Santa Barbara Chocolate Review/Giveaway and Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake!

Happy Monday, fans!  Oh my do I have an absolute TREAT for you today!

About a month ago I was contacted by a cool dude named Justin at Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.  He had stumbled across one of my old blog posts featuring this Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt and was wondering if I'd like to partner with them.  There was the promise of free organically grown, ethically traded chocolates to be had.  If you've been following me on facebook at all you'll know that I've been going dairy free for several months now because my little nursling son is sensitive.  Chocolate is often off the menu because many brands contain milk or milk ingredients.  My heart sunk at first because I thought "Why?  Why NOW do these companies find me when I cannot taste their delicious products and want chocolate sooooo badly???".  But then I went to their website and found that they offered many dairy free options!  Score!  So I shot an email back to Jason explaining my situation and asking that they please send at least one dairy-free option for me to personally try (and my husband Chris - the real sweets lover in this family anyway - could call dibs on whatever else they sent).

Let me just say that Justin is a real SoCal guy who was so much fun to "talk" to and Jason their Maitre Chocolatier BLEW ME AWAY with how fast and personalized he made my package.  Not only was there a personal hand-written note but they sent me nearly TEN POUNDS of assorted chocolates to try.  Each was even labeled "dairy free" where applicable!

So like kids at Christmas time Chris and I tasted each of the samples.

I started with the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%.  It was smooth and rich.  The perfect balance of dark and a touch of sweet just like you'd expect from a high quality dark chocolate.  It's a very classic dark chocolate so would be very versatile for baking, creating candies, or eating straight out of the bag.  Having not had any chocolate in quite some time, it was pure bliss to eat and I knew it would be hard to beat...but there were still seven more samples to go!

Going a little bit darker I found myself trying the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% next.  Visually it was a few shades darker than the previous sample and that's to be expected since there's 15% more cacao.  My first taste impression was confusion because it was not as smooth as I'm used to and dare I say even a touch gritty.  At first I thought perhaps it was just due to the higher cacao content but I have had dark chocolates as much as 90% cacao and not had the textural impact before.  So I gave Justin and Jason a shout.  It turns out that Jason designed the chocolate to be this way.  The cocao solids (fibre in this case) are not ground as long so that they retain a higher percentage of cocao antioxidants.  Sounds healthy to me!

Santa Barbara Chocolates from Left to Right: Belgian White, Belgian Milk,  Manjo Rainforest Dark, Belgian Dark, 100% Pure Cacao, 100% Pure Cacao Organic

Similarly, I'm not sure that I have ever tasted 100% Pure Cacao.  Though I love dark and extra dark chocolates, these ultra dark unsweetened chocolate chunks were too bitter for my personal taste.  As for Chris?  Forget it!  That kid LOVES all things sugar.  Jason told me that they're wonderful for those on paleo diets or with low glycemic concerns such as diabetics because they contain no added sugar.  He even enjoys them as a fondue or with a cup of hot green tea.  I might try melting these down and adding dried fruit and nuts to create a chocolate bark.  As an aside, Chris said he had a co-worker who gave their kid 100% pure cacao when they asked to try chocolate.  As one would expect, it was not very palatable to a child and thus the parent's scheme to get the kid to not like chocolate worked ;).

The Belgian Dark 64% was good and I think would be excellent for candies but when compared to the rest of the dark chocolate samples, not particularly memorable.

The Manjo Rainforest Dark 66% woke my tastebuds right up!  There was a subtle fruitiness to it which I wasn't expecting.  You could tell that this was high quality stuff!  I had to stop myself from eating the medallions straight from the package.   I basically have been eating a chocolate medallion...or two...or three...of the Manjo everyday since receiving the package.  It contains 100% cocoa butter so it's velvety smooth and ready to eat.  I loved just popping them in my mouth and letting them slowly melt.  Frankly I was a little bit sad that Jason and Justin only sent me a smaller sample of this variety.  But now I know what I'll be buying to get my dairy-free chocolate fix!!  It was my favorite sample by a hair (followed by the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%).

The Belgian Milk Chocolate and  Belgian White were taste tested by Chris alone since he is the only one in our family that can eat dairy right now.  He happily snacked on them but couldn't really give me a detailed analysis other than that the Belgian Milk Chocolate was his favorite.  Go figure since it has the least cacao (40%) of the chocolates we sampled and therefore is sweetest!  When I used the Belgian White chocolate in my baking application, it was my father-in-law's favorite of the three layers.

