Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese

I was really hungry last night and craving something it didn’t take a long time to cook.  Macaroni and cheese to the rescue!  I saw so many delicious Mac ‘n’ cheese recipes around that made me crave for some desperately.  And who doesn’t love mac ‘n’ cheese?

Mac ‘n’ cheese is one of my true comfort meals. I would add just about anything to make this. Vegetables, meat, chicken, extra cheese, anything.  Ok, tonight is chicken mac ‘n’ cheese time.  Trust me, chicken mac ‘n cheese is one of those comforting meals that makes you feel better no matter what the situation.

Mac ‘n cheese is elevated from a side dish to a main with the addition of chicken to this popular family favorite recipe.  Everything about the dish was just perfect.  This dish was loaded with chicken and cheese sauce.  The bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese crumbles, which floating on top of the chicken and macaroni also gave a great texture.  Plus, it took only 30 minutes to make, making it a hearty weeknight meal.

Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breast, boiled and shredded

·         1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

·         1/2  teaspoon dried oregano

·         Salt and ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         12 ounces dried macaroni or penne pasta

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         3 cups milk

·         3 cups smoked cheddar, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese, shredded

·         Salt and ground black pepper

·         2 cups bread crumbs

·         ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

·         3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C).  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.

2.       Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Saute the finely chopped onion until it turns translucent.  Throw in the garlic and let the flavors infuse, about 2 minutes.

3.       Add the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, oregano, and Italian seasoning until chicken is no longer pink.  Take the chicken out into a dish and keep aside.

4.       For the cheese sauce: Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in 3 cups of milk and tomato paste, and stir until the mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat.   Add the shredded cheese and stir until cheese is almost melted. Season to taste  with salt and pepper (I also added 2 tsp of sugar).  Turn off the stove.

5.       Add chicken and half of the sauce to cooked pasta in a pot, stir to coat.  Spoon mixture into a rectangular baking dish. Pour over the remaining sauce.

6.       Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture over pasta mixture.

7.       Bake uncovered for around 20-30 minutes until crumb mixture is golden and edges are bubbly.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         1 pound (500 gram) dada ayam tanpa tulang, rebus dan suwir-suwir

·         1 sdt bumbu rempah Italia kering 

·         1/2  sdt oregano kering

·         Garam dan bubuk merica hitam

·         2 sdm minyak zaitun

·         12 ons (340 gram) makaroni kering  atau pasta lainnya (saya menggunakan makaroni spiral)

·         1 buah bawang bombay, iris halus

·         2 siung bawang putih, cincang halus

·         3 sdm mentega

·         3 sdm tepung terigu serbaguna

·         2 sdm saus tomat

·         3 cups susu cair

·         3 cups smoked cheddar, Gruyere, atau Swiss cheese, parut

·         Garam dan bubuk merica hitam

·         2 cups panko (tepung roti kasar)

·         ½ cup keju Parmesan atau Romano, parut

·         3 sdm mentega, lelehkan

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 350 derajat F (170 derajat C). Didihkan air yang telah diberi garam dalam panci, rebus makaroni sampai al dente, sekitar 8 menit.  Tiriskan. 

2.       Dalam panci kecil atau wajan, panaskan minyak zaitun.  Tumis bawang bombay sampai berubah warna.  Masukkan bawang putih. Aduk-aduk sampai wangi sekitar 2 menit.

3.       Masukkan ayam suwir.  Bumbui dengan garam dan merica, oregano, dan rempah Italia.  Masak sampai ayam tidak lagi berwarna merah muda.  Angkat dan  sisihkan.

4.       Untuk saus keju:  Lelehkan mentega dengan api sedang.  Masukkan terigu dan aduk dengan spatula kayu sampai halus.   Tuang susu cair dan saus tomat, lalu aduk sampai mengental, sekitar 2 menit.  Kecilkan api. Masukkan keju parut,  aduk rata sampai keju hamper meleleh.  Bumbui dengan garam dan merica (saya juga menambahkan 2 sdt gula pasir).  Matikan api.  

