Fold in the ham, peppers and cheese. Divide evenly among the wells and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the center muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

My thoughts:

I love when I can take leftovers and make something entirely new with them. I had some ham leftover from a recipe development gig I am working on and while ham sandwiches are always tasty, I wanted to try to use it in a different way. I loved the contrast of the smoky ham, sharp pepper and cheddar against the lightly sweet cornbread. They would be great as a treat for breakfast but they were also wonderful when served instead of a roll with soup or chili.

Note: Like most muffins, these muffins reheat and freeze well. Never be without breakfast again!

Weenie Mac & Cheesy (Macaroni & Cheese with a Hot Dog Surprise)

Ingredients:
2 large hot dogs cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
2 cups evaporated milk*
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/3 cup panko
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb macaroni or (my favorite)cellentani, cooked

Directions:
For the b�chamel: In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, cayenne and stir until smooth. Add the milk and mustard and whisk until slightly thickened. Whisk in the cheeses until smooth. Stir in the hot dog slices. Pour over the drained pasta. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.

Yield: about 4-6 (meal sized) servings

* Most cans of evaporated milk only yield about 1 3/4 cups. Make up the rest with regular milk.

Note: Avoid using hot dogs with a very high fat content or your macaroni and cheese will become unappetizingly greasy as it bakes and the hot dogs release their juices.

My thoughts:

Don't tell anyone where you got this recipe! While it is super tasty, it is also rather embarrassing to admit that you not only made it but that were no children were present to use as an excuse. My mom had made mac and cheese with hot dogs (although not quite this version) when I was a kid a couple of times. I think she saw the suggestion in a magazine because it wasn't exactly our usual fare. Anyway, I was telling my husband about the disappointing casserole book I had read and I revealed that I had eaten this somewhat dubious dish; the closest to a casserole I ever had growing up. He was intrigued (we do love hot dogs) so when I ended up with a couple flavorful but not too fatty Roseda Beef hot dogs leftover from an earlier meal, I knew what I had to make.

While the mac and cheese of my childhood was infrequent and consisted simply of macaroni tossed with shredded cheese and then baked, I've grown to enjoy a bit of creamy sauce. However, I avoid making it with the traditional heavy cream, that is a little too rich for me. Instead I use evaporated milk with is quite creamy tasting but is also 98% fat free. Regular (2%) milk works well as an alternative if you don't have evaporated on hand. Since I was making macaroni cheese with hot dogs I went ahead and added some mustard to the sauce. It was a perfect choice, it added a bit of spice and extra sharpness to the cheddar.


I've been getting lot of emails about cheap eats and I am happy to say this was a very filling, very budget-friendly meal. While the locally produced hot dogs (bought at Graul's for you locals) were on the pricy side ($8 for 6 hot dogs), the cheese was about $2, the evaporated milk was 80 cents and the pasta was only $1. The remaining ingredients were cheap staples. Add some broccoli ($1 lb) on the side and you have a complete, thrifty meal.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice Grilled Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes
3 strips center cut bacon, crumbled
1 chipotle pepper in adobe, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh or freeze dried minced chives
salt
pepper

olive oil for brushing


Directions:
Prick the potatoes with a fork. Brush all sides with olive oil. Place mesquite chips in a foil packet, poke holes in the foil, and place on the coals. Cook the potatoes directly on the grill over hot coals for 30 minutes, then turn.



Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from the grill. Slice in half. Scoop out the insides and gently mashed with the remaining ingredients. Scoop back into the skins. Place on the grill.



Grill until the cheese melts and they are hot all the way through, about 5-10 minutes.





Quick tips: Measure out the filling ingredients before you start to grill and refrigerate them until the potatoes are ready. Also, bacon crumbles easily after it has been refrigerated, make extra next time you cook bacon for breakfast or another recipe. If using freshly cooked bacon, cut it up with kitchen shears.

My thoughts:

This is a great side dish to make when you are grilling a main dish that takes a long time; the potatoes don't take up much room on the grill. I've made this when grilling a large piece of meat over indirect heat, I just put the potatoes around the edge of the grill over the coals. The potatoes take on a light, smoky, grilled flavor that is reflected in the chipotle and bacon. The skin gets wonderfully crispy-the perfect edible container.

Indian Tacos

Ingredients:

for the taco meat
1 lb ground bison
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz pinto beans, drained
10 oz canned diced tomato with green chile
4 oz canned fire-roasted diced Hatch green chiles
1 tablespoon hot Mexican-style chili powder
2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeno

for the fry bread
2 cups water
2 packages dry yeast
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups flour

to serve:
shredded sharp cheddar
shredded iceburg lettuce
diced tomatoes
optional: sour cream and avocado

Directions:
for the fry bread:
Whisk the flour and yeast togehter in a large bowl. Place the sugar, salt, water and butter in a small sauce pan and heat until almost boiling. Allow to cool slightly. Pour over the flour and yeast and mix with a dough hook until a smooth, not too sticky ball of dough forms. If the dough is very sticky, slowly mix in additional flour. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat. Saute the meat, onions and garlic in a large skillet until the onions just soften. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.


Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a deep frying pan or skillet. Divide dough into about 15 pieces. On a clean, floured surface, roll dough into discs about 1/4 inch thick circles about 6 inches in diameter. Fry until golden brown on each side. Drain both sides on paper towel lined plates. If they puff up a lot during frying, press with a paper towel to deflate.

Place the meat on the center of the taco. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Fold in half to eat.

Serves 15.

My thoughts:

Indian tacos started out as a Najavo invention but quickly grew to become a popular contemporary powwow and festival treat served all over North America. Fry bread was named the official state bread of South Dakota back in 2005 and Indian tacos became the official state dish of Arizona in 1995. There is even a National Indian Taco Competition in Oklahoma. They are the perfect fair food: fried, spicy and portable. And they are surprisingly easy to make at home.

The fry bread comes together quickly and if cooked in hot oil and drained, much less greasy than you'd think. Some recipes call for baking soda instead of yeast but I find that a yeast dough yields a much more tender, tastier bread.

Often the beans in Indian tacos are served as a topping but adding them to the meat imbues them with flavor and eliminates the need to heat them separately. Bison is an extremely lean meat that works well with strong spices and isn't as "heavy" as ground beef-perfect for use in a dish like Indian tacos.


Note: you can also bake the dough for the fry bread at 450 for a few minutes to make a tasty flatbread.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
2 cups grated (extra)sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 oz smoked nova salmon
1 inch chunk of shallot, minced
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, salmon and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrape it out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Sprinkle the parsley in a shallow bowl and roll the ball into the cheese until evenly coated. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

My thoughts:

Cheese balls were quite a hit in entertaining scene during the 1960s. They continue to be a favorite because they can be made ahead of time (in fact they are better made 24 hours in advance) and really, who doesn't enjoy spreadable cheese? This one has a slight pink tint and a wonderful smoky salmon flavor. Perfect to spread on crackers or even bread.

Note: most delis and grocery stores that sell smoked salmon also sell little tubs of "ends" leftover from cutting the big sheets of lox. Often they are half the price of the regular smoked salmon and the pieces are generally quite large. They are also perfect for something like this when you need just a bit of smoked salmon.

Cheddar & Black Pepper Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
5-8 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheddar into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into two balls. Roll each into a crust.

My thoughts:

This a great savory pie crust that goes with a variety of pies. It is just slightly spicy and the cheddar gives it a great flavor. Try it with apple filling. There is just enough cheddar to give it a distinctive cheddar taste but not so much it overpowers the filling or gets gooey.

Crab Pretzel

Ingredients:
for the dip:
1 small shallot, grated
8 oz fresh blue crab meat
3 oz shredded sharp cheddar
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard


for the pretzel:

3/4 oz active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar PLUS 1/8 teaspoon
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

pretzel topping:
sea salt
water


to sprinkle: additional shredded sharp cheddar


Directions:
for the crab dip:
Before you begin, make sure you pick out any bits of shell or cartilage that might have been over looked in the crab processing process. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate before use.

for the pretzels:
Dissolve yeast into water with the 1/8 teaspoon of sugar, let stand 5 minutes. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt and butter. Add the dissolved yeast and then pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and knead until a smooth, elastic round ball forms. Add a little more flour or water a tablespoon at a time if the dough looks too wet or dry. Alternately, knead by hand on a clean, floured flat surface. Place in an buttered bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a cool place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Pour the water into a shallow bowl. Stretch the dough into a long tube about 1/2 inch thick. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Fold into a pretzel shape by making a rough circle and crossing the ends inward. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.



Place the giant pretzel on to a parchment or silipat lined baking sheet. Allow to sit for 5 additional minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until pretzel is golden brown.




Remove from the oven. Top with a generous amount of crab dip. Sprinkle with cheddar then stick the pretzel back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot. I suggest placing it on a cutting board and allowing people to slice off chunks with a bread knife to eat off of an individual plate.



Yield: 1 giant crab pretzel (serves many as an appetizer)

My thoughts:

Coming back from an Eastern Shore vacation where not a day went by when blue crab didn't pass my lips, I still hunger for crab.

