Mac n’ Cheese Sinatra (my way)

Cracker Barrel Macaroni Cheese with Bacon and Chives

This is my take on macaroni cheese, the bacon and chives marry so well with cheese but for me that extra special bit is that hint of Dijon mustard.

This is so embarrassingly simple to make.

You will need (serves 4 - 6)

100 Gm – Macaroni

6 – Eggs

200 Ml – Milk

150 Gm - Cracker Barrel Cheese (or a cheddar of your choice)

140 Gm – Bacon (chopped)

1 table spoon – Fresh Chives (finely chopped)

2 teaspoons – Dijon Mustard

½ teaspoon – Freshly ground Black Pepper

Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet and drain well.

Dry fry the bacon for about 5 minutes on a medium heat.

Whisk the eggs and the milk together.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well (save a little of the grated Cracker Barrel to sprinkle on the top).

Transfer to an oven proof dish and sprinkle the saved cheese on top.

Place in a 190°c oven for 35 minutes.

Delicious served hot or cold.

Cracker Barrel Garlic Mushrooms

Cracker Barrel Garlic Mushrooms

with Black Pepper Crumb

Cheesy garlic mushrooms have always been a favorite starter of mine so I decided to develop this recipe, not only topped with a lovely peppery crumb but to take myself back to my childhood and use Cracker Barrel cheese.

Kraft foods introduced Cracker Barrel in 1954 a year after I was born and it was always a favorite in our house when I was a child, so I decided to seek it out and found it in my local supermarket.

I had a taste of it as soon as I got home and I was not disappointed.

The ingredients I have used are enough to fill 3 medium sized open cup mushrooms so if you want to make more just recalculate to your needs.

You will need

3 - Field Mushrooms

4 cloves – Garlic (crushed)

70 Gm - Butter

30 Gm – Fresh Breadcrumbs

6 Gm - Freshly Ground or Cracked Black Pepper

70 Gm - Cracker Barrel Cheese (grated)

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the garlic, fry the mushrooms on a medium to high heat for 5 minutes each side.

Place the mushrooms on a grill tray (don’t forget to save the garlic butter they were cooked in) and fill each one with equal amounts of the grated Cracker Barrel cheese.

Now make up your breadcrumb mix, put some bread of your choice into a food blender and blitz into fine crumbs and weigh out about 30 Gm of the crumbs and put them in a mixing bowl.

Add the black pepper to the crumbs and mix well, now pour in the garlic butter from your pan and mix into a paste.

Put the cheese filled mushrooms under a hot grill for 3 – 4 minutes to start the melting process.

Take the mushrooms from the grill, press on the topping of crumb paste and return to the grill until they are nicely browned.

Serve warm for a starter or they are equally as nice cold as party food.

Sweet Chilli Dippers with Cream Cheese Dip

Sweet Chilli Dippers with Cream Cheese Dip

I love to push the boundaries as to how versatile the simple breadcrumb is, there are endless possibilities and this one of them.

Sweet hot bendable chilli discs, cooled off with a soft cheese and parsley cream dip.

You will need

 

160 Gm – Fresh Breadcrumbs

1 – Egg (beaten)

100 Gm – Ketchup

1 table spoon – Muscovado Sugar

20 Ml - Soy Sauce

1 clove – Garlic (crushed)

3 – Hot Red Chillis (finely chopped)

120 Ml - Cream

100 Gm - Soft cheese

1 table spoon – Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)

A little olive oil

Oil for deep frying

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the chilli and garlic on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the Soy Sauce and Ketchup, mix well and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat.

Place the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl, add the egg and knead well until it’s like dry dough.

Now add the chilli mixture and mix well (if the mixture is too wet just add more breadcrumbs) then put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Take the mix out of the fridge and roll out between 2 sheets of cling film to about 2 – 3 Ml thick.

Use a pastry cutter or small glass about 5 Cm across and cut out your discs.

Heat the oil for deep frying to 180°c and deep fry in small batches for no longer than 30 seconds take out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

The cream cheese dip

Melt the soft cheese in a pan, add the parsley and cream and  mix well then simmer for 5 minutes on a medium heat.

Allow to cool, place into a bowl and put in the fridge until cold.

Serve the dippers with the dip for a delightful snack or party food.

Chicken Liver and Bacon Loaves

Chicken Liver and Bacon Loaves

with Red Wine Jus

These little meat loaves with a red wine reduction have a wonderful rich taste, they can be served as a starter or a main course with vegetables of your choice.

You will need

 

400 Gm - Chicken Livers (roughly chopped)

3 rashers – Unsmoked Streaky Bacon (chopped)

100 Gm - Fresh Breadcrumbs

1 - Egg (beaten)

1 - Onion (chopped)

2 cloves - Garlic (chopped)

2 table spoons - Fresh Parsley (chopped)

1 teaspoon - Dried Mixed Herbs

A little Olive Oil

400 Ml - Red Wine

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium heat and gently fry the onions, garlic and bacon for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken livers, parsley and dried herbs, season with salt and black pepper fry for a further 5 minutes then add the red wine and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Strain through a sieve and put the liquid to one side, then put the contents of the sieve into a blender.

Don’t blend too much because you want to keep some texture in the mix.

Put the breadcrumbs, egg and liver mix into a bowl and blend well.

Heat your oven to 200°c then lightly oil 4 - 150 Gm cake tins and press the mixture into them.

Put them on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes then turn them out on a plate, you can carve them or serve them as individual loaves.

Put the liquid that you saved back in the pan and simmer until reduced by half, this will be a beautiful tasting red wine reduction.

You can serve as a starter or as a main course with vegetables and the red wine jus.