Turkey Chili with White Beans

You can't get much more comforting than a bowl of chili. Add some cornbread and it just gets that much better. Unfortunately the cornbread gets put on hold when you realize your kids have drank all the milk. So what do you do with 2 sticks of butter that you have already melted? Make some chocolate chip cookies! So it all works out. Anyway, I love trying out new chili recipes. I'm a fan of regular old ground beef chili. I also make a turkey chili without tomatoes. I even like to make a white chicken chili. I was searching for a recipe the other day because I wanted something to make with some ground turkey. I thought of chili but I wanted to do something new. I found this recipe from Bon Appetit and was intrigued by the use of cinnamon and cocoa. I'm so glad I tried this recipe. It was really tasty. The cilantro on top is a must. It adds a flavor that you can't get from anything else. The only change I made to the recipe was to use half the amount of chili powder because spicy foods are not agreeing with my nursing infant. It still had a wonderful flavor.

Chicken Parmesan

This a recipe is a perfect example of why I need to keep a running list of the things I make. It is one of my favorite recipes, but I always forget about it when I'm making my grocery list for the week. It's really simple, yet delicious and you can make it with common ingredients you might already have in the house. I boosted the healthfulness of the meal by serving it over whole wheat pasta. Our family loved it and I think it will become our regular spaghetti.

Hearty Tomato Soup and Rueben Sandwiches

So what do you do when St. Patrick's Day is come and gone and you have 2 or 3 pounds of corned beef leftover? Sandwiches! I love sandwiches. I think I always have, but I definitely think that my mom owning a deli when I was growing up helped. She still to this day makes the best sandwiches I've had. You could have all of the same ingredients but there is something that she does that makes them better. Anyway, one of my favorite sandwiches is the Rueben. Maybe it's the German in me. The swiss cheese. The sauerkraut. Yum! As I was planning my meals for this week I thought we've got to have a great soup to go with this sandwiches. Something comforting... Like tomato soup. You can never go wrong with tomato soup. I found this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. Both my husband and I agree that this is the best tomato soup we've ever had. Like the name says, it's very hearty and also healthy. It's full of veggies and cannelini beans that all get pureed into a wonderful thick and creamy texture. Best of all it's topped of with a lemon and rosemary creme fraiche. Delicious! (It does have a kick to it. Next time I'll halve the amount of red pepper flakes to make it more family-and-nursing-baby-friendly.)

Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

When I was writing my Fried Chicken post, I mentioned my constant quest for yummy mac and cheese recipes. I think I laughed out loud when later that day I opened my new Food Network Magazine (April 2010) and saw that there was an article on just that. When I turned to the recipes and saw this one I knew right away I had to make it. I like buffalo chicken dishes occasionally, but my husband and son LOVE them. I discovered that even my 22 month old daughter does too. She devoured this buffalo chicken dip that I made for Superbowl this year. Anyway, I thought this sounded pretty good. Well, it was delicious! The sour cream gave an incredible texture and left me thinking that I need to be putting sour cream in all of my mac and cheese. One thing I left out was the blue cheese on top. We are just not huge fans and honestly I don't fell like it was missed.  Even though we're not normally blue cheese fans, the blue cheese makes this recipe delicious! The original recipe calls for using a store-bought rotisserie chicken but I just poached some chicken breasts instead. Be careful with this one. You're going to want to eat it all. (Look for more mac-and-cheese recipes to come - I think it will be a series)

Corned Beef and Cabbage; Shortbread

This is a must-have in our family for St. Patrick's Day. We love it so much that my husband keeps asking why we don't have it other days too. I just always forget! Anyway, this meal is so yummy and satisfying and the best part is you throw it in the crockpot in the morning and dinner is waiting for you later. I love the crockpot. I need to remind myself to use it even more. There are a lot of yummy things that can be cooked in it and it takes a lot of stress out of getting dinner on the table. Anyone that has experienced the daily evening "cry session" with an infant will relate to how hard it can be to cook at that time. This way I can cook in the morning while the little one is happy playing or napping and not worry about it later.

A Whole Lotta Comfort Food

Chicken with Cornmeal Dumplings
Dijon Rosemary Potatoes
Glazed Carrots

I love to make chicken and dumplings and I came across this recipe one day in the Gourmet Cookbook. It's not the typical chicken and dumplings recipein that it doesn't have all of the vegetables, but it has a delicious flavor with the addition of shallots and a little white wine. Then there are the cornmeal dumplings. Yum! They don't have a strong "corny" taste but have a different texture than the standard dumplings. The recipe calls for a whole cut-up chicken but I had a bag of drumsticks that I wanted to use. Honestly, you can use what ever chicken pieces you like.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

Occasionally I have found myself with a bag of lentils in my pantry with no idea what to do with them. It is one ingredient that I've seen in use on TV and in magazines more and more in the last few years, but it is one that I never really grew up with. and I've never really known what to do with them. So, the lentils sit in the pantry until I end up using them for some sort of science or art lesson for my oldest son (he's home schooled.)

