Andouille Mac & Cheese

Gridiron Grindage

Over the weekend, the angels were singing, the flowers were in bloom, the stars aligned, and everything was right in the world…College Football returned!

For most of you, this is a non-event. For us at Piedmont Grocery, it’s kind of a big deal. For the next 4-5 months (depending on who makes the playoffs) the trash talking and marching song playing will provide a much needed distraction from our daily lives.

For those customers who have experienced the store in the Fall at 9 AM on Mondays, you will know what I mean. You never know which fight song you might hear. It could be Fight for California…though that’s pretty rare. And I make sure that Mighty Oregon gets it fair playtime. It’s a fun tradition—though there are a couple of songs that should be retired…USC’s Fight On for one.

The fun is not limited to the store. My family is pretty Cookoo for Cocoa Puffs about college football. In fact, we gathered at my sister’s over the weekend, dressed in our finest maroon and gold, to watch Dad’s Trojans play Alabama. (Well, some of us. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I almost broke out in hives.) And I, of course, was wearing my green.

No matter what color we were wearing, all of us agreed that the football food we ate was fantastic. I brought a mac n’ cheese recipe, Andouille Mac & Cheese, that I had been dying to try, and it was soooo good. Definitely not diet but perfect for a tailgate or game day buffet.

Andouille Mac & Cheese
Adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4
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Spinach Stuffed Shells with Two Sauces

Deep Freeze

Things have taken a turn for the worse. I try hard to make sure my family is eating real food on a daily basis, but last week was a failure of epic proportions. My sister was in a similar situation.

This is why I found myself in her kitchen on Saturday, preparing numerous dishes for us to split between us, and store in our freezers for future use.

This is a big step for me. I have a love-hate relationship with my freezer. I like the idea of having things on hand to thaw for easy use. In practice, I end up with a lot of freezer burned meats. I figure it’s better to have ready-made meals in need of re-warming.

I gotta say I’m pretty excited. More excited for some things than others… (Like the white chicken chili that is a favorite of my Nephew’s. We’ll have that tomorrow night with cornbread.)

The recipe I’m most excited about is Spinach Stuffed Shells with Two Sauces.

Nothing better after a long hard day than a comforting plate of cheesy, pasta goodness. Pull it out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Pair it with a salad and badda bing badda boom…you got yourself a lovely dinner without breaking a sweat. Can I get an Amen?

Spinach Stuffed Shells with Two Sauces
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
For variations on this theme, you can replace the shells with Manicotti, and also use just one sauce.
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Panini Sandwiches

Dun Lost My Mind

It’s the first week of school—which is awesome. But it’s also the first week of school—which is this crazy haze of work, meetings, practices, driving here and driving there, signing this form and signing that form, and Oh by the way we need a check….

It’s a miracle I made it to work today, and can hold a meaningful conversation. The fact that my shoes actually match is a bonus. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire that is this week, my other half is in Asia on business. And I am unable to clone myself.

The other night, when one of my boys asked me what was for dinner, I laughed hysterically at him (okay…it may have been a witch-like cackle), as he backed away slowly, his eyes as big as saucers.

This week, they are on their own. The good news? The kids are actually pretty capable in the kitchen (my daughter especially). They won’t starve, though I am pretty sure my other son will be face down in a mixing bowl full of cereal. You go, boy…

If I have to guess what they will be making themselves for dinner, it would probably be panini sandwiches. My panini press is one of the hardest working appliances in my kitchen. Everyone is a big fan, and the kids love to make their own combinations. You can be sure they will always be overloaded with cheese.

The nice thing is you can make panini sandwiches with or without a press. You only need something to weigh it down. On a personal note, I like to use the Herb Slab bread we get from Semmifreddis for my panini sandwiches. It comes out so crispy. Yum!

This is a recipe blog, so you expect a recipe? (cackling) You will have to look for one yourself! However, here is a great resource from The Food Network, a list of 50 panini recipes with every variation you could dream of. Or check out my Summer Panini post from last year. Read more…

Bahia-Style Fish Stew

Her Name Is Rio
The Olympics start this week. I am excited to watch, but I admit to not being as excited as in previous Olympic years. Maybe it’s the controversy surrounding the games, or maybe I’m just tired…but I’m just not as into it.

Doesn’t mean I won’t go with a theme—it’s tradition, after all. We gotta have the food of the host country while watching the Opening Ceremonies. There are Brazilian dishes that I love (see this post for two versions of Brazilian Feijoada and Caipirinhas). There aren’t too many that I make with any regularity, because despite being introduced to some great dishes, Brazilian food still remains a bit of a mystery to me. Also, until recently, it has been challenging to find all of the ingredients. The good news is that has changed.

One of the first Brazilian dishes I ever made was this Bahia-style Fish Stew. My husband ate so much he made himself sick. It’s definitely tasty, though don’t expect to find it on the Olympic training tables, ‘cause it will blow your diet. It would, however, be a great way to celebrate the Olympic spirit Rio style.

Bahia-Style Fish Stew
Serves 2-4