The crab pretzel is dish that is found on many menus throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Basically an extremely large soft pretzel covered in a Old Bay-spiked crab dip, the crab pretzel's origins are unclear although several restaurants (perhaps most adamantly, the Silver Spring Mining Company) claim to have invented it. Soft pretzels are extremely common and popular in the Mid-Atlantic and up to New York and crab dip is particularly Baltimore and Maryland favorite, though both have found national fans, so perhaps it isn't surprising some enterprising soul brought them together. I know the pairing of the two sounds unlikely but it totally works-the soft, saltiness of the pretzel complements the creaminess of the dip and is a nice alternative to crackers or chips. Some places cover the dip with a large amount of cheddar but for my homemade version I added just a sprinkle to avoid overpowering the crab. This homemade version is a bit lighter and fresher tasting than many of the crab pretzels sold in restaurants and I think, even more delicious.

I know some people find working with yeast daunting but this is really a great, soft and easy to handle dough. Practically fool-proof yet very impressive. Who makes homemade pretzels anymore much less one covered in crab?

If crab pretzels are not quite your thing the pretzel recipe is perfect for making plain soft pretzels (divide it into 4 more normal sized pretzels if you'd like) and the dip is delightful on its own. Crab dip is normally served hot so I'd spoon it into ramekins or a small baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes before serving.


A note about the crab meat:
Some restaurants boast that the crab meat on the crab pretzel is "jumbo lump" which is lovely stuff but very expensive (too expensive to make dip with in my opinion) and some times hard to find outside of the region. I find that backfin/generic "lump" crab meat works just as well and frankly is what many restaurants use in their crabcakes and crab pretzels even if they do claim to use jumbo lump-they just hope you don't notice.




Interested in trying out some other Mid-Atlantic regional recipes?
Check out my recipe for Baltimore-style Sour Beef & Dumplings or the local variation on cheesecake, Smearcase. Or if you want something super simple, try lemon sticks, another Baltimore classic.

Chipotle Cheddar Spread

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
6 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons adobe sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt
white pepper


to serve:
4 hamburger patties*
hamburger rolls

Directions:
Mash together all of the ingredients with a fork in a medium bowl. Grill hamburgers until almost done. Evenly divide the cheese mixture and top each patty. Allow to cook 1-2 minutes or until just beginning to melt. Serve on hamburger rolls.

*I used the sublime steakburgers from local Roseda Beef, which need no extra flavoring to be juicy and delicious.

My thoughts:

For this addition of My Grill Friday, something a little different. Rather than flavor your meat, top it with flavor!




I came up with this recipe as sort of an homage to that Southern staple Pimento cheese. Rather than use it as a simple cold spread, I topped my burgers with it and allowed it to melt a bit on the grill. Yum! Smoky, spicy, cheesy. What's not to love? It is also extremely tasty cold on a sandwich or on some crackers. Or wedged in the grooves of some celery. It is smoky, spicy and more than a little addictive.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1/2 lb leftover corned beef, cut into batons
1/2 cup leftover cabbage, sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips
1/2 cup leftover potatoes, sliced thinly
deli style mustard
shredded Irish cheddar
2 flour tortillas


Directions:
Heat a pan large enough for a large tortilla to lay flat. Place one tortilla in the pan and heat until warmed through and slightly browned, flipping once. Repeat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle the cheese on one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of cheddar, the corned beef, then the potatoes, a few dollops of mustard, top with a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the plain half over to form a half moon. Cook until the cheese has melted, flipping it once, and the both sides are slightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Repeat for the second torillas. Serve immediately.



Note: If the leftover meat, potato and cabbage are very cold from the refrigerator, microwave them for one minute before assembling the quesadilla. This will help ensure that the food is heated through during the brief cooking time.

My thoughts:

I know what you are thinking. Corned beef and cabbage (and potato!) quesadillas? Really? I made this so I would finally have an answer to the deluge of "what to do with leftover corned beef and cabbage" questions I get each year on the day after St. Patrick's Day. I figured if you get a "German taco" (think: sausage wrapped in a tortilla) at festivals in Texas, I can totally make something Irish-American meets Tex-Mex. And you know what? They are actually really good. The mustard gives it a good kick, and the rest of the ingredients melded well together. Sort of like a toasty grilled cheese with a lot of extras.

Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
28 oz can diced or crushed tomato in tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

To serve:
1 lb cooked spaghetti pasta (hot)
sour cream
chopped onions
dark red kidney beans (heated through)
shredded cheddar
oyster crackers

Directions: In a large skillet saute onion, garlic, ground beef, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add all of the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Then remove the cover and simmer for an additional 1/2 hour or until most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporated but the mixture is still a little runny. Remove from heat. Arrange spaghetti on plates.
Now there are several ways to eat Cincinnati style chili:
3-way: Spaghetti topped with chili, covered with shredded cheddar cheese
4-way: Spaghetti topped with chili, then cheese, then onions
5-way: Spaghetti topped with beans, chili, cheese & onions

Serve the crackers on the side.

