Saturday, January 22, 2011

Green Chili Mac N Cheese Casserole

1 1/2 lbs uncooked ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder if you're in a hurry)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 jar Texas Two-Step Tomatillo & Green Chili Stew Mix (this comes in a big glass jar in a special section at my HEB where they have their cooking connection class in the middle of the store, but you can probably find it in the jar chili section too. It costs about $8 or $9 at HEB, but it's worth it!)
16 ounces elbow macaroni, penne, or farfalle pasta
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream (I use 2%)
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions in large pot.
3. Meanwhile, cook ground beef, garlic, and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Drain macaroni in colander and use that pot to melt together the velveeta, milk, and green chili mix.
5. Once the velveeta is melted, mix that with the macaroni and ground beef either in that pot and then transfer to a 9x13 baking dish or mix it all together in the baking dish.
6. Top with shredded cheese and bake about 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I know that the chili mix seems expensive, but this dish goes a LONG way. It easily made 8 adult servings plus several kid servings tonight. It's also excellent for leftover lunches and freezes well as leftovers. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Burger de Ville Salad

Right down the street from us in Montreal was the best burger place called Burger de Ville.  It was so good we ate there usually once a week.  It opened a little over a year ago and within the 6 months was so popular there was always a line.  We started just ordering take out so we could avoid the line.  While their burgers were great, they also made a great salad.  I started making it myself when we wanted to have it with something other than burgers.  I also made a few changes to make it my own.

Here's my take on the BdV Salad:

Spring mix salad
Dried Cranberries
Red onions sliced
Pecan halves
4 oz goat cheese

Balsamic vinaigrette:
1/4 balsamic vinaigrette
3/4 EVOO
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
Salt
Pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place salad greens in bowl, top with cranberries, pecans, red onions and toss.  Crumble goat cheese on top.  Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.