After sampling everything I was left with the difficult decision of how to feature the high quality chocolate varieties.  With Jason's guidance that the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% was designed with pastry applications in mind and in particular, flourless chocolate cakes, I knew exactly what I wanted to make because I remembered a cake which I bookmarked from years ago.

This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake features three of Santa Barbara Chocolate's finest Couverture chocolates.  I intentionally chose two different dark chocolates because the texture of the dark layers is different.  The cake is more dense and could stand up to the heartier texture of the Peru Rio Tigre whereas I wanted the dark chocolate mousse layer to be silky smooth so used the Manjo Rainforest there.

While you could use any chocolate to create this cake I cannot stress that the quality of the chocolate you choose to use will impact your final product.  In this case, why not give Santa Barbara Chocolate's high quality products a try?  You won't regret buying from these guys and after trying their chocolates, you'll wonder how you ever thought those waxy, off-tasting chocolate chips and bars qualified as "chocolate".  Plus, your conscious will rest easy knowing that many of the products are organically grown, fair-trade, and formulated with over 100 years of chocolate making experience.

Christine's Kitchen Chronicles readers get 10% off your total order by using the code: chrisseskitchen or enter the Rafflecopter contest at the bottom of this post to win up to NINE POUNDS of your own!  There are four different winners in this contest so be sure to be in it to win!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

For the bottom layer

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan) 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75%)
• ¾ tsp. instant espresso powder 
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract 
• 4 large eggs, separated then allow whites to come to room temperature
• Pinch of salt 
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 

For the middle layer

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed 
• 5 tbsp. hot water 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 
• Pinch of salt 

For the top layer

• ¾ tsp. powdered gelatin 
• 1 tbsp. water 
• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Belgian White)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 

For garnish

• 1 can of Pirouette chocolate hazelnut rolled wafer cookies, cut into thirds (there will be some leftover)
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Manjo Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. To make the bottom layer: Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 325˚ F. In a large glass bowl set over simmer water, combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add half of the brown sugar and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Whisk in one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
3. Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Do not remove the cake from the pan. (If not making the second layer right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to proceed.) 
4. To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes. 
5. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into the springform pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula. Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer. 
6. To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand at least 5 minutes to soften. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
7. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Return the cake to the refrigerator (leaving uncovered) and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
8. To decorate, press cut cookie pieces around the edge of the cake.  Bring 1/3 cup of cream to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand about 1 minute.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Allow the ganache to cool until it is spoonable and can hold its texture.  Transfer to a piping bag and decorate the top of the cake as desired.  I decorated mine with a cornelli lace pattern using a Wilton #2 Round Tip.  If desired, garnish top of cake with additional cookies.

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November/December 2009

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Disclaimer: Santa Barbara Chocolate Company graciously offered to sponsor this giveaway. I received complimentary samples of chocolate to try and review. All words and opinions are my own.

More Elena's Blueberry Pie and a Giveaway!

Hi fans!  Did you get your free ice cream on Wednesday and make a donation to The Cure Starts Now yet?  If you can’t get enough of Graeter's Elena’s Blueberry Pie Ice Cream, stop by the Glendale Beer, Wine & Food Festival tonight for a special “Happy Hour” giveaway from 6-7 PM!

I also have a Cones for the Cure prize pack giveaway that will go from September 9 - 16.  It includes a $5 Graeter's giftcard, $7 worth of candy, Notes Left Behind book, and some other goodies!  Enter below for your chance to win!

Last but not least, check back again before September 16th for the announcement of the second and final free cone giveaway date!

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4th Blogiversary Giveaway and Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Four years ago today I started this blog.  Honestly, I can't believe it!

Cooking for me started in college about six or seven years ago (eep!) when I was living on my own without a meal plan and I needed a way to feed myself.  A few years later I started this blog as a way to collect and share my favorite recipes with friends and family.  If you want to read the full story about me, there's a link called "About Me" (how about that!) at the top of the page.

