First of all, I miss this little booger, I call him that because he’s been sick lately and has a lot of boogers and snot. 🙁 The cutest thing ever is that he’ll blow his nose so all this snot is hanging out and he’ll say “Blow, blow” so that you’ll bring him a tissue to blow out all his boogies. A little TMI, but super cute. 🙂 After having spending 4 days with my nephew, I kind of miss him, a lot. We just always have so much fun together, can’t you tell?
Oh yea, here’s a peek at my new bangs and specs that I purchased at a swap meet for $4. They kind of look cuter on Evan than me though, but I’m OK with that! 😉 These photos were taken with my sister-in-law‘s iPhone, I kind of want one just for cool photo apps. I mean who uses a phone for talking anyways, am I right?
Anywho, speaking of things that I love (i.e. my nephew), today I just wanted to share a Mac N Cheese recipe I made for my husband the other day! It’s not just any old Mac N Cheese folks, it’s got bacon, mushrooms, chicken, tons of cheeses and a super special and kind of expensive ingredient, truffle oil! 😉 Here’s another similar one that’s not sold out already. I had never used truffle oil or cooked with it before but I know how heavenly it tastes I figured there was a first time for everything! This recipe was pretty much modeled after Yard House‘s amazing Mac N Cheese with a few tweaks!
Fancy Mac N Cheese
(adapted from food blahg)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, or other tubular pasta
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk, heated
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 4-6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue variety), crumbled
- 1 can chicken breast, or roasted (real) chicken breast, sliced
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
- 10 slices bacon
- Cremini mushrooms, as much or as little as you like, quartered
- truffle oil for drizzling
Directions:
1. Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat. Boil the pasta to slightly underdone (it will cook more in the oven); drain. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. As you’re waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, be productive! Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until barely simmering; remove from heat and set aside.
3. Process cubes of crusty sourdough bread (if it’s a day old, it’ll make it easier on you) — go ahead and process the crusts, too — until you have a cup of breadcrumbs. Set aside.
4. Start your roux: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour; whisk to incorporate into the butter. Cook 1-2 minutes without over-browning. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat.
5. Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses a large handful at a time; mix well.
6. Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture in a large bowl. Add the chicken now, if you got it from a can. Add it later if you’re using roasted chicken breast. Or you can add it now, whatever.
7. Fold in the Gorgonzola — 4 ounces if you like it mild, and up to 6 ounces if you prefer the potency. Add salt (keep in mind that you will be adding bacon later), freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with butter. Spread pasta mixture into dish; sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over pasta. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and pour over breadcrumbs.
8. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until top has browned.
9. While macaroni is baking, cook the bacon; drain on a paper towel. (Adding the bacon to the dish later will maintain its delightful crispiness.) Discard most, but not all, of the bacon drippings.
10. Brown the mushrooms in the remaining bacon drippings over medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt to bring out a little of the moisture, but be wary not to make them soggy. They should be browned and fragrant, but still firm. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
11. When the macaroni is ready, serve some up in a bowl, and top with sliced roasted chicken breast, mushrooms, crumbled bacon and drizzle with truffle oil.
Are you hungry yet? Because I am. I think it’s about time I bake up another batch of these. Marvin describes this dish as “decadent, scrumptious and indulgent”. Are you going to make this already?
P.S. Are you ready for St. Patty’s Day yet? Well if you’re not or you just love the color GREEN, I’m giving away a headband and a hairpin set over on Oh, Sweet Joy! And btw, if you need a new crafty and inspirational blog to follow, you should definitely follow Oh, Sweet Joy! It’s a daily read of mine!! 🙂
P.P.S. You still have 2 more days to enter a giveaway for this adorable Spring hairpin set over on Be merry, Kate! And she definitely has an inspirational and happy blog as well that you should follow, kids. Do it!
Sandyalamode = dose of happiness. daily. LOVE this!
His glasses are too cute! 🙂
He is sooo cute!! And yum that mac and cheese looks divine!! I like the recipe!
OMG! you’re killing me!!! looks so delicious. makes me wanna lick my monitor!
cheers,
yvonne
modern.girl
I am a mac and cheese-aholic. And that looks amazing!
