Rich and Cheesy Macaroni

My husband is a macaroni and cheese connoisseur. Because of that fact, I am constantly trying new macaroni and cheese recipes. I made this recipe last night, and he was in heaven! He said it was his most favorite I've made so far. So, here it is. It is delicious, if I do say so myself.

2-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups milk
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1-1/3 cups cottage cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat; stir in American cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Fried Mustard Cubed Steaks

This was one of those recipes that as I was making it, I felt it was going to be a horrible mistake. But, boy was I wrong! This was so delicious and the meat was so tender! Everyone in the family enjoyed it. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

1 bottle of Dijon mustard (I used the WalMart brand)
1-1/4 cups water
6 beef cubed steaks (1/3 pound each)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Oil for frying

In a large resealable bag, combine mustard and water; add steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and discard marinade.
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dip steaks in flour mixture. In an electric skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil to 375°.
Fry steaks, two at a time, for 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp and lightly browned.

Chunky Chicken Soup

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown chicken in oil or until no longer pink. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery and corn. In a large bowl, whisk the soup, broth and dill until blended; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and cream.
Cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until heated through. Very good on a cold day! I'm normally not a fan of 'cream of potato' soup, but it works very well in the soup. I also think this would be an excellent filling for chicken pot pie.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalepeno Peppers

8 large jalapeno peppers
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
8 bacon strips

Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise; remove seeds and center membranes. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Cajun seasoning. Stuff about 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls into each pepper half.
Cut bacon strips in half widthwise. In a large skillet, cook bacon until partially cooked. Wrap a bacon piece around each pepper; secure with a toothpick.
Place on a wire rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Discard toothpicks. Serve immediately.

These are not really spicy, at all. And they are VERY addictive! So double the batch because everyone will love these!

Buffalo Style Catfish Strips

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
1 pound catfish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
1/3 cup hot sauce (I prefer Frank Jr.'s)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter


Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Place cornflakes in a shallow dish. Working with 1 fish strip at a time, dredge in flour mixture. Dip in egg whites; dredge in cornflakes. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining fish strips, flour mixture, egg whites, and cornflakes.

Lightly coat fish strips with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until done, turning once.

Combine hot sauce, pepper sauce, and Worcestershire in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Drizzle hot sauce mixture over fish. Serve with ranch dressing, celery, and carrots.