Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese

This Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese is not joking about the garlic. I loooove homemade mac and cheese and the garlic flavor was so great! The little one hasn’t been interested in boxed Mac & Cheese but he loved this! He has good taste!

The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter +2 tablespoons for topping
3-4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken/vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon fresh garlic
1/2 pound pasta (elbows, shells, spirals, penne)
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (+2 tablespoons for baking)
1 cup shredded gruyere (or fontina/provolone/gouda)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (+2 tablespoons for topping)
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (mine were seasoned)
1 cup fried onions, broken up
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

In a medium pot, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring the roux paste regularly.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Pour in the chicken broth to the roux and stir well to combine. Then add the cream, milk, and garlic, bringing to a low boil.
Add in the cheddar, gruyere, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Cook the pasta until al dente & drain – return the pasta to the large empty pot.
Stir well as the cheese melts.
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Add cheese sauce into the pasta, stirring to assess how much more is needed (I had some sauce leftover that I froze).
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pre-heat the oven to 375-degrees.
Spoon half the pasta into the dish. Sprinkle the cheddar in the middle, then pour the remaining pasta on top.
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Bake for 15 minutes while prepping the topping.
Melt the 2 tablespoons of remaining butter and mix in the panko, the fried onions, remaining parmesan, and garlic powder.
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Sprinkle the topping onto the mac & cheese and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

I loved this. It has been awhile since I made some homemade mac & cheese. The topping was awesome and was kind of an afterthought. I happened upon the Frenches Fried Onions near the panko and thought it’d be perfect. They were!
The Three Bite Rule - Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese

Smoky Cornbread Chex Mix

Snacks snacks snacks! October for Mr. J’s year of snacks/treats was themed: “homemade.” I tweaked a Chex Mix recipe to play more on the cornbread-smoke flavors rather than how muddy-buddy/powder-y the original recipe was. I added potato sticks, almonds, and corn chips.

The Three Bite Rule - Smokey Cornbread Chex Mix

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
4 cups Chex cereal (I used Rice Chex)
1 cup almonds
1 package potato sticks
~1 cup cornbread mix
1 cup corn chips

Directions:

Melt the butter and stir in corn syrup, sugar, and liquid smoke.
The Three Bite Rule - Smokey Cornbread Chex Mix

Mix together the cereal, almonds, and potato sticks.
The Three Bite Rule - Smokey Cornbread Chex Mix
Stir the sugary sauce into the cereal then add in the cornbread mix and the chips.
The Three Bite Rule - Smokey Cornbread Chex Mix
Pour onto wax paper to cool/dry for at least 20 minutes.
Enjoy!

This one was subtly addictive. I liked the smokiness and the chips are the perfect salty touch. It got a bit soggy a few days later so I’m not sure how to change that. Eat quickly! Next month’s theme is chewy!

Broccoli & Cheddar Risotto

Some of the most delicious things are not photogenic. This broccoli & cheddar risotto was so good but totally looks like rice-a-roni or something. I have looooved the pressure cooker and it is so great for risotto. It simmers opened for 4 minutes, then cooks for 6 minutes. Add a few minutes for getting to pressure and releasing the pressure. Done! Or, you could always make rice chop up some broccoli and add some cheese. Whatever works for you!

The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli & Cheddar Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice
1/2 white onion
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup water or white wine
salt & pepper
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cheddar

Directions:

Cook the risotto in a pot or in a pressure cooker, as you normally would: (Here’s my method via pressure cooker) or (Here’s my method in a pot).
I added in the broccoli to cook with the rice.
The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli & Cheddar Risotto
While is it hot, stir in the cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli & Cheddar Risotto
Enjoy!

At first I was disappointed the broccoli came apart, but then it was pretty great for a very evenly creamy bite. The texture was in the rice, and it was so unbelievably creamy. The little one was into it and it is still pretty addicting as leftovers!

The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli & Cheddar Risotto

Fall Flavors Burger with Pork, Pear, & Sage

This fall burger is so fun with diced pear & sage in a ground pork burger. I thought about a grilled cheese with pear and sage and then I decided to make it in to a burger and figured pork would be perfect. It was so perfect for a fall evening.

The Three Bite Rule - Fall Pork Burger with Pear & Sage

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pear
5-6 sage leaves
ground black pepper & salt

Directions:

Mix together the pork, pear, and sage.
The Three Bite Rule - Fall Pork Burger with Pear & Sage
Form into patties and grill or pan-sear.
The Three Bite Rule - Fall Pork Burger with Pear & Sage
Be sure took cook through. Then top with lettuce, mustard, mayo, and lettuce.
The Three Bite Rule - Fall Pork Burger with Pear & Sage
Enjoy!

I wanted to be sure not to over do it on the sage. It is a strong flavor to me. I loved the raw pear that cooks slightly for a softness. I liked this one and might still make the grilled cheese version too!

 

BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed

BBQ Chicken Pizza isn’t new or different BUT barbecue sauce in the tomato sauce woke this up! It was so flavorful with a sense of mystery. Where’s all that smokey sweetness coming from? Boom! I’ve made barbecue chicken pizza before but this new one is better!

The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed

Ingredients:

pizza dough
2 chicken thighs
1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
1/4 red onion

Directions:

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone, if using one) to 400-degrees and grill the chicken.
Roll out the dough and stretch it onto the pizza stone (or pan sprayed with non-stick spray) and slice a few slits to prevent bubbles. Bake for 15-minutes until lightly browned.
Warm tomato sauce with most of the BBQ sauce, reserving about 3 tablespoons for the topping. Stir well.
The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed
Over medium heat, saute red onion for about 3 minutes to soften slightly but maintain a slight crunch.
Spoon the sauce onto the dough and top with shredded cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed
Slice the chicken and add on top of the pizza with the onion.
The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed
Bake for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese and finish crisping the crust.
Swirl the remaining BBQ sauce over the top.
The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed
Slice and enjoy!

It is definitely a sweet one from the BBQ sauce but with a nice smokey flavor from the sauce and the grilled chicken. I especially like these flavors as prime grilling season sort of wraps up. Plus the leftovers are so good.

The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Pizza Transformed