Friday Foodday

We made it lovebugs! Happy Friday to all of you!

Jalapeno Popper Buffalo Chicken Macaroni 
c/o Lauren's Latest 

 Ingredients
4 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons bacon grease {reserved from said bacon}
1/2 large onion, diced {about 1 1/4 cups}
2 jalapenos, sliced {ribs and seeds removed}
1 pound elbow macaroni
for the sauce-
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk {whole or 2% please}
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated provolone
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 cup precooked and shredded chicken {optional}
for the topping-
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
{cooked bacon, as listed above}

Directions

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Pour off excess bacon drippings, keeping 2 tablespoons in the pan. Place skillet back on heat and saute onion and jalapenos until soft, about 6 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Salt water generously and cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions. You want the macaroni to be very al dente, but not still crunchy. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium high and continue mixing until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and hot sauce until melted smoothly into the sauce. Pour cooked pasta and sauteed onions and jalapenos into the sauce. Stir to coat. Stir in cheeses and chicken. Pour into a buttered baking dish {9×9, 9×13, or somewhere in between should be good} and spread out evenly. Top with blue cheese, corn flakes and crumbled bacon. Bake 20-30 minutes until top of macaroni has browned. Remove from oven, top with parsley and serve hot.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
c/o Skinny Taste

 
Ingredients

• seeds from a pumpkin
• olive oil spray
• kosher salt

Directions
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, and clean off any pumpkin debris.

Wash the seeds and lay them out on a baking sheet overnight to dry.

The next day, pre-heat the oven to 250°. Spread the seeds out evenly and lightly spray with olive oil spray and season with salt to taste.

Roast the seeds in the oven until the seeds become golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy!

Carmel Apple Cheesecake
c/o Annie Bakes

Ingredients

1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese-at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the apple pie filling;  set aside.  Spoon the remaining filling into the crust.  Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Pour over the pie filling.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is set.  Cool to room temperature.

Mix the reserved pie filling and caramel topping in a saucepan and heat for about 1 minutes, or until spreadable.  Spoon the apple-caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly.  Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.