Must-See Monday Madness

You gotta love Monday nights!

Well... I certainly love Monday nights...

A. I made it through Monday day.
B. The Bachelor is a must-see for both my hubs and I.
C. There's a new American Chopper tonight.
D. Back-to-back, new 19 Kids and Counting shows are on tonight.
E. And finally... I am slightly ashamed to admit that I also DVR Pretty Little Liars on Mondays too.

How will we make it through this night with all these shows?
Well, I won't. What a convenience DVR is!


For dinner tonight?

 


Cheesy Chicken Skillet

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. shells and cheese dinner
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1 c. broccoli
1 c. sliced carrots (optional)




You need to:

1.  Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook on medium-high heat 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add shell pasta, milk and water; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 10 min. Add broccoli and carrots; cover. Continue cooking 5 min. Remove from heat.

3.  Stir in cheese sauce until well blended.


I really like macaroni and cheese. I really like chicken. Within the last year or so, I really like broccoli. Surely this is the ultimate one-dish meal, right?
You be the judge...

Mac and Cheese Flop?

There are some meals I consider somewhat "sacred" and have yet to attempt due to how delicious (and special) they are when Mom (or Grandma) makes them. I finally crossed Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese off the list.

I nervously followed the recipe given to me and anxiously awaited the final results, as I stood and watched it cook in the oven. My white sauce didn't seem very saucy. First, it was very lumpy. After adding the milk, it seemed very runny. Then, when I filled the baking dish, I thought there was too much liquid. And to top it off, I'm not certain that I let the imitation Velveeta melt like I should have. Yikes!

I'm not sure that so many wrongs can make a right when it comes to cooking. I'm just discovering my mother's cooking thumb within in me, not to mention enjoying my latest cooking adventures. Could I really pull this off? I hate to admit that I even hightailed it over to Dillon's to buy an alternative side dish to take to the Tuesday night dinner, just in case my attempt at the Mac and Cheese dish was a flop!

In the end, I think our wonderful small group friends liked it. (And if they didn't, they sure did a great job at disguising it!)

Grandma Perry's  
Macaroni and Cheese
(serves 6)




You will need:

2 c macaroni (for fun I like to do a mixture of pastas, like rotini, shells, etc.)
6 c water
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp melted margarine
4 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 1/2 c cubed Velveeta (or the imitation stuff)

You need to:

1. Boil the water, macaroni, and 1 tsp salt.
2. Make a white sauce... Stir the margarine, flour, and leftover salt until blended.
3. Add milk to your mixture slowly, stirring constantly, until smooth.
4. Add the Velveeta and keep stirring!
5. Put the drained macaroni in a baking dish.
6. Pour the white sauce mixture over the macaroni.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.