5.       Dalam mangkuk besar, tuang ayam suwir dan setengah saus keju ke atas makaroni rebus.  Aduk sampai bercampur.  Pindahkan ke dalam pinggan tahan panas, tuang sisa saus keju.

6.       Sementara itu, dalam mangkuk kecil, campur tepung roti, keju Parmesan dan mentega leleh.  Taburkan campuran tepung roti di atas permukaan makaroni.

7.       Panggang dalam oven selama 20-30 menit sampai berbuih dan panas.  Biarkan 10 menit sebelum disajikan.

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I love chocolate. A lot. Especially when it comes in brownie form.  In fact, my love of all things chocolate and brownie has grown as I’ve gotten older. Yep, I can NEVER say NO to a brownie.  I love them any way, any time, any how!

I have made quite a lot brownies in the past few years and have posted many of them here.  Any brownie that is described as chewy and fudgy is a must in my dictionary.  Who doesn’t love a good brownie? They are excellent not only for the obvious reason, but also because they are so quick and easy to whip up.

I was craving brownies last night, something ooey, gooey, and deliciously sinful.  This triple chocolate fudge brownies is more than delivered.  So,  here’s the triple chocolates breakdown (well, technically four, but who’s counting).  First of all, there’s cocoa powder.  The other three chocolate components come in the form of chocolate chips (or chunks), namely semisweet, milk, and white chocolate.

This recipe is amazingly easy, blazingly quick, and the brownies are unequivocally chocolatey.  They are fudgy yet light, sweet, but not too.  And like most good things in life, only need an iced cold glass of milk or a scoop of velvety smooth vanilla ice cream to help wash them up.

This rich and chocolatey  brownies can also be served warm with cream and ice cream at room temperature, or straight from the fridge.  When serve warm, the chocolate chips/chunks are soft and melted.  When serve straight from the fridge, the chunks are firm and their texture provides a contrast to the soft, fudgy brownies.  A chocolate and brownie lovers’ dream!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         10 tbsp unsalted butter

·         1 ¼ cups sugar

·         ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

·         2 cold large eggs

·         ½ cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

·         ½ cup milk chocolate chips or chunks

·         ½ cup white chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Line a 8x8inch baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil with an overhang on opposite sides so you can lift out the brownies from the pan.

2.       Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heat proof bowl and place it over a small sauce pot with simmering water, to create a double boiler (or you can use a microwave).  Stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and allow to cool just a little bit.

3.       Add the vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon.  Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.  When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you can no longer see it, then beat it vigorously for 40 strokes with wooden spoon.

4.       Add chocolate chips and stir.  Spread evenly in baking pan.

5.       Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out slightly moist with batter.

6.       Let cool completely on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.  For best result, refrigerate brownies a few hours or overnight before serving.

Bahasa Indoneisa

Bahan:

·         10 sdm mentega tawar

·         1 ¼ cups gula pasir

·         ¾ cup plus 2 sdm coklat bubuk

·         ¼ sdt garam

·         ½ sdt ekstrak vanila

·         2 butir telur ukuran besar, dinginkan

·         ½ cup tepung terigu serbaguna

·         ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

·         ½ cup milk chocolate chips

·         ½ cup white chocolate chips

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 325 derajat F (160 derajat C).  Siapkan loyang ukuran 9x9-inch  yang telah dialasi kertas roti atau aluminum foil. Olesi dengan minyak, sisihkan.

2.       Masukkan mentega, gula, bubuk coklat, dan garam ke dalam mangkuk.  Panaskan dengan menggunakan microwave dengan selang waktu 1 menit.  Aduk sesekali sampai mentega meleleh dan licin. Atau bisa juga dengan cara memanaskan di atas kompor dengan api kecil. Biarkan hangat.

3.       Tambahkan vanilla dan aduk menggunakan sendok kayu atau spatula.  Tambahkan telur satu per satu, aduk dengan kuat.  Ketika adonan mulai kental, mengilap dan bercampur rata, masukkan terigu dan aduk sampai betul-betul bercampur.  Aduk sekitar 40 kali adukan dengan spatula.  Adonan akan menjadi kental.

4.       Tambahkan semua chocolate chips, aduk sebentar. Tuang ke dalam loyang, ratakan.

5.       Panggang selama 20-25 menit dan lalukan tes tusuk. Catatan: Beberapa orang memerlukan waktu memanggang 10-15 menit lebih lama, jadi perhatikan tingkat kematangan brownies Anda dan gunakan tes tusuk sebagai penunjuk.

6.       Dinginkan, keluarkan dari loyang.  Untuk hasil terbaik, dinginkan brownies selama beberapa jam atau semalam sebelum disajikan.  Potong sesuai selera dan sajikan.  

Spicy Baked Potato Wedges

Potatoes make an excellent side dish to almost any entrée and are extremely versatile because they have a very neutral flavor.  With just a splash of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, some spices, you can turn the humble potato into delicious homemade wedges.  They’re perfect with anything from burgers to your favorite grilled chicken and turkey.  Give them a try, and you won’t buy the frozen ones again.

Baked potato wedges are a hot favorite for indulging in potato cravings. It is an easy way to make a healthier alternative to  deep-fried french fries. It’s amazingly quick and easy to make, yet delicious and filling as a snack or as a side dish. You can play around with the seasonings.  Yes, seasonings can be adjusted to your own taste preferences or on whatever seasonings are available in your kitchen.

I’ve posted a recipe of baked potato wedges before which I used as a base for Ranch potato wedges. The baked wedges were tossed in Parmesan and parsley and tasted so delish.  This time I wanted to make my wedges a little more spicier, so I seasoned them with cayenne, paprika, and pepper.  This is another recipe that is perfect  to serve with grilled meat or burgers.   Once tried, they become addictive and you’ll find yourself making them over and over again.

These potatoes were really good.  In my search for the perfect wedges—crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside—I have found that they do need to be parboiled first.  I cooked them in microwave about 6-8 minutes before seasoning them, then put into oven for 30-40 minutes to complete the cooking and crisp up the outer edges. This has really cut down the bake time, which I liked.

Spicy Baked Potato Wedges

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         2 ½ pounds (1.13 kg) potatoes (or 3 pounds for less spicy potatoes)

·         2 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         2 teaspoons dried parsley

·         ½ teaspoon cayenne

·         ½ teaspoon paprika

·         ½ teaspoon pepper

·         ¾-1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.       Wash and cut potatoes into even wedges by cutting lengthwise in half, then slice each half into 3-4 slices.

2.       Place potatoes in a glass dish. Microwave for 6-8 minute on high, or until the wedges are just tender on the outside (alternatively, cook them in rapidly boiling water for 6-7 minutes).  Allow to stand for a minute.

3.       In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the last seven ingredients.  Add the potatoes. Seal bag and toss to coat.  Arrange in a single layer on grease baking sheets.

4.       Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning once.  The baking time will vary depending on how big your wedges are.  If you want them crispier, just bake them for a few minutes longer.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         2 ½ pounds (1.13 kg) kentang (atau 1.3 kg untuk kentang yang tidak begitu pedas)

·         2 sdm minyak zaitun

·         1 sdt bubuk bawang putih

·         2 sdt daun parsley kering

·         ½ sdt bubuk cabe

·         ½ sdt paprika

·         ½ sdt merica

·         ¾-1 sdt garam

Cara:

1.       Cuci kentang dan belah dua memanjang, lalu masing-masing belahan potong menjadi 3-4 bagian sama besar.

2.       Letakkan kentang dalam wadah tahan panas.  Panaskan dengan microwave selama 6-8 menit pada posisi HIGH atau sampai bagian luar kentang lunak (bisa juga dengan merebusnya dalam air mendidih selama 5-7 menit).  Biarkan dingin selama 1 menit.

