Nachos

                       So this is not the most glamorous of dishes, but it can be such satisfying munchie food.  I started by sauteing a green pepper, an onion, a yellow pepper and chicken in a pan.  I then added taco seasoning, hot sauce and about a quarter cup of premium salsa to the pan to reduce to a thick sauce.  I built my nachos in a deep baking pan. A layer of whole grain tortilla chips, a layer of the chicken/pepper/onion combo, then dollops of refried beans and shredded Mexican cheese blend and repeated til out of ingredients.  The top was a layer of cheese and finely sliced jalapenos. 
                       I baked them for 18 minutes....served them with premium salsa, sour cream and FRESH guacamole, which I made with 2 fresh creamy avocados, salt and pepper, fresh squeezed lime juice and olive oil.  I served Mango Margaritas made with Mango nectar to go with the dish.  They were sooooooo good!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

                I am very proud of this one. True to form, no recipe was used in the making of this dish.  I was craving mac and cheese and wanted a side for the leftover turkey from last night, so I stopped on my way home from work to pick up the ingredients I needed. I boiled elbow macaroni to al dente and put aside. In a pot, I brought a half pint of heavy cream and about 2 cups of 2% milk to a simmer. I added a roux (just flour and softened butter) until it the milk thickened (approx 2 tablespoons). I then added approx 10 ozs. shredded white cheddar and approx 16 ozs. shredded orange cheddar until melted and creamy. I added salt and cracked black pepper and about a tablespoon of dijon mustard and stirred. I then added the macaroni.  I poured the cheesy mixture into a buttered 9x12 pan and topped with shredded parmesan, bread crumbs and more cheddar cheese. I baked it at 375 for about 45 minutes. I let it sit for approx 10 minutes to set before serving and........... IT WAS SOOOO GOOD.