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Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pasta
Cheese Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
4 cups milk, room temperature or warmed in a saucepan
3 cups grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyère)
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably coarse homemade crumbs)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, rough chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water, and set aside.
3. In the meantime, heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the flour and mustard powder. Stir, cooking for 2 minutes. Whisk in the room temperature (or warmed) milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stirring regularly, bring the sauce to a boil. Once it has boiled and thickened, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheeses, salt and pepper.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Thin with some pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a casserole or baking dish. Combine the topping ingredients and spread the mixture on top of the pasta. Cook in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until warmed through and nicely browned on top.

Easy Chicken Fingers

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¼ cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup Panko breadcrumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to season the sauce

freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375˚ F.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into long “fingers” (or nugget-sized pieces if preferred).
3. Place the flour and eggs in two separate shallow dishes. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in another shallow dish or sealable plastic bag. Lightly dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and then coat the chicken breasts with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken breasts on a rack on top of a cookie sheet pan, or a fat away mat on top of a baking board.
4. Transfer the chicken fingers to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Guacamole

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cumin

pinch ground cayenne pepper

¼ cup finely diced red onion, soaked and rinsed

½ Jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (or leave the seeds in for spiciness)

½ cup finely diced tomato

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Place the avocado and lime juice into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or large fork.
2. Add the salt, cumin and cayenne pepper and mix well.
3. Stir in the onion, pepper, tomato and cilantro. Season to taste with more salt and lime juice as needed and serve with some tortilla chips.

Buffalo Wings

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup hot sauce (like Crystal or Frank’s)

salt, to taste

Finishing Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup hot sauce (like Crystal or Frank’s)

Directions:

Air-fryer Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken wings by cutting off the wing tips and discarding (or freezing for chicken stock). Then, divide the drumettes from the wingettes or paddles and place both in a bowl or zipper sealable bag.
2. Combine the melted butter and the hot sauce and stir to blend well. Pour this over the chicken wings and let the wings marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
3. Pre-heat the air fryer to 400ºF for 3 minutes.
4. Air-fry the wings for 12 minutes, shaking half way through cooking. When both batches are done, toss them all back into the basket for another 2 minutes to heat through and finish cooking.
5. While the wings are air-frying, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of hot sauce. Remove the wings from the air fryer and toss them again in this sauce and serve with some cooling blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

Broiler Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken wings by cutting off the wing tips and discarding (or freezing for chicken stock). Then, divide the drumettes from the wingettes or paddles and place both in a bowl or zipper sealable bag.
2. Combine the melted butter and the hot sauce and stir to blend well. Pour this over the chicken wings and let the wings marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
3. Pre-heat the broiler.
4. Remove the wings from the marinade and place them on a baking sheet. Broil about 5 inches from the broiler for about 8 to 10 minutes per side.

• While the wings are broiling, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of hot sauce. When the wings are done, toss them again in this sauce and serve with some cooling blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

Chicken Avocado and Monterey Jack Nachos

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 large bag of corn tortilla chips

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups grated Pepper Jack cheese

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 avocadoes, diced and peeled

2 green onions, sliced on the bias

1 jar tomato salsa or your home-made salsa

1 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl. Layer the ingredients evenly as follows on a cookie sheet or oven-safe ceramic platter: corn tortilla chips, a good handful of cheese, dollops of salsa, chicken, avocado, green onions, more chips, more cheese, more salsa, more chicken, more avocado, more green onions, and so on until the ingredients are gone, ending with a layer of cheese.
3. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Remove and serve with sour cream and any remaining salsa.   

Dry-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs with BBQ Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1½ pounds baby back ribs (about 1 rack), cut into 3-rib sections

1 to 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

½ onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

Sauce:

1 cup beef stock

1 cup tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients to make the dry rub spice blend, and rub the spice blend all over the rib sections.
2. Pre-heat the pressure cooker using the BROWN setting.
3. Add the oil to the cooker and brown the ribs in batches. (Alternately, you can do this in a pan on the stovetop.) Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and bay leaf to the cooker and sauté until the onion starts to soften slightly – about 5 minutes. Pour in the beef stock and place a rack in the bottom of the cooker. Place the browned ribs on the rack, and lock the lid in place. It’s ok to pile the ribs on top of each other in an uneven manner, or to place the ribs in standing up vertically.
4. Pressure cook on HIGH for 30 to 40 minutes.
5. While the ribs are cooking, combine the ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, tomato paste and soy sauce in a small bowl.
6. Let the pressure drop NATURALLY and carefully remove the lid. Remove the ribs and let them rest on a side plate. While the ribs are resting, pour the ketchup mixture into the cooker with the cooking liquid and return the cooker to the BROWN setting. Simmer the sauce ingredients for about 5 minutes and then return the ribs to the sauce to coat and serve.

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Meredith Laurence - Blue Jean Chef