Baked Macaroni & Cheese

     If you love baked macaroni and cheese,  Rocky & Carlos’ Restaurant & Bar is the place to go.  This family restaurant, located in Chalmette, Louisiana has been making this dish since the restaurant opened in 1965. Many orders are drenched in flavorful  roast-beef or tomato gravy. It is believed this tradition of pouring gravy over the pasta came from customers.

     This dish inspired Alphonse to create his own Mexican style variation on this bake macaroni and cheese dish.

Alphonse’s Mexican Style Baked Macaroni & Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

½ stick unsalted butter

1 - 14.5 oz can – Fire Roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1 - 4.5 oz can – Green Chiles, drained and chopped

1 cup milk, warmed with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups shredded Mexican Style Cheddar Pepper Jack Cheese

2 cups finely shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 1/2  cups of Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs Italian Style

2 tsp. salt or sea salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1tsp. olive oil

 

1.      Boil macaroni in covered pot for 10 minutes (water must be at rolling boil before you add macaroni). Season water with salt & olive oil.

2.      In a small bowl mixed all the cups of cheese.

3.      Strain off water from macaroni. Place macaroni back into pot

4.      Stir in butter, milk and pepper. Stir in 4 cups of mixed cheese. This should all melt and produce a creamy sauce. Season to taste.

5.      Add Green Chiles and tomatoes to macaroni, mix well.

6.      Place macaroni mixture in a 9 x 13 baking pan.

7.      Cover generously with remaining 2 cups of cheese.

8.      Top with Panko for browning.

Bake at 300° for 45 minutes, then brown top under broiler until golden brown.

Number of Servings 4 to 6

Roasted Pork and Butternut Squash

Roasted Pork with Butternut Squash

Roasted Pork:

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ½ pound)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
½ tsp lemon pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika

 1.      Preheat the oven to 400°.

2.      Mix brown sugar, lemon pepper and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
3.      Rub both sides of the pork with this mixture.
4.      Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5.      Add the pork and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes (brown sugar tends to burn quickly so watch closely while searing pork).
6.      Place seared pork in a roasting pan.
7.      Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°, about 18 minutes.
8.      Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Butternut Squash:

 2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp parmesan & Romano cheese, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp green onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies, drained
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine first 3 ingredients.
2. In a medium skillet heat the oil and add the garlic and green onions and cook until garlic is tender.
3. Add the chicken broth, mixed ingredients and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until squash is tender.

 

Number of Servings 4

Shrimp Mold and Shrimp Dip

Louisiana Brown Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico

     The next time you buy shrimp, take a closer look at the label and you’ll notice a set of numbers divided by a slash, like this: 21/25.  This number, called the “count”, tells you the size of the shrimp.  The count refers to the number of individual shrimp in 1 pound. For instance, when you but 1 pound of 21/25 count shrimp, that means you can expect to get 21 to 25 shrimp. The smaller the numbers, the bigger the shrimp. Sometimes on big shrimp you’ll see a count that looks like this: U/15 to U/10. This means there are fewer than 15 or fewer than 10 shrimp per pound.

Two of my favorite recipes for parties are my Shrimp Mold and mom’s Shrimp Dip.

Shrimp Mold 

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

2 envelopes Knox brand unflavored gelatine

½ cup cool water

½ cup green onions chopped fine

1 cup celery chopped fine

1 pound cooked shrimp chopped

2 (10oz) packages of  cream cheese, softened

1 cup of mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper 

1. Heat soup in a small saucepan
2. In a medium bowl stir gelatine into cool water until dissolved. Mix hot soup into the gelatine liquid.  
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise together. 
4. Add soup mixture to the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Mix well.
5. Add green onions, celery, shrimp, and lemon pepper.
6. After mixing, place in greased mold and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably refrigerate overernight.

Shrimp Dip

 3 bricks of cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup of cream (or milk)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup of cooked shrimp chopped up

1.      In a blender add the cream cheese and gradually add the cream and blend until smooth.

2.      Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

3.      Chill for about an hour (Best served next day). 

Tip: Substitute crab or lobster meat in place of shrimp.