After we brought this dish to a family gathering, it has been requested at pretty much every gathering since. It was originally published in Southern Living magazine with an error in the ingredient list, and we’ve made one adaptation.
Souffle
- 1 40oz can cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh grated orange rind
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Topping
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup oats (not quick or instant oatmeal), or 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar
Stir together the souffle ingredients and pour (or spread) into a lightly greased 9×13 baking pan.
Stir together the topping ingredients and evenly spread over top of the souffle.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly.
Serves 8-10.
I’m a decent cook, thanks in large part to my wife. I’ve gained enough experience that I’m able to cook pretty much anything given a recipe, and I can improvise even if I don’t have a recipe. But, I’m not amazing. I get food on the table that doesn’t make us gag.
Yesterday, Anne went to a scrapbooking event just prior to dinner time on a night when we had no menu plan. We’ve been eating out a lot recently so I was determined to make use of the food in the house. Hrm… but how?
So here’s what I did (not that I’m proud): put some chicken breasts on the Foreman grill, and started boiling some rigatoni. (I chose rigatoni because the box has been half used for a millennium). A few minutes before the end of the rigatoni’s cooking time, I threw some frozen broccoli into the water. When the chicken was cooked, I cut it into chunks, and added salt and pepper. When the rigatoni and broccoli were done, I drained them, then added the chicken. Now comes the part I’m not proud of: I added (ahem) ranch dressing. I tossed it all together with a little bit of Parmesan cheese, and slapped it on some plates for the kids, calling it chicken broccoli alfredo.
As Nathan finished his second plate full, he suggested “Daddy, you really should open a restaurant!”
Thanks buddy, but, um, no.
If I do say so my self, this is the best Guacamole recipe. Ever. Inspired by (ok, nearly stolen from) Jeff Smith, the Grumpy Gourmet. The ingredients are his, the quantities are mine, from memory.
- 2 Ripe avocados. Do not buy 2 ripe avocados. Buy 2 hard avocados, and wait 2-4 days until they are ripe. You will have one day in which they are perfect. When they are perfect, do not delay. If you buy ripe avocados, they’ll be half-brown from all the bruising they took in the store.
- 2-4 green onions, sliced crosswise, thin
- Juice of half a lime (1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt
- 1 to 2 tsp of ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons of fresh salsa. The quality of the salsa will directly impact the quality of your guacamole. First preference: your own fresh salsa, made yesterday. Second preference: store bought fresh salsa that was in a refrigerator case. If the avocados are ripe, and you have no other choice, use your favorite jar salsa. Don’t blame me if your guacamole is only so-so.
- 1-3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Combine everything in a bowl and mash with forks or fists until you are happy with the results.
I found this on a box of Kraft Mac N Cheese once a couple years ago. Almost immediately, they took it off. The conspiracy theorist in me said “If people knew it was this easy to make microwave mac n cheese, they wouldn’t buy the high priced ‘Microwave Mac N Cheese’, so they had to take it off.” Whatever the motivation, I’ve never seen this anywhere else. This has worked with every brand of “standard” mac & cheese–the kind with the powdered cheese.
No-Drain Microwave Macaroni and Cheese
1 7oz box of Mac & Cheese mix
1 3/4 cup HOT tap water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
Put macaroni in a 2 qt bowl with HOT tap water. If you can’t use HOT water, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Cook in microwave for 9 to 9 1/2 minutes, stirring once or twice. All the water should be absorbed and macaroni tender. Stir again after it is finished.
Add cheese mix, milk and butter, stirring until butter is melted and cheese powder is cheesy.