I'd say it was only in the past one to two years that I started taking this blog more seriously and began to network with other food bloggers and try to make my photos prettier.  Honestly, that's tough when you work full-time and are racing to get dinner on the table and have a hungry husband not patient enough to get that food photo staged justttt right.  I'm making a better effort but realize I will never be a professional photographer and that's okay by me :).

So back to my celebration.  Today I'm sharing a super simple cake.  Seriously, anybody can make it.  And that's kind of the point I want to make is that even the most inexperienced person can be inspired to pick up a recipe and follow it to create something delicious.  Heck, that's how my husband got started with his now infamous Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake!

It's not my best food photography and that's to be expected because it was taken inside of a dimly lit restaurant when I brought it for my brother's birthday dinner in the dead of Winter.  I know that the days when I feel like I've created better pictures are ones where there's good light - on the weekends or in the Summer evenings.  I'll even admit that the recipe is really just doctored cake mix.  But no one has to know that because all they'll taste is how extremely delicious and moist it is :).

Now for the giveaway part. Four years of blogging means four prizes to celebrate!  I have one grand prize: a custom Tastebook filled with 100 recipes that have been featured on my blog. This was suggested by a number of my facebook fans so I hope that you enjoy it!  I'll also have three second prizes featuring some of my favorite local foods.  This was also a suggestion by my fans.  See, I really do do all of this for you!!

You can enter to win below and then next week, I'll pick second prize winners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The grand prize winner will be announced on Friday!  So don't delay and join in my celebration!

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Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
• Oreos, roughly chopped (you’ll need almost an entire package)
• 1 large packet instant Oreo pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small tub Cool Whip 

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Prepare the devil’s food cake as directed on box; stir in a large handful of the chopped Oreos. Pour batter into a prepared dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
3. Combine the milk and Oreo pudding mix in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth.
4. While the cake is still warm, use a chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.  Quickly pour the pudding over the cake and spread evenly so it will soak into all of the holes. Top with more chopped Oreos. 
5. Allow cake to cool completely. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake and sprinkle with more chopped Oreos. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Source: Sing for Your Supper 

Pictures from Hawaii and a Giveaway!

As some of you may have known, I recently went on vacation in Hawaii where we spent 8 days on the beautiful island of Maui and then spent 4 on the Big Island.  Kick back and relax as I recap some of our adventures in Instagram photos...then scroll down for a special giveaway!

As always, the first morning on the island is an early one because your body is still not adjusted to the new time zone.  I took the opportunity to take in this gorgeous sunrise from near our condo.

After a perfect first day in Maui, we saw the sun do a full circle where it displayed this fiery "atomic blast" of a sunset.  Which do you prefer?  The calm pastels of sunrise or the fiery bold colors of the sunset?

Rest assured that there was A LOT of eating done while on the island.  No visit is complete without shaved ice from Ululani's.  This one was nearly the size of my head!  But don't worry, I shared it with 3 others :).

Another sunset was witnessed at over 10,000 feet altitude at Haleakala Volcano (no filters).

Some days started with rain.  But that was okay by me because with rain comes beautiful rainbows and there are many in West Maui!

Thankfully, the rain (mostly) held off for my brother-in-law's wedding which was the main reason that we came to these beautiful islands.  Here he is with his stunning bride.  It was a beautiful, intimate (9 guest) wedding!

We did the famed Road to Hana (for the second time) and thanks to Instagram filters, you'd never know how crappy and rainy of a day it was when we witnessed such beauties as the below Upper Waikani or Three Bears Falls.

We then said good-bye to our favorite island Maui and jet set off to the big island...

Err...did I say jet set?  I know it's only a 30 minute flight but imagine our surprise when we walked up to a 9-person prop plane!!  Seating was assigned based on weight so that the plane was balanced and I was right in the front.  I was cool to see all the plane gadgets and watch the pilots operate them but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly terrified at the thought of traveling in such a small plane.  Thankfully, it was an uneventful and surprisingly smooth ride!

First stop on the Big Island was spending a few days on the Hilo side where we were greeted by more lush greenery and beautiful waterfalls...

Akaka Falls is 427 feet tall...greater than twice the height of Niagra Falls!

And this one is called Rainbow Falls.  Can you guess why?

Yes, we went to the Volcano National Park and took photos of lava and the like but oddly, I don't have Instagram photos of those.  We went to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach where we saw 5 Hawaiian green sea turtles basking in the sun.  This looked like a baby and its mom or dad.  Super cool!