Well, just the other day I saw the lentils in the store when shopping for dried beans and I decided that I would finally do something with them. I picked up a bag and actually noticed a recipe on the back for a soup with kielbasa that sounded pretty good. With food it never hurts to try something new, right? It was really good! My daughter (who's not quite 2) LOVED it! She was picking up every last little lentil from her bowl and tray and shoving it in her mouth. Even when she was done and her dishes were practically licked clean, she didn't want to give up her bowl to the dishwasher. So, as a healthy, tasty family-friendly meal, it was definitely a success.

French Toast

So, we had takeout again. But I did make some delicious french toast for breakfast. I've made french toast dozens of times but I wanted to try out the recipe for perfect french toast from Food Network Magazine. The mixture made enough for a ton of toast so I would halve it next time (which I'll do here.) It was very good though. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and the fresh nutmeg in it was soooo yummy. I also like to use cinnamon and it is also very good. The thicker the slices of bread the better. Sometimes my husband manages to find texas toast at the store and it makes the best french toast! I think next time I'll make some banana stuffed french toast (Gotta get that recipe from Mom!) Add some sausage and a hot cup of coffee and you have the perfect Sunday morning. (sigh)

Recipe (serves 4)

thick sliced bread (e.g. french, texas toast, challah)
2 eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg or cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix everything except bread in a shallow bowl or small casserole. Melt 1/2 - 1 T butter over medium heat in a skillet or griddle. Dip bread slices in egg mixture and add to skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer toast to a baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until puffed up. (Tip: If you're making a small enough batch and have a big enough skillet that is oven safe, brown on one side, then flip over and put in the oven for 10 minutes. I did this the next day for myself and it was delicious.)

Minestrone and Stromboli

Who doesn't love a good Italian sandwich?  I know it's one of my favorites.  Take all that meat and cheese and wrap it up in some pizza dough and you've got Stromboli (not just a character from Pinnochio).  This is one of those recipes that my mom made a lot growing up and, although I've meant to, I've never quite got around to making it until now.  Recently I started previewing Google Wave.  I decided to set up a wave for my family and I to keep track of meal ideas.  First thing my husband requested was Stromboli.  I'm a huge fan of soup and sandwiches so I thought this needed a great soup.  With all of the Italian cold cuts in the Stromboli, nothing sounded better than some Minstrone.  I wanted a quick but delicious and healthy recipe and came across this one by Michael Chiarello.

Note: This soup can be vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta and using vegetable stock.

Recipe (serves 6-8)

Minestrone:

1 cup small pasta (I used wagon wheels - kid friendly)

olive oil

6 c chicken stock

1/4 lb pancetta or bacon, chopped

6 cloves garlic, sliced

2 small onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 spring rosemary, finely chopped

1 can cannelini beans (14 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

5 small zucchini, diced

1 large russet potato, diced

salt and pepper

Parmeggiano Reggiano, for garnish

Stromboli:

1 recipe pizza dough, or store-bought

assorted Italian meats and cheeses

olive oil

For Minestrone:

Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions.  Drain and too with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large pot over high heat, heat 1/4 c olive oil.  Add the pancetta and cook until brown.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute, reduce heat to medium, and add onions, celery an carrot.  Cook, stirring occasionaly, about 10 minutes until soft.  Add rosemary and return to high.  Stir in beans, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until potaotes are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add pasta a few minutes before serving.  Garnish bowls with parmesan.

For Stromboli:

Preheat oven to 400.  Place pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in oven to preheat.

Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle (about 1/4 thick).  Layer meats and cheese, leaving 3/4 to 1 inch around edges.  Important:  Don't layer too thick or you won't be able to roll it.  Roll up like a jelly roll and pinch the sides together. Brush with olive oil and place seam side on baking stone or inverted baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes until browned on outside and cooked through.  Slice and enjoy!

Microplane

Occasionally we all need a break once in a while.  I love cooking and often find it relaxes me, but having 3 kids (and 2 of them being under 2 years old) can be exhausting and some times I need a break.  Sometimes that means easier recipes.  Sometimes that means paper plates (see Stroganoff and future posts...).  And sometimes that means when Chick-Fil-A is having one of their special deal nights you must take them up on it.

