I don't know about you, but last year allowed me to sharpen my cooking skills. I was one of those people buying up all the yeast, baking bread and hosting imaginary dinner parties! I am so happy that I don't have a house full of picky eaters. Although, I would have been happy, at the time, to make separate dishes for everyone. My guys are great sports and loved all of the cinnamon rolls, ragout, and homemade pasta.
I can honestly say, I am a true foodie but more than just experiencing good food, I love to create it too! So that is where #foodiefriday comes in. I know it may be crazy that after a long week that I would want to make an involved meal on a Friday afternoon but I totally look forward to it each week. It really gets me through my hectic work weeks. Anyone else feel a sense of calm and happiness when they cook? I totally believe it makes everything taste better :)
So I decided that each Friday, I will share 'what's cookin' in my kitchen, share the recipes and tips. I would love to hear from you, so if you have feedback or want to suggest a dish for the next #foodiefriday, leave a comment.
I got this suggestion from my boys. They gave me their top three suggestions for dinner and Seafood Mac and Cheese was the overwhelming winner. I have always wanted to make this, so I graciously accepted the assignment!
I researched several recipes and settled on this one from Kardae Brown A.K.A Miss Delicious Brown. This was super easy to make and I was able to find just about everything from my local store. I did make a few changes but if you are going to give this a try for the first time, go ahead and follow the recipe as written.
I did not use Sherry, I NEVER use Sherry, I NEVER have Sherry, and I don't believe I've EVER tasted Sherry. One day, I will buy some, because every creamy seafood bisque requires it. Don't worry, this wasn't missed, so don't stress about not having it.
My grocery store was out of lump crab meat so I opted for two 5 oz cans.. Obviously having bigger chunks of crab meat in the dish is the goal, but this worked just fine. My motto, is always use what you can find.
Yes, you must use Gruyere. Trust me.
I placed a small amount of the mac and cheese mixture in a cast iron pan and really liked the result. There was a crust that formed on the bottom and the cheese browned a little better. I may try cooking it in my cast iron pan next time instead of the casserole dish.
This was so rich and creamy! It was a big hit and there weren't any leftovers.
Do you think you will give it a try?