Afterward, we spent a couple days on the Kona side where we made like sea turtles and basked ourselves in the sun of the beautiful Kohala beaches.  When we couldn't take the heat any longer, we took in a bit of Hawaiian culture at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Park which is the site of an old refuge and former royal grounds.

And then came our last sunset (no filters)...goodbye Hawaii.  Aloha 'oe, Aloha 'oe...until we meet again!

Did you enjoy my Instagram photos?  If so, make sure you become a facebook fan because this is where I usually share these little gems.  Creating a blog post of non-food photos is for special occasions!

While we were on the Big Island of course we had to stop by a local coffee farm to try their famous Kona Coffee.  We chose a small, family-owned boutique type farm called Hula Daddy which was located up in the mountains above Kailua-Kona.

Now, Chris and I aren't exactly coffee drinkers but both of us came to appreciate the work that Hula Daddy takes to get a good brew.  For example, we learned that it takes a coffee tree 4-5 years before it matures enough to bear beans.  And then, that single tree will yield just ONE pound of coffee in a single year.  That is, if the beans aren't attacked and ruined by things such as beetles.  Coffee grows best in well-draining soil and so the young lava rock of Hawaii island provides a nice porous and nutrient rich growth medium for the plants to thrive.  It also needs to be grown within a certain elevation range to provide the proper balance of temperature, sun, and rain.  We learned that at Hula Daddy, they are an organic fair-trade farm (meaning employees are paid fare wages) and each bean is hand picked at the peak ripeness.  Pick too soon and the bean is bitter.  Pick too late and the bean is sour.  Coffee, we learned, is not like other fruits that can be picked early and then allowed to ripen off the plant.  

Once they are picked, they are hand sorted and sent to be dried.  Some brews call for the sweet berry and/or membranes to be left intact whereas in most cases, these are taken off.  A master roaster then uses heat to bring out the flavor and smell that we know and love.  Hula Daddy uses small batches (maximum 10 pounds) and then each one is personally tasted by the master roaster before being packed.  

Two types of coffee were available for sampling before and after the tour.  As a non-coffee drinker I appreciated the smooth, non-bitter flavor.  I learned that like a fine wine, coffee has a rating system and one of Hula Daddy's coffees is rated a 97!  We ended our tour with the most fantastic tasting chocolate covered coffee bean that I've ever tasted.  Yum!

The only way you can buy Hula Daddy's fantastic coffee is by visiting their farm or ordering online.  But here I am offering you another option...by entering my raffle for a chance to experience this glorious coffee!  Their coffee is generally sold as whole bean because the flavor is better preserved that way.  However, at the farm you can buy some ground beans as a multi-pack.  So, I saved one 2-ounce bag just for one of my special readers!

Good luck and thanks for reading!

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Mac and Cheese Entry #7: Lobster Mac and Cheese

In case you didn't notice, I put the recipes that were more traditional in the front of the contest and progressively there included more and more "extra" ingredients.  We saved this one for last because it has lobster, one of the most decadent mac and cheese mix-ins.

Lobster has a buttery texture of its own.  My favorite way to have it is stir-fried Cantonese style (hmmm...if only I could find a recipe for that!).  This is a recipe that I had bookmarked a long time ago so I was glad to see Kristen had entered it into my contest because that forces me to make it.

The ingredients for this macaroni and cheese aren't cheap.  Obviously lobster isn't cheap (though the story goes that back in the dark ages, it was cheap enough for peasants to afford because lobsters were considered undesirable when they were fishing).  The cheese used in this recipe, also aren't cheap.  As is suggested in practically all recipes and both Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin, freshly grated cheese off a block are recommended for the best melt and creamy texture.

Maybe I had too high of expectations for this particular recipe but I'll be honest and say it fell a bit flat of my expectations.  The cheese sauce, despite taking great care in using fine ingredients and mixing vigorously, still had a little bit of grit to it.  Of course lobster is great but what worked really well in this recipe was the crunchy topping.  Panko breadcrumbs are awesome for creating a light-textured, super crunchy topping.  Even this partial-to-stove-top girl loved this topping.