Which brings me to this post.  I will not be sharing a recipe but will be showcasing one of my favorite kitchen tools: the Microplane.  While I have dreamed of one for a few years now, the Microplane is a new addition to my kitchen toolbox.  I don't know what I did without it.

Garlic. I use it probably 4-5 nights a week when making dinner.  I'm not a fan of the jarred, minced garlic.  I don't think there is a comparison to the fresh stuff .  A couple years ago I gave up using the garlic press and I thought it created more work and frustration than it was worth (difficult to press, clean, etc.)  So I moved on the chopping, slicing, and mincing garlic myself.  Now, with a few swipes of a garlic clove across the Microplane, I have a perfect uniform garlic paste to add to my dishes.

Cheese:  There is nothing light a sprinkling of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano to finish a delicious pasta dish. (See Fettucini Alfredo).  In the past I have always purchased pre-grated Parmesan cheese.  But, now I can buy it in chunks which, for a family on a budget, is more economical and the flavor is amazing!

There are many others uses for the Microplane and I'm excited to try many out in the coming months.  It can be used for chocolate, citrus zest, and even nutmeg (I've had a Microplane Nutmeg Grater for a few years now.)  While there are many practical uses for it (such as grating garlic), I look forward to seeing how the "look" of the meals I prepare changes in the near future as it will now be easier to add that finishing touch.

Beef Stroganoff

Let me start off by saying that this picture does not do this dish justice. I forgot to take a picture when I made it and decided to snap one of the reheated leftovers the next day at lunch (on a paper plate, no less.)

I have made many variations of Beef Stroganoff. I'm even guilty of buying the season packet where you pretty much add the meat and water. But, I have to day that this recipe, from The Gourmet Cookbook, is by far the best recipe for Stroganoff I have tried to date. I think one of the keys to the great flavor in this sauce is the Dijon mustard and the not-too-overwhelming amount of sour cream. Good Stroganoff need not have loads of sour cream. Mix in some tender sauteed beef and delicious sauteed mushrooms and onions and you can't go wrong. (Funny thing is: while researching this recipe, I found the original did not include onions or mushrooms! Can you imagine Stroganoff without mushrooms?)

Recipe (Serves 4-6)

3 1/2 T butter
1 T flour
1 c beef stock
1 lb beef tenderloin (I use flank steak and it comes out great), sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
1/2 c shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 - 3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 T sour cream
1 t Dijon mustard
2 T fresh dill, chopped (or 2 t dried)
egg noodles, cooked to package instructions and tossed with butter

Melt 1 1/2 T butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1-2 minutes, and then slowly whisk in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Cover remove and remove from heat.

Heat 1 T each butter and oil in large skillet over high heat. Season beef liberally with salt and pepper and cook in 2-3 batches, browning on both sides, about 1 minute per batch. Transfer meat to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining 1 T butter and oil to skillet. Add shallots and cook a few minutes until browned. Add mushrooms and saute about 10 minutes, until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are browned. Return meat to skillet and stir to combine.

Reheat sauce over low heat and whisk in sour cream, mustard, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over beef and serve over noodles.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy; Creamed Spinach

So one day a few years back I was watching 30 Minute Meals and the theme for the episode was making your own TV Dinner. She was making Salisbury Steak and I thought, "People make that on purpose?" I grew up thinking Salisbury Steak was a mushy, soggy piece of meat covered with not-so-good gravy and always came in frozen meals. As I watched the episode, it seemed like a dish that would be pretty tasty and couldn't hurt to try it. I adapt the meal slightly for my family but it's still delicious. It's a great comforting "home-cooked" meal and is super quick and easy. My entire family loves it!

I serve the Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The creamed spinach I now make off the top of my head but I got the original idea from my son's Emeril Kids' Cookbook.

Recipe (Serves 4) (You can double the first 4 ingredients for more meat)

Salisbury Steak

1 - 1 1/4 lb ground beef
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 onion, finely chopped or grated
olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped or sliced
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 c beef stock

Spinach

2 boxes frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 t thyme
1 t Essence (I use Emeril's Original or Bayou Blast)
1/2 t salt
2 T butter
2 T flour
1-2 c heavy cream (I eyeball this based on how rich I want it that day)

For Salisbury Steak:
Combine meat, Worcestershire, steak seasoning, and onion. Form in to 4 1-inch thick oval patties. Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 1 T olive oil. Add meat patties and cook about 6 minutes on each side until outside in browned and caramelized. (for a double meat recipe you'll want to do this in batches). Remove patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add an additional T of olive oil to the pan along with the butter. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook stirring with a whisk for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock and cook another minute or so to thicken. Pour gravy over patties and enjoy.

