cheeky recipe: bacon mac

pasta, cheese, and bacon are three of my favorite things so when my best friend sent me this recipe, i knew i'd love it. it's a lighter take on mac & cheese but it didn't taste light at all!

bacon mac (adapted from cooking light) 

• 3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 12 ounces of your favorite pasta  (i used cavatappi)
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided  (i used 2% milk)
• 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce  (i used ancho chili powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

preheat oven to 350

bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. add pasta; cook until al dente; drain.

combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. gradually add remaining 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. stir in the cheese. add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. add pasta; toss. spoon into a 2-quart oven-safe pan or dish coated with cooking spray*; top with panko and parmesan mixture; bake for 15 minutes

* i used my le creuset skillet to cook the bacon and bake the pasta 

 

make this soon!!

monday meal planning

this week chez cheeky we're cooking up some longtime favorites and trying a few new recipes. bon appetit!

monday: tandoori chicken

 

tuedsay: udon noodle soup (or as we call it here, nigella soup)  

wednesday: wasabi and panko-crusted pork with gingered soy sauce

thursday: fanboy liked the crockpot barbecue chicken, so now it's my turn to try it.

friday: bacon, cheddar, and pasta! how could bacon mac not be awesome? 

what's on your menu this week?

cheeky recipe: football food

football season is officially here and fall is on the way, fanboy & i are ready! are you?

pulled pork sliders

• 3-4 pounds pork loin
  
• 12 oz. beer (we like a brown ale)
• 18 oz. your favorite barbecue sauce (ours is dinosaur bbq) 
• slider buns

 

poke holes in the pork and marinate in barbecue sauce overnight (you only need a little bbq sauce for this).

 

season pork with salt and pepper. place in crockpot and pour beer over. cover and cook on low for 6-7 hrs or until the pork shreds easily. drain pork well and shred with 2 forks. stir in bbq sauce and cook for another hour. serve on slider buns and top with a little more bbq sauce.

ten years later

i remember walking to the office on a sunny tuesday morning with the first bit of crispness in the air. 

i remember looking forward to meeting my best friend, dan, for lunch that afternoon.

i remember the tightness in my chest during the hours that we could not get in touch. 

i remember hearing about the second plane hitting the towers. 

i remember the air being filled with smoke and debris.
 
i remember walking across the brooklyn bridge while covering my face with a t-shirt.  

i remember being able to breathe again once i spoke to dan and knew he was safe. 

i remember watching the news for hours and hours. and then not being able to watch anymore.

i remember that it all felt completely surreal. 

i remember watching david letterman's monologue. i never expected that someone so funny would bring me to tears.

i remember hugging my loved ones more tightly in the days, weeks, and months that followed.
 
today i remember how the events of one morning changed all of our lives. 

and i remember how truly lucky i am. 

cheekydrinks: anniversary cocktails

i love a really tart cocktail, so this was the perfect recipe for our anniversary toast. since i couldn't find yuzu, i used grapefruit. if you prefer more sweet than tart, add a few extra splashes of st. germain.

cheeky's tart and sweet cocktail (adapted from marx foods)

• 3 oz hendrick's gin
• 1 oz st. germain 
• 1 ½  oz yuzu, grapefruit, or lemon juice
• 2 dashes of grapefruit bitters
• 2 twists of lemon or grapefruit zest
• ice

in a shaker combine all ingredients with ice.  shake to combine and chill.

serve in a collins glass on the rocks, garnish with the citrus zest.

extra-cheeky twist: pour the mixture into champagne glasses and top with cava.

cheers!

four years ago today . . .

cheeky and fanboy tied the knot. happy anniversary, fanboy!