Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni 

3 T unsalted butter

3 T all-purpose flour

1 T powdered mustard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 t paprika

1 large egg

12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

3 T unsalted butter

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about 5 minutes.  Make sure it's free of lumps.

Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf and paprika.  Simmer for 10 minutes; remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg:  Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork; beat in a T or two of the warm sauce, then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce.  Stir in three-quarters of the cheese.  Add 1 t salt, and pepper to taste.  Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2 qt casserole dish.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss in the breadcrumbs to coat.  Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs to coat.  Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Christopher requested a lemon pie for his birthday and this is where we landed.  Apparently, it's a keeper.  Or so I've been told numerous times at this point.  We will be making it again.  Sooooo, it's immediately going on the blog.  Enjoy!

CRUST (homemade):
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
7 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

FILLING:
2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
5 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

TOPPING:

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until the crumbs are well coated and stick together when pinched. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  To be fair, I often use a pre-bought graham cracker crust and it worked beautifully for this recipe.

Whisk together the condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the center is set but still slightly jiggly, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Before serving, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Dollop on the center of the pie and serve.

Halloween Chili

2 pounds ground beef chuck (or ground turkey)
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
5 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, 2 drained/3 undrained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 red/yellow/orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 beer (usually bottled ale from ALDI, something German)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®/tortilla chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat a large dutch oven/stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. 

Pour in the remaining ingredients (except for toppings). Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I do this in the crockpot occasionally but if I do I make it the day before and start it on high early the next day)

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese. (optional - sour cream, jalapeños, etc.)

This started out as someone else's recipe that we tweaked to make our own over the years.  It's a 15 year old recipe now and a fall favorite.  Enjoy!