The Auspicious Life
great post!thank’s!happy women’s day!xoxo
Oh my gosh!! Mouth seriously watering!
The Cheeky Cafe
your nephew is too adorable for words.
i love finding new ways to spice up mac n cheese 🙂 that looks fabulous! xo
Your nephew is too adorable! And why not get an iTouch? That’s what I did. I wanted access to the photo apps, but didn’t want to switch phone providers. So the iTouch was a happy compromise and I get to enjoy all the cool photo apps 🙂 Also, that “grown up” Mac & Cheese is right up my alley!! Looks delicious!
Holy geez… YUMMY! I’m definitely going to be trying this one… for the hubs, of course, since I’m doing South Beach and pasta is the devil. Or something like that. Le sigh. But it looks SO GOOD!!
I can totally relate to this post. I’m super crazy about my nephew, niece and mac n cheese!!!!
i love the photos of you and your nephew! too cute. i love the bangs! that mac and cheese looks sooo good (minus the shrooms!) i had some last night with cauliflower and it was super tasty. xoxo jcd :: cornflake dreams
He’s adorable!
Ohmigosh this looks positively scrummy – I am so starving now!! 🙂
Super yummy!! I only wish I could add all the ‘fancy’ bits to K’s mac n cheese. Mm… And oh Sandy, how you would be so loved and invited to have a sleepover with Keira! She would love you! Just looking at your cutie nephew and yourself here.. I know you’d know exactly how to make my kiddo laugh and have fun..
I’ll have to leave out the bacon, but this looks delicious! Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods and it’s been much too long since I’ve had a dish of it.
Oooh yummy!
drooling over the gourmet mac n’ cheese. one time at a restaurant, they delivered the wrong dish, and to make up for it they gave me a little dish of lobster mac n’ cheese… talk about decadent. I’m sure it had truffle oil in it too… 😉
love the bangs– glad you joined the club– i’ve been rockin’ mine since senior yr of high school! (inspired by the o.c….)
Omg I am so hungry after viewing this post!
i was gonna leave you a really nice comment like “oh look how cute your nephew is” or ” wow that mac n’ cheese looks delish” but like you said you’re a wolverine and i’m a buckeye so pretty much we are mortal enemies. sad this friendship had to end so quickly. muahahahahaha
you had me at ‘truffle oil.’
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!
ps – love the bangs! i wish i was braver in the hair do dept.
Oh my law!! That looks SO, SO, SO good. <3 He is such a doll, your nephew. I swear!! ^.^ xo.
Evan looks adorable in those glasses!
OK #1 – cutest nephew EVER!!! I’m melting here he’s so adorable.
#2 – I must give this a shot. Sounds delish!!!
#3 – Happy Women’s Day, sweetie 🙂 xoxo
Oh. My. God. Your nephew is such a little muffin!! Too cute!
yum!
This sounds like such a yummy recipe! I’ll have to try it! Mmmmm! xo
Goodness he is adorable! And those are really cute glasses too.
The mac looks so amazing! YUM!
Love Mac and Cheese! 🙂 I will have to try this out! Thanks for the yummy post!
*Ashley {a little dash of ash}
He just keeps getting cuter doesn’t he?
He’s so soo adorable! Children really know how to make you miss them, it’s annoying but cute.
dearest,
http://fashionnostalgia.blogspot.com/
That looks yummy and I don’t even like Mac and Cheese!! ha
Your nephew is too cute for words… those glasses are absolutely adorable! 🙂
And the Mac and Cheese is going to be a must for me! It looks soooo yummy… I think I’m having a girls night this weekend so I may just be making this!
xoxo
Jenna
that little man is adorbs and oh my that mac and cheese…looks amazing…so hungry right now! haha 🙂
have a beautiful day friend! xoxo
This looks delicious! I’ll have to try it out soon. Thanks!
That mac and cheese looks so yum! It reminds me of my mom’s mac and cheese dishes – she’s really the mac and cheese queen in the family!
