Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Copycat

Once again this is a simple dish that does not need much skill. Also, this recipe uses only one pan so clean up is extremely easy! This is a great dish to impress somebody or to say that, "I can copy the mac and cheese from Panera Bread". Most people enjoy a smooth mac and cheese, especially young kids. Even though the recipe calls you to be stirring for 20 minutes, the outcome it too good to be true.
Ingredients: 

• 2 cups medium uncooked shell pasta
• 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar (4 ounces) 

Steps: 

1. Rinse uncooked pasta under cold water
2. in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk, pasta, salt, mustard, and butter
3. stir frequently and bring to a simmer
4. reduce heat to low
5. stir frequently (almost continually) for 15-20 minutes while pasta cooks and milk is absorbed
6. remove from heat
7. stir in cheese and cover for 5 min
8. Enjoy immediately because cheese gets grainy and hard if cold

I have made this dish so many times; I have lost count. In the beginning, a lot of it was trial and error, but now it is easy as the alphabet. Seeing the look on other peoples' faces when they ate this, they thought I went to Panera and bought this because both taste exactly the same. For my friend that loves it so much, she said that my mac and cheese was better than the one she had gotten from Panera! So this gave me the greatest feeling that I have hit the biggest homerun.

Simple Bolognese

This is a moderate to low skill recipe. It does give a satisfying taste and feeling of accomplishment when completed. This can give a lot of sauce for a great family pasta dinner. The first time I made this with my dad, it was pretty simple and fun to make.


Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb. of ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reggiano parmesan cheese

Steps: 

1. in a large skillet heat the olive oil
2. when almost smoking add the chopped onions and garlic and saute over a medium heat until the onions become very soft (about 8 minutes)
3. add celery and carrot and let it saute for 5 minutes
4. raise heat to high and add the ground beef and ground pork
5. saute, stirring frequently and breaking up and large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink (about 10 minutes)
6. add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens
7. season with salt and pepper 
8. this will take about 1/2 hour 
9. finish the sauce off with the cheese

Bolognese sauce is a hearty dish that gives you the chance to combine meat with vegetables, and pasta compliments the sauce. My preference of pasta for this sauce is reginette because the way that this macaroni is made, it has little bends in it that let the beef and vegetables hold onto the macaroni better. If you use other kinds of pasta such as spaghetti, it does not hold onto the sauce that well because spaghetti is round and small. This sauce also has a great taste that is just so good that you have to lick your lips instead of wiping it away with your napkin.

Simple Meatloaf

This dish can feed up to five people. It is a easy family dish to make for a simple dinner to make. Unlike some other meatloaf dishes, this recipe does not need much to make it taste great.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped (red or white)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk, and bread crumb
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch pan or meatloaf pan of choice
4. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meat loaf. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour

I have made this dish once or twice in close situations, in which I was pressed for time. This can go well with a side of vegetables and a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes would make this dish even better. There is not much to say with a simple dish like this, but it is not as healthy as the other dishes I have created. Also, there is no need to watch or tend to the meatloaf as it bakes in the oven. The time required to cook is a good time; the meatloaf does not turn into a rock or a pile of mush that is displeasing. Enjoy!

Broiled Red Snapper

This is another easy recipe that everyone can follow. Fish is one of the things that my family loves to eat and prepare since much of the fish is bought from local fisherman. Living on the Jersey shore has its perks when certain fish are in season, but other times my family goes food shopping for other kinds of fish other than local during winter. Serving size of the dish is for 2 people.

Ingredients: 

• 2 8oz. red snapper fillets 
• 2 tablespoon(s) mayonnaise 
• 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) of your favorite barbecue sauce
• salt and pepper to taste 
• cayenne  pepper is optional
• cooking spray

Steps:

1. Wash and pat dry red snapper
2. line bottom of baking pan with aluminium foil and spray with cooking spay
3. salt and pepper fillets, then lay in pan
4. mix the following together in a small dish:2 tablespoon(s) mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice, 1 tablespoon(s) of your favorite barbecue sauce
5. proceed to brush both fillets with mixed ingredients
6. optional cayenne pepper to taste
7. place baking pan in broiler 6 in. from heat source 
8. broil until golden brown and flakey (approximately 7-10 minutes according to thickness of fillet)

Serve immediately with rice or couscous and your favorite vegetable. This recipe has a good taste when cooked a little over the required time because the more time allowed to cook in the broiler enhances the tastes of the sauce. The sauce may be a little strange, but comes out fantastic on this dish. I love fish myself because it is lean and healthy for you. Fish can be eaten more than meats because fish is not as fatty as beef and pork. Enjoy this dish as well as chicken to eat in a healthy life style.  

