Grandma's Macaroni

This is my grandma's recipe for macaroni; it's certainly nothing fancy but it's my favorite. Of course, despite using the same ingredients, mine doesn't taste as good as hers... Where can I buy bottled grandma love? I suspect that's her secret...



2 cups macaroni
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup onion, small dice
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, small dice
salt and pepper
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Combine macaroni, tomato soup, onion, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour in greased 13x9 baking dish. Heat oven to 375oF.

In separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, butter and Italian seasonings. Sprinkle on top of macaroni.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until heated through and topping is slightly browned.

Yield: 8 portions

Spaghetti Bolognese

My spaghetti sauce usually has little meat and lots of chunky vegetables but I decided to shake things up today. Stephen loves Spaghetti Bolognese so I thought I'd spoil him a bit. I tried to give it a "healthy spin" with lots of camouflaged veggies and extra lean ground turkey instead of beef. End result - tasty! Especially love the red wine base! :)



2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups carrots, grated
1.5 cups celery, minced
2 large onions, minced
2 lbs ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups red wine
2 cans tomatoes, diced
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, heat olive oil over medium/high heat. Sauté carrots, celery and onions 2 or 3 minutes. Make a well and add ground turkey. Sauté until cooked through. Add garlic, sauté approximately one minute. Mix in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, cook 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in red wine, canned tomatoes and milk. Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours.

Serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.

Yield: Lots!!! (About two large ice cream containers' worth.)

Turkey Meatballs and Homemade Egg Noodles

Filling turkey meatballs in a flavorful sour cream sauce served over homemade egg noodles – comfort food at its best! I served with parmesan roasted asparagus.



The Pasta



2.5 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients. Knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out to desired thickness (I was feeling fairly lazy so I didn't bother rolling it out very thin - I'll say I was going for the "rustic look") and cut. I used one of these nifty contraptions:



Cook in boiling salted water until al dente, about 3 minutes.

Drain and enjoy!

The Meatballs

Inspired by Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook.

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup oat bran
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
Spices to taste (parsley, basil, oregano)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Using a tablespoon, make meatballs and set aside.

The Sour Cream Sauce

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp butter
2 cups beef broth
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Mix flour, salt and dry mustard; set aside. Melt butter in pan; add dry ingredients and stir. Add broth; stir until thickened. Add sour cream and parsley

The Sum of All Parts

Add meatballs to sauce. Cover and simmer over medium/low heat for 30 minutes.