When The Going Gets Tough,

Get Cooking!


It was one of those days today that just felt long, exhausting, and draining.  Lots of meetings, getting home late, and the rainy and frigid weather led to a low mood.  I just wanted something good to happen-- so I tried to add some happy to my day with some home cooking!

I tried my first ever "made up" recipe.  I'm not saying I'm the first person to ever make it, just that I actually thought of the combination of ingredients myself for myself... no recipe involved.  Although I love to follow recipes, it's one of the first times I threw together a real meal and one that I would proudly serve to others.  I think it was reading the wonderful Penzey's Spices (www.penzeys.com) catalog last night that inspired me to try a whole new spin on a few of my favorite foods by putting them together.  I can't control the other stuff, but for a few minutes, everything was right in my world after a bite or two.

Avocado Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

*Pasta shells (2/3 of the box)
*4 slices bacon
*1 yellow onion, chopped
*3 cloves of garlic, chopped
*1.5 cups of shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar and Swiss)
*1 avocado, sliced
*salt
*3 tablespoons butter
*3 tablespoons flour
*warmed milk (3/4 cup)
*bread crumbs (optional)

Directions

1.  Boil water with a pinch of salt and add pasta, stirring occasionally for 9 minutes.
2.  While doing step 1, cook the four slices of bacon in a dutch oven or nonstick pan over medium heat.
3.  Cook bacon until nicely browned.  Remove bacon from pan, leaving the grease.  Place bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Allow to cool, then chop.
4.  Add the chopped onion to pan with bacon grease.  Cook approximately five minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic for the last two minutes.
5.  In a saucepan, heat the butter.  Add flour gradually, stirring to avoid lumps.  Add warmed milk, stirring until as smooth as possible.
6.  Take pasta off heat and drain.  Add to greased casserole dish.  Add cheese sauce to pasta, stirring to combine (mine was thick).  Add onion and garlic mixture to the cheese and pasta.  Stir, then add the shredded cheese and avocado, stirring to combine.  Add bacon, and stir in well.  If you would like, top with additional cheese or bread crumbs.
7.  Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

This was a rich, satisfying treat on a winter night... won't fix everything, but it can't hurt!