Body Bits Dip

I know this is officially a day late, but it's still really yummy and needs to be shared.  And really, it's hot cheese dip and it's football season...do the math.

Ingredients:
8 oz bulk pork sausage
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 lb American cheese, cubed
2 10-oz cans chopped tomatoes and green chile peppers, undrained
1 5.3 oz pkg cocktail wieners, halved crosswise
Tortilla chips

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is brown; drain fat.  Transfer sausage mixture to a 3 1/2 to 4 quart crockery cooker (aka crockpot).  Stir in cheese, tomatoes, and wieners.
2. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 1 to 2 hours or until cheese is melted, stirring after 1 hour.  To serve, keep dip warm on low-heat setting, stirring occasionally.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Makes 18 servings.

Alterations/Recommendations:

• I, always trying to "healthify" recipes, used hot Italian turkey sausage.  I just took the casing off and cooked it up!
• If I had them on hand, I would have used turkey lil' smokies.
• And if I could have found it at the grocery store I went shopping at, I would have used 2% velveta cheese.

Nutritionals per serving:
Calories: 168; Total Fat: 14g (saturated fat: 8g); Cholesterol: 41mg; Sodium: 644mg; Carbohydrate: 2g; Fiber: 0g; Protein: 9g

recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Beecher's 'World's Best' Mac & Cheese - and it is!

While in Seattle last month I made it a point to stop at Beecher's cheese shop...twice.  They make my favorite cheese (bonus they have 2 more new favorite cheeses of mine!), so I was excited to see where it was made and to eat lunch there.  I've had it before, and I'll eat it again, but they make the best mac and cheese EVER!  No joke, you'll never find any better.  Now imagine my shock and excitement, a week after getting back the recipe was in some newspaper insert (think Parade but with recipes).  So, since I know everyone can't go to Seattle and visit their shop I thought I'd share the recipe (but please do find or order their cheese to use!).  Plus, it's up here now so I can't lose it.  :)

Beecher's 'World's Best' Mac & Cheese
If you can't find Beecher's cheese locally, use an aged sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.  This recipe can be made ahead and frozen - use a freezer-to-oven-safe pan and increase the baking time to 50 minutes.

Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tbs unsalted butter
3 1/2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c whole milk
7 oz Beecher's Flagship cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 c)
1 oz Beecher's Just Jack cheese, grated (about 1/4 c)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Pasta:
6 oz penne pasta (about 3 1/4 c)
1 oz (1/4 c) Beecher's Flagship cheese, grated
1 oz (1/4 c) Beecher's Just Jack cheese, grated
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Instructions:

1. To prepare sauce, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour.  Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly.  Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.
3. Add cheese, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Stir until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350F.
5. To prepare pasta, cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven).  Rinse pasta in cold water and drain well.
6. Combine pasta and sauce in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.  (The mixture will seem soupy, but some of the liquid will be absorbed during baking.)  Transfer to an 8" square baking dish.  Sprinkle top with cheese and chili powder.
7. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4
Nutrition per serving: 560 calories, 32g fat, 100mg chol., 27g protein, 42g carbs, 1g fiber, 720mg sodium

Now, go visit Beecher's!  There are also 2 other options for this mac & cheese:  1) order the kit online which includes the cheese, or 2) you can buy it premade online.  Your call.  But it's Sooooo good!  If you are going to order Beecher's cheese to use, get yourself a block of their 4 year aged Flagship and a block of the Smoked Flagship.  Yea, I brought a little of each of those home with me.  :)

Kaluha Brie

Compliments of a co-worker.  Granted, I'm not a brie fan, but this recipe gets raves.  I do like the kaluha part though.

Toast pecans on the stove top – lightly browned

The ratio is really up to you – Kaluha and Brown sugar – start with a ¼ cup brown sugar to ½ cup kaluha – mix in a saucepan on the stove, gently heat.

Warm in the microwave either a wedge or wheel of Brie

Pour over top the Brie, the liquid mixture

Sprinkle with whole toasted pecans

Serve with water crackers