So this is the last recipe!  Please make sure you're sharing and commenting on the blog posts in order to be entered for your chance to win!  I'm going to think about this over the holidays and then announce a winner in the New Year so there's still time to enter.  See this page for full contest details :).

To recap, here are all the entries in case you missed them:

• Best Potluck Mac and Cheese
• Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
• Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Stove Top Mac and Cheese
• Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Spinach and Bacon Mac and Cheese
• and today I'm sharing Lobster Mac and Cheese

Three Years Ago: Iced Sugar Cookies, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie, Chicken Noodle Soup

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 oz. pasta shapes, such as cavatappi 
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups milk 
• 6 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ tsp. kosher salt 
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 
• Dash grated nutmeg 
• 12 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into ½-inch chunks
• ½ cup panko Minced fresh chives, for garnish 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish or individual gratin dishes. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until a few minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions. Drain well in a colander. 
2.  While the pasta is in the colander, return the pot to the medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk in small additions until completely added and no lumps of flour remain. Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Once bubbling, cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheese and mix until completely melted. Return the pasta to the pot and mix to coat well with the cheese sauce. Gently fold in the lobster meat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. 
3.  In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Stir in the panko and toss until the crumbs are evenly coated. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pasta in the baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling. Serve warm topped with fresh minced chives, if desired.

Source: Annie's Eats as submitted by Kristen H.

Mac and Cheese Entry #6: Spinach and Bacon Macaroni & Cheese

We're getting towards the end of the contest.  Can you believe it?

Today's mac and cheese was submitted by Mandy.  She told me it's the BEST mac but technically cheating since it starts from a bag mix.  However she swore it was delicious and a must try, even if I'd never admit to liking it publicly.  Guess she kind of forgot the fact that I sorta kinda need to share the recipes with the entire world so now you all know our dirty little secret *gasp*!

As we already discovered earlier in our Mac and Cheese journey, sometimes the simplest macaroni and cheese recipes (like Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese which only has four ingredients, one of which is Kraft Singles!), can be surprisingly delicious.  Then, if you dress it up with ingredients like bacon, can you really go wrong?  I think not.

All in all, this is a great quick meal solution.  This was the first (and only) recipe submitted in the contest which included bacon and Chris approved of that addition.  If you hide and throw away the bag, you could impress your family as long as your conscience doesn't eat away at you ;).

Have you been remembering to enter for your chance to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  As always, see this page for full contest details :).

Three Years Ago: Chinese Chicken Corn Soup and Banana Pancakes

Spinach and Bacon Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (12.6 oz.) Kraft Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Classic Cheddar Cheese Sauce
• 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper flakes
• 4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Directions

1. Prepare mac & cheese in large saucepan as directed on package except do not top with bread crumb topping.
2. Stir in spinach and red pepper flakes; cook and stir 2 min. or just until spinach is wilted.
3. Stir in bacon. Sprinkle with crumb topping.

Source: Kraft as submitted by Mandy N.

Mac and Cheese Entry #5: Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and that normally means it comes with the calorie count to match.  But what if I told you that you could get the same deliciousness and flavor at a small fraction of the nutritional bomb?  Normally low-fat, low-calorie substitutes are kind of bleh but this recipe I would not have suspected of being lightened up if I didn't know any better.

Most mac and cheese recipes call for an entire stick of butter.  This one has just ONE TABLESPOON.  That's only 1/8th and a huge savings right there.  Then, they also usually call for low-fat milk and/or cream.  This uses SKIM milk.  More calories banked for later!  But let's talk about the cheese.  I thought that surely a low-fat, pre-shredded cheese would yield a result that's less than creamy, right?  But I was wrong!  This lighter mac and cheese recipe could have passed for one of its full fat counterparts!  In fact, the nutrition is boosted with the use of fiber pasta, spinach, and whole wheat bread crumbs.

My only complaint with this recipe was with the secret ingredient - Frank's Buffalo sauce.  I agree it added a great kick of flavor (tangy with a bit of spice!) but there was a little too much for my taste.  I want my mac and cheese to taste pure if it's not a Buffalo Mac and Cheese recipe (like this Buffalo Chicken Casserole) so I would reduce it by half if I were to make this again.  And, I would consider making this again as a low-fat alternative...especially to help with warding off Holiday weight gain and sticking to New Year's weight loss resolutions!