Wow Sandy..what a cutie that little guy is!!! Sooo adorable!! And this mac & Cheese looks like something my Mother used to make……OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
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Hi Sandy! LOVE LOVE LOVE your new bangs! It’s so cute how you and Ilene both got bangs! Haha. That mac and cheese looks scrumptous and your little nephew is SO cute! I seriously want an Iphone too just for the picture taking. So funny! I agree with the fact that folks rarely talk on the phone anymore. It’s all about texting, twittering, and emailing now days! Hope you’re doing lovely!
This looks amazing!!! I can’t wait to try it! I’m having a giveaway to celebrate Spring Break…make sure to head over and enter! kori xoxo
http://www.blondeepisodes.com/2011/03/spring-break-giveaway.html
This looks so great! I have got to try it!
Meet Virginia Design
okay my mouth is watering – and i just had a late lunch!!! that looks SO yummy – esp with all those ingredients!!!!
such cute pictures of you and the nephew!!
you make the yummiest looking meals! i LOVE mac n’ cheese. =)
I love, love mac & cheese! We just went to a mac & cheese (yup, that’s the only thing on the menu!) restaurant last weekend & I adored it. I’m definitely gonna try your yummy recipe!!
your nephew is BEYOND cute!
check out my blog when you get a chance.
goodbadnfab.blogspot.com
a fashion lawyer by day, fashion police by night…I play at red carpet events, shop all over town, and live life in the fab lane in LA!
I despise mushrooms so I can’t fully get behind your fancy mac n’ cheese. But the Pioneer Woman has a fancy mac n’ cheese recipe that is pretty out of this world, I just don’t use the bacon and instead we’ve used sun-dried tomatoes. Talk about delicious!
Your bangs look great! I recently had bangs cut too and I love them!
Also, your nephew is downright adorable and I love his crooked little glasses! I get to see my nieces/nephew in 2 weeks and I can’t wait!
your nephew looks toooo adorable!!! 😀 i love little kids with glasses they just look even cuter! the mac n cheese looks delicious!! i definitely should try this sometime soon!
Yum. Yum. Yum. Amen.
That looks delicious!
Your nephew is pretty adorable with those glasses. And kids are always so cute about blowing.
I love your other post with your wardrobe! And I would totally go up the ladder to see the attic. We don’t really have attics in the houses here so I would be fascinated.
I want to borrow your nephew! He is adorable!
I love your bangs, I’m thinking of doing bangs agin but they weren’t that great the first time around.
AND that mac & cheese looks DELICIOUS!
I like the bangs! And that mac & cheese looks yummy! I’m going to have to give it a try, because I LOVE Yard House’s mac & cheese!
love, love, love the bangs and that mac n cheese recipe looks delicious!
love the mac n cheese! truffle oil is the bomb, but you are right, it is quite expensive. love the new bangs. i decided to try the bangs myself last november, so far i’m liking it 🙂
Phones are definitely not for talking on anymore. They’re definitely used for taking pictures, tweeting, checking email, texting, looking up directions, and browing google reader during a pedicure… 🙂
Aww… I hate that your nephew has been sick. 🙁 He’s super adorable as always, though! 🙂
I copied your recipe down so I can try it sometime, and I so can not wait for that to happen. 🙂
I absolutely love your new bangs!!!! They look so good on you!
The fancy mac & cheese sounds delish!!!
Sandy,
He is just too cute for words! The glasses are too much!!
I bet he misses you too:)
And thank you for this recipe…I am excited to try it!! YUM!
Love your accessories too!! SO cute!
i’ve been living on gourmet mac & cheese the last few days! so yummy.
xo Alison
p.s. love the bangs!
Fancy INDEED! Any mac & cheese involving more than 5 ingredients must be incredible!
Oh Lordy, that looks beyond delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
Awww what a little cutie, and the mac??? Why didn’t you mail me some?! 🙂 Looks soooo good!!!
oh my gosh. YUM
holy fancy mac and cheese batman! that looks awesome!
adorable! both you and evan!! love your new bangs!
That looks amazing.. and you totally rock the bangs. I love them on you!
wish you made this for me when you were here! you are the best cook! love your bangs~ they look so cute on you!!! you & evan are the cutest duo ever!
I will be featuring this tomorrow at Sugar and Dots!