3.       Masukkan 7 bahan terakhir ke dalam ziplock bag atau kantung plastik besar.  Masukkan potongan kentang dan kocok sampai bumbu bercampur dan melapisi semua kentang. Susun potongan kentang di atas loyang yang telah dilapisi kertas roti.  Beri jarak.

4.   Panggang dengan suhu 450 derajat F (230 derajat C) selama 30-40 menit atau sampai berwarna coklat keemasan, balik posisi kentang sekali.  Lamanya waktu memanggang tergantung pada besarnya potongan kentang.  Jika ingin hasil yang lebih krispi, panggang beberapa menit  lebih lama.

Caramelized Baked Chicken

I make a lot of chicken dishes during the week for my family.  Sometimes I fry them or stir fry them with vegetables, other  times I make chicken curry, and often, I bake them.  I was browsing recipes for different and unique ways to cook chicken wings when I came across this one.  Really good – a nice change from the usual buffalo wings.  Okay, here’s another one of those great recipes for all you chicken lovers.  Caramelized Baked Chicken. 

I’ve made this recipe for several times using chicken wings, chicken legs, chicken breast,  and whole chicken.  I read all the reviews before making this.  One of the reviews mentioned to cook the sauce to thicken it first before adding to the chicken.  I’ve adjusted the recipe to include cornstarch in the sauce to create more ‘caramel’ by simmering (almost boiling) the sauce on the stove for about 10-15 minutes.

The sauce did not really caramelize as I hoped, however,  enough to stick on the chicken to give it great taste and color. And even without the full caramelization of the wings, the flavor turned out great. This worked beautifully. The chicken was tender, but not dry, and the wings were truly ‘sticky’.  You won’t be disappointed.

I prepared steamed white rice and potato wedges on the side with  broccoli and carrot, place the chicken on a serving plate, and served the remaining sauce in a serving bowl.  There was a lot of extra sauce that everyone drizzled over the rice. We all thought it was finger licking good.  My daughter had seconds!

Caramelized Baked Chicken (adapted from allrecipes)

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         3 pounds chicken wings or whole chicken

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         ½ cup soy sauce

·         2 tablespoons ketchup

·         ¾ cup honey

·         ½ teaspoon Tabasco

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 tablespoon cornstarch

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1 tablespoon sesame seeds

·         Scallion for garnish, minced

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

2.       Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3.       Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, Tabasco, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

4.       Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5.       Bake for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized.

6.       Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with remaining sauce and sesame seeds. Garnish with minced scallion.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         1.000-1.350 gram sayap ayam atau paha ayam atau ayam utuh

·         2 sdm minyak zaitun

·         ½ cup kecap asin

·         2 sdm saus tomat

·         ¾ cup madu

·         ½ sdt Tabasco

·         3 siung bawng putih, cincang halus

·         2 sdm maizena, larutkan dengan sedikit air

·         Garam dan merica

·         1 sdm wijen, sangrai

·         Bawang daun untuk hiasan

Cara:

1.       Panaskan oven dengan suhu 375 derajat F (190 derajat C)

2.       Letakkan ayam pada pinggan tahan panas. Lumuri dengan garam dan merica sedikit saja.

3.       Campur minyak zaitun, kecap asin, saus tomat, madu, bawang putih, Tabasco, dan maizena dalam panci kecil. Didihkan, lalu kecilkan api, dan rebus sampai saus mengental sekitar 10-15 menit.

4.       Tuang saus di atas ayam, aduk-aduk hingga merata, taburi dengan wijen.

5.       Panggang selama 45 menit sampai 1 jam, atau sampai saus membentuk karamel.

6.       Pindahkan ke dalam wadah, tuang sisa saus dan taburi wijen. Beri taburan bawang daun.