Thanks Sara for sharing and I hope the rest of you readers do the same!  I think you know the drill by now.  Please share the post then come back and comment on the blog post because that's the only way I can track and enter you into the contest to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  As always, see this page for full contest details :).

One Year Ago: Cranberry White Chocolate Almond Cookies
Two Years Ago: Island Spice Pork Tenderloin
Three Years Ago: Cincinnati-Style Chili

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste (I couldn't find elbows so used penne)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
• 2 tbsp Frank's Buffalo sauce (Stephanie's secret ingredient!)
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once it becomes thick, remove from heat, add cheese and buffalo sauce and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach.Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Source: Modified by and as seen on Stephanie Cooks from Skinny Taste.  Submitted by Sara M.

Mac and Cheese Contest Entry #4: Creamy Stove Top Mac 'n' Cheese

Are you ready for the smoothest, creamiest, cheesiest macaroni that ever existed??  This is it without a doubt.  My in-laws and not-actually-a-huge-mac-and-cheese-fan of a husband named this the best mac and cheese yet.  But I'm not ready to declare a winner because we're only halfway through and each recipe has had its strengths...

So why was this one so well loved, you ask?  Looking at the ingredients, you'll note that this one contains eggs for richness.  It also uses evaporated milk.  Many mac and cheese experts have studied the use of milk, cream, and evaporated milk and generally, the latter is the key to ultra creamy, ultra smooth cheese sauce.  It's also the most forgiving when you need to reheat it (but, I guarantee that with this particular recipe, you won't have leftovers!).  As for the cheese factor, there is a whopping 3 CUPS of pure cheddar coating just 2 relatively meager cups (1/2 box) of macaroni.  When you compare the ratio versus previous recipes, there is usually about a 1:1 ratio of pasta to cheese versus this one is 1.5:1.  Even the vivid orange color told you how cheesy it would be.  Yes.  Cheese pleaseee!

As I was preparing this one on the stove I thought it was a bit too soupy again but the cheese sauce does thicken on standing and clings to every little noodle.  Plus as we just discussed, the cheese to pasta ratio is part of what makes it great.  I think it would still be okay if you tried to stretch the recipe by adding up to another 1/2 to 1 cup of macaroni, though.  Brenda says to add crushed Ritz crackers if desired.  I gave it a go but personally like it better without.  They get mushy pretty quickly which kind of defeats the purpose of adding them for an oven-like crunch factor.

Thank you so much Brenda for sharing this awesome recipe.  It was the quintessential no frills, creamy stove top classic cheddar mac recipe.

And for you, dear readers, another mac and cheese recipe means another chance to WIN!  Please as you share each entry, come back and comment on the blog post because that's the only way I can track and enter you into the contest to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  As always, see this page for full contest details :).

Three Years Ago: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Creamy Stove Top Mac 'n' Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 oz (2 cups) macaroni
• salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp dry mustard, dissolved in 1 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco
• Pepper
• 4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 12 oz (3 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded (I used 8 oz mild and 4 oz sharp cheddar)
• Ritz crackers, crushed (optional)

Directions

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the macaroni. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp salt and macaroni. Cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.
2. Mix together the eggs, half of the evaporated milk, the mustard mixture, Tabasco, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Set the pot over low heat and stir in the butter until melted.
4. Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheddar. Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring in the remaining milk and cheddar, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Top with crushed Ritz crackers if desired.

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, page 234 as submitted by Brenda F.

Mac and Cheese Contest Entry #3: Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese

Before sharing this week's macaroni and cheese entry, I want to share a photo.  You remember my dog Toby, right?  Yep, he's a cute little fella as you can see below.

But wait a second.  On closer inspection you'd notice that to the side of my cute posing pup is a book.  And that book has a chunk of the cover chewed off.  And if you were to look at that same book in real life, you'd see doggy love bites all over as well.  And that same book, my dear readers, was the copy of Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown that I had planned to give away in this contest!

How he got to it I'm still not quite sure as it was sitting high up on my desk.  And, it had been sitting there for weeks before Toby finally decided to do a "taste test" of his own.  Yes, Ms. Brown, the photos in your book look SO delicious that even my dear beagle could not resist taking a literal bite out of them.  Only, Toby must not have gotten the memo that there wasn't ACTUAL mac and cheese inside the book!  But fear not, this just means that I get to keep this now well-loved copy and will buy a brand new one for the winner.  Because as cute as he is, I'm sure you don't really want the one that has been in my dog's mouth...

