Macaroni and cheese is one of the all time favorite comfort foods. Rich, creamy with a crispy top, its rich in calcium and protein and makes a wonderful hot meal anytime of year. In the winter time it is a substantial meal that kids adore.

Children need their calcium and one way to provide it for them is with dairy meals rich in milk and cheese. Serve it piping hot in a pretty baking dish, with a hot vegetable or fresh salad and some hot crusty bread dripping with creamy rich butter for a satisfying meal for lunch or supper anytime.

This recipe is one of the best around and the results are popular and beloved.

Grate the sharpest cheddar cheese you can find. You will need about 2 or 3 cups of it. You can find cheese already grated if you look around. Set this aside.

While your oven is preheating to 450°F , you can bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and then add your macaroni. You can use any kind you wish, elbow , Ziti, shells, wagon wheels, its your recipe now and you know what you and your family like so go ahead and experiment .

Follow directions on the package to cook the macaroni, but make sure it is very al dente and not soft. It will continue to cook in the oven.

You can begin your sauce while the macaroni is cooking a bit.

Assemble you goods which will include:
4 cups of warm milk, or warm evaporated milk. The evaporated makes for a richer recipe.

Now melt about 5 tablespoons of butter and shake in 1/2 cup of flour and using a whisk or a fork, whip it smooth. Then add this to the warmed milk and whisk again while heating a bit til it thickens up.

Remove from the heat. You can add a bit of salt.. a pinch and some pepper if you wish. Red pepper wil give a kick.. be careful though, not too much here. Now add in as much of the cheese as you wish for the taste you want. Do a taste test as you whisk in the cheese to melt in the sauce base. When you like the cheddary taste, then stop adding cheese and reserve the rest for topping. If you feel its not seasoned enough, add a small bit of salt and pepper and if you like a kick, you can also add a drop or two of hot pepper sauce. For kids though, plain cheese does the trick.

Once your macaroni is par boiled ..very al dente.. you can drain it and add to the cheese sauce and toss til every piece is coated well.

Place into a lightly buttered casserole baking dish . Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese, and now pop into the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or til the top is a lovely golden brown.

If you like extra crisp on the top, you can take some bread crumbs, about 1/3 cup and toss lightly with melted butter, then sprinkle them on the top of the cheese topping. This will give a nice crispy coating.

I hope you enjoy this!

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is a beautiful dish, slightly sweet, succulent and outrageous for a dinner party.

You will get rave reviews with this recipe and your friends and family will wonder why you do not serve it more often!

You will need :
Ingredients: 8 pieces of skinned, boneless chicken ..
pound lightly into medallions..don't bludgeon them too much!!!

Salt and pepper to taste.

1 cup unbleached flour

1/3 cup vegetable oi

l 1 stick butter (NOTE: use pareve butter substitute. Soy works you know!)

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups mushrooms , cleaned and sliced up

1/2 cup dry marsala wine

2 tbs. chopped parsley

2 tbs. shallots, finely chopped.

Directions: Lightly salt and pepper your chicken pieces and then dredge them in the flour.

Sauté them til golden in a pan of vegetable oil. Don't let them get too dark..just golden and then remove to a warm plate.


In the same skillet, which is now drained off of oil.. add half of the butter and melt on low heat.


Then add your shallots and cook for a few minutes just til they wilt a bit and now you will add the mushrooms and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté them til lightly browned and til their water is evaporated. (Mushrooms lose water when heated).


Now add in your Marsala wine and cook for about 6 mintues til all the alchohol is burned off, then add your chicken stock and bring it to a rolling good boil. You may season with salt and pepper again but taste it to be sure.

You will boil this down til you have half of the mixture left and then you will remove from the fire and place your chicken in the liquid.

Garnish with parsley, even some sliced mushrooms if you like.

Serve with Rice or Pasta, or even egg noodles on the side and a nice plate of Broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil with garlic. Delicious! The play between the bitter rabes and the sweet Marsala is lovely.

This will serve 4 people or 2 very hungry ones. Buon Appetito!