For Spinach:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, essence and salt and saute a couple minutes more. Add thawed, drained spinach and stir to combine. Sprinkle in flour and cook a couple more minutes. Add the cream, bring to a bubble, and then reduce heat to low. Cook 15-20 minutes (I usually prepare the Salisbury steak at this time), stirring occasionally.

Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken and Roasted Broccoli

Yum! This is one of my all time favorites. It is a quick and very easy recipe that pleases just about anyone (as long as they like pasta and cheese!) I have a deep love for Italian food and have the opinion that cheese can make just about everything better. I have always been a fan of broccoli and have recently discovered the incredible flavor you can get from roasting broccoli. I do it as a side dish but have also found it to be delicious with my Fettuccine Alfredo.

As far as chicken goes, there are many ways you can prepare chicken to go with this dish. It is delicious, grilled, roasted, or sauteed. You can even cut your cooking time and buy a rotisserie chicken from the market. They are delicious and a good time-saver for quick family meals. I've used them in pasta dishes, for nachos or quesadillas, and even pizza toppings (Note to self: I'll have to do a post on BBQ Chicken pizza).

I think the simplicity of this dish is one of the things that makes it so delicious. But, you can make things even better by including great ingredients. I recently bought a large chunk of
Parmigiano Reggiano at Costco. While this sauce has always been delicious, the quality of the cheese brought it to new heights.

Recipe (serves 4 plus leftovers)

3/4 - 1 lb fettuccine
1/2 c butter
1 c Parmigiano reggiano (plus more for garnish)
1 c heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 lb broccoli
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 - 1 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins

Follow directions on box of pasta to cook to al dente.

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange broccoli on baking sheet in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. (It's also great with some minced fresh garlic or a little garlic powder.) Drizzle broccoli with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for about 10 minutes.

To saute chicken: Heat 1-2 T olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove to cutting board and slice before mixing with pasta.

For sauce: Melt butter in pan over medium-low. Add cream, cooked fettuccine, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and cheese is melted into sauce. Add chicken and broccoli and mix to combine. Garnish with additional Parmesan (I love my Microplanefor this - more on that in a later post).

Pepper Steak and Mushroom Pilaf

A yummy and easy recipe from Rachael Ray. I've made this a couple times and it was success. My 20 month old daughter loves peppers (even though she calls them apples) and comes looking for a snack every time I'm chopping them. I'm not always in the mood for big pieces of mushrooms in my food but I LOVE the flavor of mushrooms so this rice really hits the spot.

Recipe (serves 4 plus leftovers)

Rice

(I make some changes to the rice as I don't often buy boxed rice and often have plenty of long grain rice in the house)

1 T olive oil

1 T butter

8 oz white or cremini mushrooms, chopped

broken spaghetti

1 1/2 c rice

3 c beef stock (you could also use chicken stock or water)

Pepper Steak

2 T oil

1 1/2 - 2 lb tenderloin, sirloin, flank steak - cut in to thin bite-sized pieces

2 T butter

2 bell peppers (green or red), cut into 2 inch dice

1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, sliced

2 T flour

1 T tomato paste (look for the tubes so that you don't have to open a whole can)

1/4 c sherry

1 1/2 c beef stock

salt

1 t black pepper

In a medium pot over medium heat add 1 T each of oil and butter. When melted, add broken spaghetti pieces and saute until the begin to brown. Add mushrooms and saute 3-5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add stock or water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low an cover. Simmer for 18 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to skillet, then meat and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes. Season with salt ans then remove meat to a plate and cover with foil. Reduce pan to medium and add butter, peppers, and onion. Saute about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook about 1 minute (just enough to get the raw flour taste out). Whisk in sherry and then the beef stock, tomato paste, and black pepper. Return meat to pan with sauce, stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 5 minutes. Serve over rice pilaf.

Fried Chicken

Back in 2005 I bought myself some cast-iron cookware. I got a griddle/grill pan (which I love), a 10 1/4 inch skillet (great for cornbread), and a 15 1/4 inch skillet. I've used the large skillet for a number of things (e.g. chicken fried steak). Recently when my mother was visiting she made fried chicken and I realized that I have never made fried chicken in my cast-iron skillet. So this was my first experiment in making fried chicken and I think I may need to tweak a few things.

I got a really good deal on chicken breasts at Costco this past weekend so I only made breasts this time and I split them because they were huge.