So back to recipe sharing.  This recipe comes from Bonnie and she got it from her grandmother.  Looking at it, you can tell it's totally a family recipe.  There are no measurements.  I'll admit that when I first saw this in my email, I was skeptical.  Just four ingredients and using cheese that's not freshly shredded?  Humph!  The cheese snob in me and the cheese goddesses Ellen Brown and Laura Werlin would turn their noses up at this straight away.

What's funny is that in her submission, Bonnie said "I hope you enjoy this even if you don't choose it for the contest".  But a contest is a contest and so I dutifully made it...adding a splash of cream for extra richness.  I made homemade stewed tomatoes from my stash of canned tomatoes figuring if this recipe was going to have a few simple ingredients, I might as well start from the best.  I stirred it when it came out of the oven and well...it looked a little soupy.  But that's okay because Bonnie also mentioned that she personally thought it was better only slightly warm or even the next day as the flavors continue to meld together and the cheese sauce becomes thicker.

Tentatively, I took a bite.  And then, a big smile spread across my face.  I closed my eyes and was taken back to my own childhood.  It was something I had long forgotten but this recipe took me back there.  I remembered a nostalgic time of Mom making a homemade chicken broth and serving it with macaroni noodles.  Being the cheese head that I was (and still am today!) I would sometimes add a slice or two of Kraft American singles and microwave it until melted.  I'd stir it together and call it macaroni and cheese.  Come to think of it.  That was probably one of the first original "recipes" that I ever made myself.

You see, this recipe is so simple and so pure.  It's best eaten with a spoon instead of a fork because the sauce, though very creamy and cheesy, is liquidy.  But it's addicting.  I really can't explain it!  My mother-in-law felt this was the best recipe to date.  I also thoroughly enjoyed it so thank you so much Bonnie for sharing your grandmother's recipe!

Thank you to those that have been sharing and then commenting on each of my Mac and Cheese Mondays posts.  To make it easier for you, every post always has social media buttons for sharing at the bottom of the post.  I noticed there are more shares than comments so if you want to make it count as a contest entry, please be sure to leave a comment letting me know you have shared as this is the only way I can keep track of who you are!  You want to do this so you can enter to win one of two great cookbooks: Mac &Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  See this page for full contest details :).

Three Years Ago: Classic Pot Roast

Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 box large elbow macaroni 
• 1 package Kraft American singles (the orange kind) 
• 1 can of stewed tomatoes (I usually use the Italian seasoned ones, but any flavor will work!) 
• Milk (Christine's Option: Add a little cream for extra richness and extra creamy mac!)

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni until al dente, according to the instructions on the box.
2. Put the pasta back in the pan and add the stewed tomatoes (juice and all!).  Pour the pasta and tomato mixture into a clear, glass lasagna pan.  Add enough milk directly into the pan so that it reaches half-way up the sides.  Cover the top of the pasta with a layer a cheese slices. 
3. Bake in a 350 oven until the cheese is melted.  Take the pan out of the oven and carefully stir the melted cheese into the pasta.
4. Eat!

Source: Bonnie's Grammy as submitted by Bonnie

Mac and Cheese Contest Entry #2: Smoked Macaroni and Cheese

"Smoked" is the perfect description of the predominant flavor in this macaroni and cheese.  My in-laws swore it was the smell of bacon but really, it was all just smoked gouda.  I'm a sucker for smoked gouda.  In fact, it's my favorite cheese.

The seasonings were also interesting.  Most mac and cheese use either hot sauce, mustard, and/or cayenne pepper as is the case of this recipe to make the flavors pop.  But, I've never seen tomato paste in a macaroni and cheese recipe before. It added a welcome depth to this classic dish.  As it only calls for one tablespoon, I was very glad to have a handy stock of frozen tomato paste cubes in just that size.  If you haven't tried it yet, next time you open a can, just measure them into tablespoon sized portions and freeze.  When you need them, pop them out and add to your dish.  No more waste!

