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Thanksgiving Week + Decadent Mac & Cheese

Let’s be real. Real time with Aunt Jen (it could be a weekly talk radio call-in show). I love Thanksgiving. Everyone I know loves Thanksgiving, no denying that. Everyone makes a big deal out of how thankful they are for everything they have and their family and friends and yada yada yada. I get that, and I’m really thankful too… but people REALLLLLLLY love Thanksgiving because of the awesome eats. If we didn’t have such great traditional foods associated with Thanksgiving then it wouldn’t be nearly as significant a date on the calendar.

When you think about Thanksgiving what immediately comes to mind is lots and lots of delicious turkey, dressing (stuffing for you non-southerners), cranberry sauce (it’s not Thanksgiving without it) and awesome sides dishes. This week on Saved by the Kale we’re going to go full-Thanksgiving with a different dish daily. First up is this totally decadent and delicious version of macaroni and cheese that Jim cooked up over the weekend at our little pre-Thanksgiving dinner.

Decadent Mac And Cheese

This is definitely cheese-overload, so it’s perfect for a splurge-occasion like Thanksgiving. It’s got 3 kinds of cheese, including a smoked gouda that adds a terrific smokiness. We also learned a little trick from Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion and added a little basil to the crust on top to put it over the top.

Decadent Mac & Cheese
Serves 4
Cheesy and decadent. Smokey and sharp and salty. Everything you could possibly want in mac and cheese. Quite literally the best side dish ever conceived.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 oz smoked gouda, sliced
  2. 7 oz extra-sharp cheddar (white or yellow), sliced
  3. 1/2 C grated parmesan
  4. 5 basil leaves, finely chopped
  5. 6 oz pasta
  6. 1/2 pint cream
  7. 1/2 stick butter
  8. salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cook pasta according to directions.
  3. While pasta is cooking start making the sauce. Over med-high heat, in a large pan melt butter and add cream. Add cheese and whisk constantly until incorporated and smooth. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed.
  4. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish if needed.
  5. Top with grated parmesan and basil. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Notes
  1. Any type of short pasta will work here. We opted for rigatoni.
  2. You can use any cheese that you want.
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What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? What do you immediately think of when someone mentions Thanksgiving?

Prosciutto and Sun-dried Tomato Egg Muffins

Our mornings have been really busy lately. Between getting the girls ready for the day, running, and whatever else has to be done, there’s not a lot of time for a decent breakfast. I don’t eat cereal. I sometimes have oatmeal made, but usually I end up cooking some sort of scramble with eggs and veggies. That’s where this idea for egg “muffins” came from. 

proscuitto and sundried tomato egg muffins

These eggs bakes are tasty, super-simple to make, and keep well in the fridge. You can keep these in the fridge for a few days, so they are a good make-ahead dish for meal planners. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and they’re ready to go.

They’re grain free and pretty healthy. You could skip the cheese if you wanted to get even healthier. While we were testing this recipe we did have a version that included some quinoa too, but ultimately decided to leave it out. Add some cooked quinoa to the batter beforehand if you want to bulk these up a little more.

These little beauties are quite versatile too. You could go any different direction you wanted to with the flavorings. You could do turkey, ham, bacon for meat. Change up the veggies with broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach. Try some different cheeses, or no cheese at all. Lots of tasty potential combos here. 

proscuitto and sundried tomato egg muffins

Prosciutto and Sundried Tomato Egg Muffins
Serves 6
These quick and easy egg bakes are a flavorful make-ahead breakfast dish.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
14 min
Total Time
24 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
14 min
Total Time
24 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 eggs
  2. 1/2 C shredded parmesan, plus more for topping
  3. 1/5 oz prosciutto, diced
  4. 1/4 small onion, minced
  5. 2 cloves garlic
  6. 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  7. 1 tsp pepper
  8. 1 tsp salt
  9. 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, diced
  10. 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Sautee onions, garlic & red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  3. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add the prosciutto, sauteed onions, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, and parmesan. Stir to combine.
  4. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Use a 1/2 C measuring cup to spoon mixture into tin.
  5. Top with more shredded parm and bake for 14 minutes.
Notes
  1. Store in fridge, covered, for up to a week.
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proscuitto and sun-dried tomato egg muffins

 

Let me know what you think in the comments. Have a great day!