One-Pot Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese Recipe

Adapted from Green Chile Mac and Cheese Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6

Trader Joe's Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese is the first one I've really liked, so I decided to try my own.

Ingredients

2 c. shaped pasta (I used casarecce from the Costco six-pack of pastas)
2 qts. water

2 T. salt
2 c. of whole milk
3 T. unsalted butter
3 T. flour
1/4 lb. (1 c., packed) shredded Tillamook pepperjack cheese
1/4 lb. (1 c., packed) shredded Tillamook vintage extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 12 oz. jar Trader Joe's Hatch Green Chile Salsa* (see linked recipe if roasting fresh chiles)
1 T. lime juice
sprinkle of Trader Joe's Ghost Chile Flakes
1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 400˚F.

Pasta (Adapted from Alton Brown's Cold Water Pasta Method)
Combine pasta, water, and salt in a 4 qt. or larger pot, covered, on med-high heat.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 2-3 minutes, so the pasta is underdone.  Drain, and rinse with cold water.

Roux (Adapted from Alton Brown's White Roux)

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat. Add flour all at once whisking vigorously. When mixture thins and starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and cut back on the whisking. Cook until you smell a toasty aroma then cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Slowly whisk in milk, adding it a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep the roux smooth.  Add grated cheeses one third at a time, stirring to incorporate.  

Add pasta, lime juice, chiles, and corn to the sauce.  Stir until well combined.  Top with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.

Optional: add diced sautéed chicken, sweet onion, or drained canned black beans with the chiles and corn.

Easy Baked Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken

Adapted from http://www.theironyou.com/2016/02/easy-baked-honey-teriyaki-chicken.html#more
Serves 4-8
 
Ingredients
Rice
3 c. water
1.5 c. brown jasmine rice
1 T. butter

Chicken
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 c. Soy Vey or Trader Joe's Soyaki, reduced by half
½ t. freshly grated ginger
1 T. red crushed pepper
A few handfuls of Trader Joe's frozen pineapple tidbits

Vegetables
2 T. sunflower oil
1/2-1 large thinly slivered sweet onion
2 carrots, julienned
1 stalk celery, julienned
1 small head broccoli, stalk peeled and julienned, crown cut into 1/2" florets
1-2 bell peppers, red, yellow, or orange, julienned
Finely sliced savoy or napa cabbage
Several cloves garlic, minced

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside. 
In a large pot, boil water with butter.  Rinse the rice.  When the water boils, add the rice and cook according to package directions, ~40 minutes.
Place chicken in the prepared baking dish. Mix the sauce, ginger, and red crushed pepper.  Coat the chicken.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile heat a wok or large pan on medium high heat.  Add the sunflower oil to coat.  Add the vegetables and stir fry, adding the garlic at the end.
Remove foil, baste with juices and more sauce and bake uncovered for for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through (the temperature should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.) 
Cooking time depends on how big the chicken pieces are and how hot your oven is; what matters most is that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Once cooked, stir in the pineapple tidbits and let the chicken rest for two minutes.
Slice the chicken, pour juices over it, sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and serve.

Microwave Flourless Chocolate Mug Cakes

Adapted from Microwave Flourless Chocolate Mug Cakes
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 squares Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate
2 T. unsalted butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. instant espresso
pinch cinnamon
sprinkle cayenne
1/8 t. orange extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 t. raw sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 1/2 t. Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioners' sugar and fresh berries, for garnish

Directions

Melt the chocolate and butter with the extracts, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne in the microwave in 30-second intervals for 1-2 minutes or until it's almost melted, stirring at each interval.  Let it cool slightly.
 

Whisk egg, then gradually add in sugar and whisk until it becomes thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture, then sift cocoa powder over top. Gently fold mixtures together until no streaks remain. 

Divide batter between 2 mugs. Microwave until tops are just firm to touch and centers are gooey when pierced with toothpick, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove mugs from the microwave (use a towel or oven mitt).  Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm with berries. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 310
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24 g	37 %
Saturated Fat 14 g	71 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 124 mg	41 %
Sodium 39 mg	2 %
Potassium 40 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 17 g	6 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	15 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 6 g	11 %
Vitamin A	10 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	33 %

Vietnamese Mango & Chicken Salad

Adapted from Eating Well's Vietnamese Mango & Chicken Salad

Makes: 2 servings, 2 2/3 cups each
Serving Size: 2 2/3 cups each
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (see Tips)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (about 8 ounces; see Tips)
1-2 cups thinly sliced napa, savoy, and/or red cabbage
2-3 cups mixed baby lettuces
1 mango, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 scallions, sliced
1 fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced 

Directions
Poach chicken to quickly cook it.  Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a skillet or saucepan.  Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size.  (Eight ounces raw boneless, skinless chicken breast yields about 1 cup shredded cooked chicken.)  

Combine lime juice, oil, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic in a large bowl.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Add chicken, stir to coat and allow to marinate for 5 minutes.

Add cabbage, lettuce, mango, carrot, mint, scallions and pepper to the chicken; toss to combine.  

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 389
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g	17 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 65 mg	22 %
Sodium 960 mg	40 %
Potassium 921 mg	26 %
Total Carbohydrate 46 g	15 %
Dietary Fiber 9 g	34 %
Sugars 31 g
Protein 30 g	59 %
Vitamin A	64 %
Vitamin C	185 %
Calcium	10 %
Iron	19 %

 

Quick Shepherd’s Pie

Adapted from Eating Well's Quick Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 8
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups stew & 1/2 cup potatoes
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 c. 2% plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c. skim milk
3 t. chicken bullion paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. chopped fresh chives
2 T. Litehouse Instantly Fresh Salad Herb Blend
1 t. freshly ground pepper, divided
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. lean grass-fed ground lamb
2 med. onions, finely chopped
4 c. chopped carrots
6 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. chopped fresh oregano
4 c. water
4 t. chicken bullion paste
2 c. frozen corn, thawed

Directions
Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add potatoes and steam until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Add milk, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mash together to a chunky consistency. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb, onion, carrots and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the lamb is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour and oregano over the mix and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and corn; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Ladle the lamb stew into 4 bowls and top with the potatoes.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 399
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g	17 %
Saturated Fat 4 g	19 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 72 mg	24 %
Sodium 731 mg	30 %
Potassium 715 mg	20 %
Total Carbohydrate 43 g	14 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g	20 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 33 g	66 %
Vitamin A	217 %
Vitamin C	49 %
Calcium	10 %
Iron	24 %