Bacon Week Part 3: Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Tags

bacon, beer, comfort food, food, mac and cheese, main dish, side dish, Southern

Who doesn’t love beer? Bacon? Mac and cheese? That’s what I though. No one!

I am normally a macaroni and cheese purist. We have the traditional family recipe and that it all we need. This recipe tempted me. I was not disappointed.

Other posts in this series:

Bacon Week Part 1: Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

Bacon Week Part 2: Bacon Salt

Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

• 8 ounces bacon
• 2.5 oz butter
• 3 tbsp bacon grease
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 oz beer
• 4 oz milk
• 4 oz cream
• 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb cooked penne pasta (reserve 2 cups of the cooking water)
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese mixed with 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fry bacon until crispy; drain on a paper towel then chop. Boil the penne pasta until al dente, reserving about 2 cups of the cooking water (you may not use it all). In the bacon skillet on medium heat, combine the 3 tbsp of bacon grease and the 2.5 oz of butter. Melt and combine. Sprinkle flour into grease, whisking until smooth. Quickly add in beer, whisking to combine. Add milk and cream, whisking again until smooth.  Allow to cook until bubbly and thickening to custard consistency. Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese, bacon, nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper, stirring until the cheese has melted. In a Dutch oven, combine the cheese sauce with the cooked penne pasta. If the sauce does not cover the pasta well, slowly add the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheese over pasta. Bake in oven for 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serves 6. Recipe from here.

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Chicken and Dumplings

Tags

chicken, comfort food, Dinner, dumplings, Southern, Supper

I love chicken and dumplings, though I have to admit that I am pretty picky about how they are fixed. The dumplings must be chewy not fluffy. Like noodles not biscuits. The chicken must be shredded. And, dear God, please don’t let there be bones in it. If the above criteria is not met, I probably won’t be eating them.

Since my recipe is just how I like it, I can eat tons of these. In fact, I made these last week and, since I am having another craving, I am making them again. It’s my kitchen and I am going to make what I want.

This is the recipe that my family has always used. Polly, my great-grandparent’s cook, instructed us to allow the dough to sit out on the counter and dry for at least 20 minutes. This drying makes them more noodle like. If you have never had homemade chicken and dumplings, you will find this recipe to be similar to those served at Cracker Barrel, though these are WAY better! After Thanksgiving, you could substitute turkey- another creative way to get rid of all the extra bird.

(Please note- these taste much better than they look in this picture.)

Chicken and Dumplings

Dumplings:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup shortening, chilled
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Base:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup self-rising flour
• 2 (16 oz cans) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
• Salt and pepper to taste

Measure 2 cups flour into a bowl. Cut in shortening with a fork or pastry blender until the pieces are the size of peas. Blend in just enough chicken broth that the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (I use my clean counter top). Knead 2 to 3 times. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into strips.

Melt butter in a dutch oven. Combine with flour and whisk. Gradually add in the remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings slowly to the boiling broth, stirring periodically to keep them from sticking to each other and the bottom of the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, cooking dumplings through. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add milk, pepper, salt and chicken. Heat for another 5 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Curry

Tags

chicken, comfort food, curry, Dinner, Indian, naan, quick, rice, Supper

Today is one of those terrible days where I feel like I am getting sick but I am not quite there yet. Aches, pains, fatigue. But none of them are bad enough to justify being on the couch all day. Just enough to drag me down and make me less productive. That means that today’s supper needs to be filling, quick and comforting. Chicken curry definitely fits that bill. Savory, slightly sweet, cinnamony. Exactly what I think of when I think comfort food. I bet Indian mothers make this for their kids when they are sick; just like American moms make chicken noodle soup.  Serve over rice or with naan (or both like I did).

Please note, even though curry tastes good, it really isn’t that photogenic…

Chicken Curry

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve over rice or with naan.