As I was combining the noodles with the sauce I was seriously salivating from the smell.  So, I decided to "cheat" and sneak a bite (anyone else do this?) before I put it into the oven to finish.  This is when I got *really* excited.  It tasted even better than it smelled!  I was tempted to stop right then and there but alas, I had to continue to be true to the recipe that was submitted.  And I'm glad I did that because the crunchy topping on this macaroni was really good (and pretty!), too!

My verdict?  Definitely worthy of an upcoming Thanksgiving side dish slot or just for the next time you're craving the comforts of macaroni and cheese.  Thank you so much Stacey for sharing!

I hope you've been sharing and then commenting on each of my Mac and Cheese Mondays posts so you can enter to win one of two great cookbooks: Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  See this page for full contest details.

One Year Ago: Cheesy Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Three Years Ago: Home Fries and Beach Shrimp

Smoked Macaroni and Cheese

Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese, divided
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 oz country-style bread
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lb rigatoni, cooked slightly under al dente and drained

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a large rectangular baking dish.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 4 tablespoons butter.  Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the tomato paste.  Add 1 1/2 cups of each cheese and stir until melted.  Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
3. Tear the bread into crumbs.  In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter and season with salt.
4. In a large bowl, combine the pasta and cheese sauce then pour into the prepared baking dish.  Top with the remaining cheese and the buttered bread crumbs.  Bake until the cheeses are golden and bubbly, about 40 minutes.  If the top becomes too dark, cover with aluminum foil.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Slightly adapted from William's Sonoma as submitted by Stacey

Mac and Cheese Contest Entry #1: Best Potluck Mac and Cheese

Here is the first installation of what I'll call Mac and Cheese Mondays.  I will be sharing the contest entries that I received each Monday and giving my reviews.

Remember, each time you SHARE MY MAC AND CHEESE POST using your favorite social media (such as your own blog, facebook, twitter, google+, pintrest, etc.) and leave a comment with your email address and the link showing me that you shared is a chance for you, my reader, to win!  You can do this once per recipe for a total of seven (7) entries.  There are two great Mac and Cheese cookbooks at stake: Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown and Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin.

The first entry that I'm sharing was submitted by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking.  She modified it slightly from Cook's Country and per her blog post, uses it as a quick freezer meal when accompanied by a healthy side salad to balance the meal.

This mac and cheese was pretty classic for those that like the baked type of mac and cheese.  Everyone knows that a great mac and cheese has to incorporate good quality cheese that's freshly grated from the block for the smoothest texture so that's where I began with this recipe.  But I was surprised by the lack of cheesy flavor given the nice mix of 3 different cheeses in the sauce.  Perhaps I just didn't add enough salt "to taste" but the cheese flavor was quite subdued.  Instead, the onion flavor was most prominent to me.  It was unexpected, but still nice.   My favorite part about this recipe was the nice toasted crunch topping which was studded with Parmesan cheese.  Not only does it provided a great texture and flavor contrast but it makes the mac and cheese look pretty, too!  However, I personally find that the crunch topping comes at the expense of a less creamy mac and cheese and that's just not something I'm willing to trade off.  I'm hoping through this contest I'll be able to find that perfect balance but this isn't it for me.

Thank you Sarah for your entry and looking forward to trying the six others still yet to be made!

Edited to add: I actually enjoyed the leftovers of this more than the fresh dish!  It seemed to get creamier and more balanced in flavor with time.  The cheese flavor was still quite mild but it seemed creamier when reheated in the microwave!  That said, perhaps this is indeed a good freezer meal candidate :).

Best Potluck Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, 4 Tbsps of which are melted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni (Sarah likes to use cavatappi)
• 5 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmet
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese (use block American cheese from the deli countery.  Prewrapped slices will result in a drier sauce)
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Pulse bread, melted butter, and Parmesan in a food processor until ground into a coarse crumb.  Transfer to a bowl.
3. Cook pasta in bowling salted water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
4. In the now-empty pasta pot over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until foaming.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in milk, onion, bay leaves, nutmet, and salt and pepper.  Cook until mixture, stirring occasionally, until it begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Remove the pot off the heat and then slowly whisk in cheeses, stirring until the cheese fully melts.  Stir in cooked macaroni until coated.
5. Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the bread crumb mixture.  Bake until cheese is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Source: Slightly modified from Cook's Country as submitted by Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking