Pepperoni Pizza Lovers Rigatoni Pasta

Yeah, I know you can see my reflection on the serving spoon above.  I was too lazy to create a whole new layer in Photoshop and clone it out.  Don't look too closely or you will see my favorite scraggly tank and my bed head which sometimes stays beddy until the early afternoon.   And it's good the camera is covering my face because I'll let you in on a little secret--I don't usually put make-up on to blog.  Sometimes I don't even shower.

And now I'm thinking that I should go back into my archives and check all of the silverware in every picture.  Who knows what I may have unknowingly revealed to the world in a the well of a spoon or the blade of a knife.  *Blogger shudders in fear*

But the pasta looks great, don't you think?  It was great.  It was a huge hit. So big, in fact, that my son-in-law said he might like it better than lasagna.  This is huge if you know my son-in-law.  Which you probably don't.  But still.

Before I give you my notes on the recipe, though, I have some important announcements to make.

First.  I shot the cover of a magazine.

Let me say it again.

I SHOT THE COVER OF A MAGAZINE. 

The December/January issue of eat.drink.Mississippi.  It's on the newsstands now.  Probably not in Alaska, though.  But definitely in Mississippi. 

Secondly, I have a spread in another magazine.

Let me repeat.  I HAVE A SPREAD...

...you get it, right?  I am excited.

The magazine is Town & Gown, another Mississippi magazine, and it's their December issue.  I have several recipes and photos.  You should *run* to the local bookstore to buy both of these.  Unless you live in Alaska.  Then I wouldn't bother.

 Okay, here are my notes: 

-First, I bought turkey pepperoni by accident and it was...weird.  It tasted good, but the texture was weird.  And curly.  I think I would prefer the regular variety better but it did taste alright.

-I used Bertolli's Olive Oil, Garlic, and Basil pasta sauce.  

-I used regular block mozzarella for the pasta part that I shredded myself.  For the layers, I used fresh mozzarella that I sliced myself and I really think it made this over the top good.  The kicker is that I don't know how much I used.  The package was very fresh, like from a local farm fresh, and it didn't have the weight on the package.  I estimate it to be about 12-16 ounces.

-My dish was an oval casserole dish, but I think a 13 x 9 inch would be fine.

-I placed mine under the broiler for a golden brown crust on top.

-Let this set for about 10-15 minutes before digging in.

Pepperoni Pizza Lovers Rigatoni Pasta

Printable Recipe

16 ounces dried rigatoni

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Non-stick cooking spray

1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or pasta sauce

1 (4.5-ounce) package pepperoni slices

12-16 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella

Grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot, cook rigatoni according to package directions to al dente.  Immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and set aside. 

In a large heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium to high heat; add flour and whisk for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the salt, pepper, and 3 cups of the shredded cheese until melted.  Stir in the rigatoni.

Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour in half of the pasta in a single layer.  Spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce carefully over the pasta.   Top with 1/2 of the sliced fresh mozzarella and 1/2 of the pepperonis.  Repeat layers once ending with pepperonis.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and pasta is bubbling in center.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Pimiento Cheese Spread Macaroni Salad

I love summer up until July Fourth.  After July Fourth, I am so over summer, it's not even funny.  July fifth ends summer for me and starts a fifth season of the year I call Survive Hell.  Because that's what it feels like here in July and August.  And most of September.  Sometimes into October.

But for the moment, I'm still excited about the upcoming patriotic holiday and this simple salad recipe, even though part of my crew is leaving for Missouri in just a few hours. (Why, yes, my heart does feel like it is being ripped out of my chest just knowing this little guy won't be here for fireworks.)

This recipe is a cinch to make, as well as cheap and colorful for your holiday barbecue table.

And if anyone needs me on July Fourth, I'll be here watching my hubby write his name in the air with sparklers and gathering up my sackcloth and ashes for my July fifth lamenting of the passing of summer.

Here are my notes:

-I think what gives this salad great flavor is grating the onion.  Grate it into a bowl so you can use a measuring spoon to scoop out the juice and little bits of onion.  I used about 2 tablespoons, but I really wished I would have upped it to three.

-Make sure your macaroni is completely cool so it won't melt the cheese.

-Stir the cheese in last, small amounts at a time, so it won't clump together.

 

Pimiento Cheese Macaroni Salad

Printable Recipe

4 cups elbow macaroni

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2-3 tablespoons grated onion with juice

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimiento peppers, drained

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, cream cheese, grated onion, and salt and pepper until smooth.  Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of milk to loosen the mixture.  Stir in macaroni noodles and pimiento peppers.  Stir in cheese little by little so it won’t clump together. 

Stuffed White Cheddar and Chicken Shells

I know.  It's been a month since my last post.  It's a good thing I am not trying to win food blogger of the year, because epic fail for me.

So it's like this.  I will no longer call myself a food blogger (not that I ever have).  Instead, I'll just be a housewife who posts her favorite recipes when she has a pocket of time.

Whew.  Pressure gone.

But guess what?  I have a pocket of time.  And I've got a recipe with a story behind it.

In 2007, I entered this recipe in a macaroni and cheese contest sponsored by Tillamook cheese.  (And by the way, Tillamook has really awesome cheese, and, no, they didn't tell me to say that.  The Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar loaf?  Heaven.)  I made it to the semifinals in San Antonio where I would vie to win the spot in the grand finale cook-off in Portland, Oregon.  My husband drove me there, I competed, did not win, came home, and moved onto other contests.

A couple of weeks later, the Tillamook people called and told me that the winner would be unable to compete in the grand finale cook-off, and since I had taken second place, would I want an all-expenses paid trip for two to Portland, Oregon to compete in the cook-off?

Gosh.  Let me think about that.  Free trip for two to Portland, Oregon?  That's a toughie.

Of course I said yes, and they booked me and my daughter on a flight in December.  We were super excited, that is until the day of the flight when I had a small nervous breakdown.

I do not like to fly.  I mean, I really do not like to fly.  I do it.  I do it several times a year, but always with a small to significant amount of anxiety.  I won't go into all the many specific fears I have about flying, but this particular time I just let my emotions absolutely swallow me.  And I was a basket case.

So I called my husband on the way to the airport about halfway into a two and a half hour drive, and I told him that if I didn't get an overwhelming sense of peace in the next five minutes, I was going to turn the car around and forget the whole trip.  And I was serious.  I didn't think I had a chance of winning anyway, since I was a replacement finalist.  So he calmly talked me through it, prayed for me, told me that I was giving into fear and all that stuff, and let me know that I would be giving up an opportunity that most people would love to have.  So I got my peace, flew to Portland, and won the grand prize of $5000.

I will never forget the look on my daughter's face when they called my name as the winner.  I was looking straight at her and she jumped out of her seat with the biggest smile ever.  I'd like to think at that moment she was thinking "I have the most talented mom EVER!" but it was probably more like "Now we shop!" because she had spied a North Face store several streets over before the contest and didn't let me forget it.

We had a fantastic trip together and it wasn't because I won.  It was because we were in an exciting city together, having an adventure and lots of fun.  And to think I almost missed it.

Here's the recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do.  It's kind of a ridiculous concept, I mean pasta stuffed in pasta?  But I promise it's delicious.

-If you can't find aged white cheddar, regular white cheddar is fine.

-6 ounces of small shell pasta is about 1 1/2 cups.

-Rotisserie chicken is especially good in this since it has lots of flavor.

-Cornflakes make a nice crunchy topping, but you could certainly use bread crumbs, panko, or your choice of crunchy topping.  I use finely crushed pretzels sometimes.


Jumbo Shell Pasta Stuffed With Baby White Cheddar and Chicken Shells

Printable Recipe

6 ounces-dried small shell macaroni noodles (about 1 1/2 cups)

12 ounces dried jumbo shell macaroni noodles

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

4 cups shredded aged white cheddar cheese, divided

3/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Non-stick cooking spray

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup finely crushed cornflakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large saucepan, cook both macaroni noodles separately according to package directions to al dente.  Immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and set each aside. 

In a large heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium to high heat; add flour and whisk for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half; continue to cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the salt, pepper, and 3 cups of the shredded cheese, until melted.  Stir in the small shell macaroni, the chopped sun dried tomatoes and the shredded chicken. 

Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Fill each jumbo shell carefully with the white cheddar macaroni and place each side by side in the dish.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.  Stir together the 2 tablespoons melted butter and the crushed cornflakes.  Sprinkle evenly on tops of shells.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.