The Best Mac n' Cheese Ever & Lemon Blossoms

I just found out that Giada De Laurentiis uses the same knives as me! Annie and I were watching her show a couple of days ago (stay tuned for some recipes from her) and I noticed that she uses Global knives, the same knives my Grandad got me for Christmas!

Aren't they beautiful!?! He got them at Williams-Sonoma. Along with a knife roll (what chefs carry their knives in, like on Top Chef), and a sharpener.

Well today I finally got to meet the new SAE pledges. They came over today and I decided we would all cook together. This week, since I had never met them before, I did all the cooking. But next week we're making fried chicken!

I made the decision to pre-make all the food 45 minutes before the guys got to my house. So Ryan came home and we made the mac-and-cheese and lemon blossoms in a rush.

The BEST macaroni and cheese EVER

 

I got this recipe from a cookbook I got for Christmas, Reata, Ledendary Texas Cuisine. This is one of the first recipes I've used from this cookbook. But after the success of this recipe, I'll be using a lot more.

I made this recipe with fresh jalapenos, which gave it a spicy kick, but you can also use pickled jalapenos too. Pickled or fresh, the jalapenos and bacon take this dish WAY beyond the normal 'box' version. You can serve this as a side or as the main dish!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated (splurge on the cheese!)
• 1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 4 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained (I miss read this aaaand I made 4 cups of dried macaroni, which made about 8-10 cups of cooked macaroni! Haha so needless to say, I have a ton of left overs)
• 1/4 cup fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 jalapenos)
• 5 slices of bason, cooked crisp and crumbled
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshley ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs (optional, but delicious, I use Town House Original Crackers, they are buttery and you can crumble them in your hands as you top the mac n' cheese... perfect!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven on the broil setting.

Heat a large pot to medium and add the heavy cream. When the cream begins to bubble around the edges, add the grated asiago and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, stirring constantly until they are completely melted.
Fold the cooked macaroni into the creamy cheese mixture and combine until thoroughly incorporated. Add the diced jalapenos and crispy bacon crumbles. 

At this point, the cheese mixture should be nicely blended and melted to the point of being stringy. In fact, when you pull out your mixing spoon, the cheese should have the consistency of glue. If the mixture appears too wet, add a little more asiago and Monterey Jack, small handfuls at a time. If the mixture seems too dry, add more heavy cream, 2 Tbl at a time.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and distribute evenly. Top with shredded cheddar and bread crumbs.

Place the baking dish under the broiler. WATCH IT CLOSELY. The casserole is done when the shredded cheese on top begins to bubble and the top layer of macaroni starts to brown around the edges. Serve and enjoy! Feeds around 12ish people!

Looks like everyone liked it!

Lemon Blossoms:

These Lemon Blossoms are fattening, delicious, and miniature... So you can just pop them right in your mouth. Elizabeth got them from Ms. Paula Deen, and I got them from her! She made them for SAE voting meeting, and after inhaling around a dozen, I decided to make them myself!

Ingredients:

• 18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
• 3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray, make sure you butter them really well, or they'll stick to the pan. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel 

To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth. 

With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.