My thoughts:

When people think of chili, most people think of Texas. But did you know that Cincinnati has more chili parlors per capita than any other city in the US? While I've never had the good fortune to visit Cincinnati but I love their unique style of chili. Cincinnati chili is basically a thin chili (almost more of a meat sauce) that is flavored with some unusual spices for chili, namely cinnamon, cocoa, and allspice and is served over cooked spaghetti. You can buy flavoring packets to make it, but it is almost as easy to make your own. Not to mention how difficult it is to find those packets outside of the immediate vicinity of Ohio. After some experimentation, I think I've cracked the Cincinnati chili code.

It did require some research; I read dozens of old newspaper articles about the chili (Greek immigrants Tom and John Kiradjieff began serving this chili in 1922 at their hot dog stand the Empress which explains the oddly Mediterranean flavor of the chili) and read dozens of recipes, the majority of which were either conflicting or not very well written. Beyond a basic agreement on spices, there are some disagreements about the best way to make Cincinnati style chili. Some of the various conflicts include boiling the meat vs. sauteing (I find that sauteing the meat yields a meatier tasting chili while still maintaining a "loose" texture), whether to use diced tomatoes or tomato paste or tomato juice or tomato sauce (diced has a better flavor and the pieces almost melt away during cooking), if onions belong in the chili or just on top (again, the onions add flavor and nearly melt away), whether to use chopped chocolate or cocoa (I think cocoa mixes in better), some recipes use broth and others cook the chili for 3 or more hours (hard to keep all the liquid from evaporating). There is also a purported 6th way of serving: spaghetti, beans, chili, cheese, onions & sour cream. Despite there being more ways to make it then there are citizens of Cincinnati, I've come up with this "master" recipe which I think yields the best result of all of the methods I tried with the strongest, truest flavor.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Rapini

Ingredients:
1 cup evaporated milk*
1 cup milk*
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded asiago
1/4 cup panko
3 tablespoons grated parmesan
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch rapini, chopped and steamed**
1 lb small or medium sized pasta, cooked

Directions:
For the b�chamel: In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Add the milk and evaporated milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Whisk in the asiago and cheddar until smooth. Pour over the drained pasta. Add the rapini and stir to evenly distribute. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan and panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.

Yield: about 4 (meal sized) servings

*Having the milk at room temperature or slightly warm helps keep the butter from hardening when you make the sauce.
**A little trick: I steamed the rapini (AKA broccoli rabe) in a mesh basket over the pasta while it was boiling.

My thoughts:

What is it about winter that just cries out for mac & cheese? I don't normally go the whole creamy cheese sauce route but Matt had a craving so we went for it. Using evaporated milk gives the sauce a very creamy feeling but has a fraction of the fat in heavy cream. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate vegetables into things like macaroni and cheese, especially when it is serving as our entree. Rapini might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of macaroni and cheese but it worked well, rapini's strong flavor was tempered by the cheese and it kept the dish from being too one dimensional.

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:

for the grits:
4 cups shrimp stock
1 cup stone-ground grits* (not instant)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

for the shrimp:
1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled
3 slices raw bacon, chopped
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large bunch green onions, diced
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
In a medium pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the grits and stir continually** for about 10 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in both cheeses. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then drain on a paper towel, set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet. Add the shrimp and saute for 1 minutes, then add the garlic, lemon juice and celery. Cook until almost totally pink and cooked through, then add the spinach and green onions. Cook 2 additional minutes or until the shrimp is totally cooked and the whole mixture is hot.

To serve: arrange some grits on a plate, top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with the leftover bacon bits (optional) and serve hot.


*If you can't find grits, try substituting some stone ground polenta. Polenta is made with golden corn and grits with white corn (or hominy or a combination of the two) but they are very similar. Purists might tell you different, but if it is a matter of not making the recipe due to a lack of grits and you have polenta-use the polenta.


**Well, fairly continually anyway, you don't want lumps. The trick is to have all of you ingredients ready to go, so while you are making the grits, you can make the shrimp part at the same time with minimal interruption to your stirring. Or better yet, draft someone to stir while you do the rest.

My thoughts:

Grits are not something I grew up eating, but after having them a few times, I was hooked. Even though Maryland is south of the Mason-Dixon, it isn't exactly grits country. You can find them on the shelves without much trouble, but they are not a staple like they are just a few states away. For this recipe, I combined all of my favorite ways to eat grits: under shrimp and cheesy into one perfect meal. I added more vegetables that I've typically found in shrimp grits to make it more of a complete meal, but I think that both those new to grits and devotees will be satisfied. The grits are cheesy but not so much that they overpower the delicate shrimp. You can skip the whole bacon part but it really does add a smoky flavor that is wonderful. Just saute the shrimp in a little olive oil instead. I will say that not only is it an exceptionally tasty dish, that despite the cheese and the bacon, it is very light tasting meal.