Bacon-Kale Mac N' Cheese

Winter is coming.  That means that tasty, nutritious winter greens are at their peak.  Whilst browsing the produce section at my local grocery store, greenery was in abundance and, yippee, it's very affordable as well!  A big bunch of kale was going for 99 cents...you can barely get a pack of gum for that price!  Now that my kale is secured, whatever shall we do with it?  Hey, let's smother it in a cheese sauce with pasta and bacon!  Genius, I know, and a grand way to get the kiddos to eat greens in disguise.

Ovens to 375.  Cook a pound of macaroni noodles for 7 minutes (2-3 minutes less than most package directions.)  Drain and set aside.  Wash and then chop half a bunch of kale into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.  Easy so far, huh?  Cut 6 slices of bacon into small pieces (scissors work very well here) and cook in a small skillet until browned and crispy.  Drain and set aside.  Yup, still easy.

Now, grab a medium sized pot and melt 3 tbsp. of butter in it.  Sauté 1/2 a chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic for about 5 minutes until they're nice and sizzley.  Sizzley is, in fact, not an actual word, but I think you get the gist of what we're going for.  Whisk (not just stir...use an actual wire whisk) in 1/4 cup of flour and cook for 3 minutes.  We want the flour to get a bit of color.  Make sure you keep whisking as you slowly add in 3 cups of milk.  The whole thing is going to clump up on you at first, but just keep whisking in your milk and it will gradually separate out.  This step is a little tiny bit harder, but I know you can do it.  Full confidence.

     After the flour addition                                           Whisking in the milk

Once the milk is fully incorporated, add in some white cheddar, goat cheese, and parmesan so they can melt into our (now cheesy) sauce.  Let's also add in some nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper for flavor.  Mmm...

Cheesy hot tub

 

Bring the cheese sauce up to a simmer on the stove and then we'll add our set aside pals from earlier, the kale, bacon and noodles. 

 

Stir in all that good stuff, making sure that everything is cheese coated and as evenly mixed as you can get.  Transfer the whole thing to a casserole dish.

Heck, let's sprinkle the whole thing with a bit more parmesan.  More is more, I say!  Also, if you're so inclined, sprinkle on a handful of herbed breadcrumbs.  While they're not essential, they make a nice crust on top as our mac and cheese bakes.  We'll keep it in the oven for 15 minutes.  Take a look at this...

Wow...that nice browned crust, that cheesy sauce bubbling up the sides of the pan, those delectable bits of bacon and kale in every bite...what's not to love here???

Time for me to eat and for you to get moving in your kitchen!

Just one of the 3 servings I ate...heh

Wanted to mention too that, unlike many of the recipes that I've posted, this one is best right out of the oven.  I still ate it for two days after I first made it, but it's not quite as good.  Something about the just out of the oven bubbly awesomeness cannot be duplicated by reheating.  Word to the wise.  Make sure you've got a few folks over to help you eat!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Bacon-Kale Mac ‘N Cheese

1 lb. macaroni
3 tablespoon butter
1/2 of an onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
6 oz sharp white cheddar, grated
3 oz parmesan, finely grated

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 slices center cut bacon
½ bunch of fresh kale, chopped
1/2 cup herbed breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook pasta for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon strips into small pieces (I find scissors work well for this step). Cook until crispy. Then drain, and set aside.

In a medium pot, melt the butter. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk while cooking over medium heat.  Stir in the 3 cheeses, whisking until melted and creamy. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer, and then stir in the pasta, bacon, and kale.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Adobo Chicken

The kids generally enjoy my cooking, but the other night, when I made this chicken, I got a rare "this is AWESOME" from my stepson, complete with wide eyes and hyperbolic emphasis.  His plate, which also included broccoli and potatoes, was clean (CLEAN, I tell you!!) in approximately 5 minutes.  How cool is that??!  I'm sure it didn't hurt that the broccoli and potatoes were practically floating in the juice that this chicken dish makes.  Mmm.....

As this was my first attempt at making this magazine-obtained gem of a recipe, I was slightly nervous it wouldn't turn out properly.  All fears are now laid aside...this chicken was meltingly tender, juicy, and full of flavor.  I can't wait to share such a great find with you all!

I used a package of chicken thighs, though you could also substitute boneless chicken breasts if the thighs aren't your thing.  Because they're a bit fattier, the thighs tend to have a bit more flavor, but do what you love.  I'm sure you'll be thrilled to see that bacon makes an appearance in the very first step of our creation.  Woohoo!!  Cut three strips into bits (bacon bits, yes!) with a knife or with scissors.  Throw them into a large, deep skillet and let 'em sizzle.

Once the bits are nicely browned, remove them from the pan and place aside for now.  Do not drain the bacon fat...we're about to brown the chicken in it!   Salt and pepper your chicken thighs lightly and place them in the skillet under medium-high heat.  We'll cook them for about 8 minutes on each side, or until they're nicely browned.  I actually should have browned my pieces just a little bit longer than I did here (and will do so the next time I make this).

Before...                                                                            After....

Once you've reached brownness, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside for a few moments.  Drain all but a light coating of fat from the pan and add 6 minced garlic cloves and one onion.  For different textures and maximum onion-ness in every bite, I actually chopped half my onion into little bits and then cut the other half of it into thin slices...this method is totally optional.  I really love onion! 

While the onion/garlic mixture cooks, we'll get our sauce ingredients together.  Grab these from your fridge and pantry:

In case this photo is too vague, we've got apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chicken broth, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper.  Things are about to get awesome.

To your slightly browned and delicious smelling onion/garlic mix, add 1/3 cup of the apple cider vinegar and let it reduce for about 5 minutes.  Make sure you scrape the pan with a spatula to loosen up any browned bits...they're pure flavor goodness!  Next, add 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 1/2 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp. of fish sauce, 6 bay leaves, and a pinch of cayenne (more if you like things spicy).  Bring your soup-looking mixture to a simmer.

If I didn't know better, I'd just eat it now as is.

 

Place the bacon bits and chicken back in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.  Make sure to flip the chicken occasionally so that it cooks evenly.

 

 



               From the pan....                                   ...to the plate! 

 

In the future, I'll serve this chicken over rice so it can help absorb some of the amazing sauce that this recipe produces.  I'm not kidding when I tell you I could have easily eaten this as a soup.  The whole family loved it and I cannot wait to cook it again!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Adobo Chicken

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into bits
8 chicken thighs (or 4 chicken breasts)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
6 bay leaves
Pinch of cayenne

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the skillet. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned all over, about 18 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
 
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, and cayenne and bring to a simmer.
 
Return the chicken and bacon to the skillet and cook over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, and serve over rice.