Memorial Day Side Dishes

I am just returning from a week of vacation. We went to Michigan saw my brother, went to Michigan State (the university I graduated from), attended a nephews wedding and then went to Maryland to pick up my dog. My daughter was home last week for my sons Air Force induction ceremony so she took the dog back to Maryland with her so we could go to Michigan. That means no kitchen time for me for the last week or so. I thought I would repeat a few of my favorite side dishes, so a few of you may recognize these recipes.

Barbecue Backed Beans
This is my favorite bean recipe. Once you see how easy and tasty these are you will never buy beans again. Click here for the Barbecue Baked Bean recipe.

Baked Potato Salad
This is another family favorite. Instead of boiling the potatoes bake them and then mix in baked potato toppings like sour cream, chives, bacon and cheese. Click here for the Baked Potato Salad.

Baked Penne and Cheese
This is an Eating Well recipe that uses cottage cheese to lower the calories and fat in traditional macaroni and cheese. Click here for the Baked Penne and Cheese recipe.

Baked Penne and Cheese

One of those rainy cool days and I was in the mood for some comfort food. My wife and I decided on macaroni and cheese with a good crispy topping. I got this recipe from EatingWell, but this is the highest fat and calorie recipe I have ever seen from them.

Baked Penne and Cheese

3 tbs breadcrumbs
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tbs all purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1//4 tsp salt
8 ounces whole wheat penne or macaroni

Preparation: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Coat an 8 inch square (2 Quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl.

Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup of milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk/flour mixture to milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cottage cheese and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the Cheddar cheese until melted. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in boiling water for 4 or 5 minutes, until almost tender. The pasta will bake some more in the oven. Drain and add to the cheese and mix well. Pour the pasta into the baking dish and spread out so it is even. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs.

Bake the pasta until it is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

They say this serves 4, we got about 6 servings out of it.