First I salted the chicken and let it sit in a bowl while I readied the other ingredients. To the bowl I added about 3 cups of buttermilk, 2 onions - sliced, and some hot sauce. I let this marinate overnight until dinnertime.

In a paper bag I combined about 2 cups of flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and salt. I placed the chicken pieces in the bag one at a time and shook until well coated. I let the chicken pieces rest about 30 minutes before frying. In the cast-iron skillet over medium heat I heated up enough shortening to come up about an inch in the skillet. Then I began frying. This took a while! I think the first batch took almost 30 minutes or more to cook. I was concerned about getting the middle up to temperature while not burning the outside. Also some of the pieces were cooking faster than others and not evenly. I think maybe a lid might help, but unfortunately they don't make one for this size skillet. I also think I may need to play around using both burners to keep the skillet hot all around.

All in all I think it still came out pretty good. The chicken was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside for the most part although there was some unevenness. I served it with homemade macaroni and cheese and corn. I strayed a little from my usual mac and cheese recipe. I used some Dijon instead of dry mustard which was pretty good. I think I'll write a post some time about my search for the perfect, but easy, homemade mac and cheese.

Turkey Meatloaf

Growing up I was never a real fan of meatloaf. To me, it always tasted like a weird, mushy hamburger with a bunch of ketchup on it. A few years ago my mom bought me the Gourmet Cookbook. I saw this recipe for Turkey Meat Loaf with Roasted Red Pepper-Tomato Sauce. It is delicious, healthy, and a great way to "sneak in" veggies for pickier family members. This has become a family favorite and can please both kids and foodies. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes and a favorite veggie (for our family it's Brussels sprouts). Oh and definitely skip the ketchup. This sauce is a must!

Recipe (Serves 6 or 4 plus leftovers)

Meatloaf

1 t olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1/2 - 3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, finely chopped in food processor.
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
5 T ketchup
1 c fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices, I use whole wheat)
1/3 c milk
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/4 lb ground turkey

Sauce

1 head garlic
1/2 lb plum (Roma) tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper
1 t olive oil
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cut off top of garlic head and wrap garlic in foil. Arrange tomatoes cut side up on baking sheet and season with salt. Add bell pepper and wrapped garlic to pan. Roast 1 hour.

(Note: I found the best results is to chop each of the vegetables in the food processor. This is necessary at least for the mushrooms, so if I have it out I might as well use it for everything. Just process each ingredient and add it as you go.)

Meanwhile, Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened. Add carrot and continue cooking until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, and cook until liquid from mushrooms evaporates, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire, parsley and 3 T ketchup. Set aside to cool.

Stir together bread crumbs and milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in eggs and then add to vegetables, along with turkey and remaining 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper. Mix well (mixture will be VERY moist.)

Remove tomatoes, pepper, and garlic from oven. Place pepper in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

Turn oven up to 400. Lightly oil a baking sheet. (You do not want to use a loaf pan for this). Form mixture into a 9x5 inch oval loaf on the baking sheet. Brush meatloaf with 2 T ketchup (this gives it a sweet glaze). Bake 50-55 minutes.

Peel pepper and discard stem and seeds. Add to food processor along with roasted garlic, tomatoes, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth. Serve over meatloaf.

This is one of my favorite "BLD" recipes (one of Rachael Ray's terms meaning Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner). This was the first time I tried this recipe with the no-boil lasagna noodles and it came out perfect! I'm thrilled because they are one of my favorite ingredients. I love lasagna, but have never been a fan of the boiling, oiling, cooling, etc of the noodles before you can even assemble your lasagna.

Shrimp and Broccoli Lasagna

Click to print div 1

Servings: 4 for dinner and leftovers for lunch

Ingredients

• 1 lb medium shrimp, cooked
• 1 lb broccoli, cooked crisp-tender
• 6 lasagna noodles (pre-cooked if they're not no-boil)
• 6 T butter
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c green onions, sliced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• 1/2 t thyme
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 5 c milk
• 2 c monterey jack, shredded
• 3-4 c cheddar, shredded (white or yellow is fine)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir in flour, onions, salt, dry mustard, thyme, and cayenne.
3. Cook for a minute, add milk, and continue to cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
4. Reduce heat to low and add the monterey jack.
5. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted.
6. Preheat oven to 350.
7. In an ungreased 13x9 (3 qt) baking dish, layer 1 cup of sauce, 3 noodles, all of the broccoli, 1 cup of cheddar and 2 cups of sauce. Top with 3 more noodles, all of the shrimp, 1 cup of cheddar, remaining sauce, and remaining cheddar.
8. Bake 30 minutes until top is golden and bubbly.