Shrimp Scampi

This is a simple recipe that is quick and easy to perform for a novice or beginner chef. Also, it is a good recipe to impress other that can be dressed in many different ways, so the person has the illusion of never having this dish before.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of shelled and deveined shrimp (about 25 shrimp per lb.)
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry or dry white wine
• 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
• juice of half lemon
• salt for taste
• red pepper flake is optional

Steps: 

1. get 12 in. skillet 
2. melt butter with the olive oil at medium heat
3. wash shrimp then dry shrimp
4. add shrimp to skillet
5. cook shrimp for approx. 3 minute on one side until pink
6. turn shrimp over
7. add parsley, garlic, cooking sherry
8. raise hear to medium-high heat for approx. 3-4 min. 
9. close heat
10. add lemon juice and salt
11. toss shrimp to mix all the shrimp
12. serve immediately (over a bed of rice or pasta)
13. add optional red pepper flake if wanted 

Shrimp scampi is a wonderful dish that many enjoy. There are many variants that can be done to change the way it is eaten by choosing the correct type of pasta to eat with this. For this dish one would choose to use a linguine or spaghetti, no other kinds of macaroni are used because other kinds of macaroni give off different tastes by the way the macaroni grabs onto the flavors of the dish. In the end it is a simple dish that can score points with anyone.

Broiled Salmon

Ingredients (for 1 salmon filet approx. 1/2 lbs.):

• 6-7 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of half lemon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• cracked black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4lb. - 1/2lb. salmon filet

Steps: 

1. wash and pat dry salmon
2. in a pyrex dish add 2 table spoons olive oil to coat bottom
3. lay salmon in pyrex dish
4. top coat filet with use of 1/2 lemon juice, 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt
5. refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour
6. take out of fridge and top coat additionally with 3/4 garlic powder along with 1 teaspoon paprika
7. adjust oven to broil and place in oven (rack should be 4"-6" from heat source)
8. according to thickness cook time would be 20-30 minutes (when you smell the filet it is cooked) 

This is a great dish during Lent or anytime of the year for the family. This dish works well with sides such as yellow or white rice, broccoli, or sautéed spinach. A perferable type of salmon used is from Nova Scotia. It is a simple dish with not too many steps, and it does not need constant watching or touching. The salmon will have a nice crusty top with a moist and succulent inside. Salmon can be made in many different ways, but this way is the easiest in terms of prep and cooking. Also, one does not want to marinate the fish for a long period over time like beef. Fish starts to pull apart if marinating too long with a acid such as lemon juice on it. In the case of beef, the more time it is able to marinate the more taste the meat will have because the beef is like a sponge unlike the fish.  

Skillet-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
• salt and pepper
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded 
• 2 pounds Yukon G
  old potatoes, peeled, ends squared off, and sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
• 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet 

Steps

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees 
2. combine 2 tablespoons oil, thyme, paprika, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in bowl 
3. pat chicken dry with paper towels and use your fingers or handle with wooden spoon to carefully separate  skin from breast, next rub oil mixture all over the chicken and underneath the skin of the breast, finally tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips behind back
4. toss potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoons pepper. place the potatoes flat side down, in a single layer in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet
5. place the skillet over medium heat and cook them without moving them around, until brown on the bottom (7-9 minutes)
6. place chicken beast side up on top of the potatoes and transfer skillet to oven 
7. roast chicken until breast has registered 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 1 to 1 1/4 hours
8. after chicken is done transfer to carving board and tent loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 minutes 
9. place the skillet back in the over and roast until tender (about 20 minutes) 
10. place and serve

This recipe is great for winter and fall. Chicken and potatoes is a wonderfully, hardy meal before a sporting event or occasion happening. Its best to keep the skin on the chicken while cooking, but when eating I prefer to peel the skin off. The skin keeps the chicken from turning dry and stringy. All the tastes of the spices comes into chicken while it cooks in the oven giving the chicken a variety of tastes. A great Sunday night dinner for the family, and its a mouth-watering experience that should not be skipped.