Recipe exchange. CALLING ALL COOKS!

[sabrynamaria]

I LOVE to cook. My favorite type of food is a good o'l home cooked meal. But there are a few recipes I haven't completely mastered yet that I would learn from people and not necessarily just looking up on the internet. Sometimes their directions and executions are NOT very clear and don't turn out as you intended. And if you have a wish list feel free to add!

My Wish List of GOOD homemade recipes:

-shrimp Alfredo (no store brought alfredo sauce)
-chicken and dumplings
-homemade mac and cheese (creamy & very tasty plz)
-fried burrito's
-some type of casserole
-banana pudding
-cornbread
-good tangy (mild) hot wing sauce
-apple pie
-beef stroganoff
-cookout beans w/ ground beef (not just straight from the can & add meat)
-bread pudding
-mashed potatoes
-banana bread
-chicken potpie
-chili
-seafood pasta salad

and ANY other pasta dishes or homecooked recipes you think I would like are more than welcome 
 

[mperez7372]

Well, I guess no one cooks!  I will say that I accidentally found how to make homemade mac n cheese creamy, not stringy, without using velveeta.  I like real cheese, but it is always to sticky or stringy for my 3 year old.  If you add a little (like half a can or a couple of little scoops) of cream of (chicken/ mushroom/ celery/ whatever one you have or like) soup, it comes out smooth and creamy.  I did it by accident and now always do it on purpose!

[quietpal]

Although there are so many variations on macaroni and cheese, I discovered that to have a creamy mac and cheese starts with a good bechamel sauce (milk and equal parts butter and flour). You just whisk the sauce in the pan until it thickens. From there, you can add a little salt, pepper, or whatever spices you prefer, and your favorite cheese or cheeses. Then, you add your macaroni and stir into the cheese sauce. Comes out very creamy. I usually don't put bread crumbs on top (just extra cheddar), but you can decide to do that if you want. I made it with the sauce for the first time for Thanksgiving last year, and there wasn't enough left for me to take home for leftovers.

[sabrynamaria]

I guess no one does cook. But Thank you both, I haven't tried it either way and will be trying both ways tonight! I will let you no how it turns out.

[mperez7372]

Oooooh noooo!!!  I don't know if my measly tip can compete with a homemade Bechamel sauce!  Oh, well!  Hopefully you have some good eats! 

[sabrynamaria]

Although there are so many variations on macaroni and cheese, I discovered that to have a creamy mac and cheese starts with a good bechamel sauce (milk and equal parts butter and flour). You just whisk the sauce in the pan until it thickens. From there, you can add a little salt, pepper, or whatever spices you prefer, and your favorite cheese or cheeses. Then, you add your macaroni and stir into the cheese sauce. Comes out very creamy. I usually don't put bread crumbs on top (just extra cheddar), but you can decide to do that if you want. I made it with the sauce for the first time for Thanksgiving last year, and there wasn't enough left for me to take home for leftovers.

do you add the cheese to the bechamel sauce? or add macaroni to the sauce first then add the cheese. I got a little confused and want it to come out JUST right

[quietpal]

Although there are so many variations on macaroni and cheese, I discovered that to have a creamy mac and cheese starts with a good bechamel sauce (milk and equal parts butter and flour). You just whisk the sauce in the pan until it thickens. From there, you can add a little salt, pepper, or whatever spices you prefer, and your favorite cheese or cheeses. Then, you add your macaroni and stir into the cheese sauce. Comes out very creamy. I usually don't put bread crumbs on top (just extra cheddar), but you can decide to do that if you want. I made it with the sauce for the first time for Thanksgiving last year, and there wasn't enough left for me to take home for leftovers.

do you add the cheese to the bechamel sauce? or add macaroni to the sauce first then add the cheese. I got a little confused and want it to come out JUST right

After the sauce is thickened, make sure you take it off the heat. The sauce should look like a white sauce, not burned. Then, you add whatever spices (i.e. salt and pepper) you like and add your cheese/cheeses and stir until the cheese melts. From there you pour your cheese sauce over the macaroni, or add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix it. Pour the mixture in a baking pan, and put it in the oven. Again, you can put a little shredded cheese or bread crumbs on top if you like.

P.S.- When I made it the last time, after I took the sauce off the heat, I stirred in some mascarpone cheese.

[quietpal]

I forgot something. Melt butter in the pan and add the flour until combined. Make sure the mixture doesn't burn. Then gradually whisk the milk into the butter mixture so you don't get any lumps. Look up recipes for the amount of milk to use as each recipe may vary. Hope this helps and happy cooking!

[MessiahMews]

We are looking for a good Hot Wings recipe. 

I don't like buying take out wings because the chicken isn't free-range, steroid/anti-biotic free.

[bbazemore]

When I make homemade cornbread I use Abbits White Corn Meal, dash of salt, little sugar, jug milk, & water. The best oil to use (my oponion) is corn oil. I never measure I only use my judgement. Don't make your meal to thick.

[bbazemore]

Chilli...brown ground beef, salt & pepper (drain), can of sloppy joe original, onions (chopped to suit you), green peppers, (chopped to suit you), chilli mix (your flavor), add onions, salt, pepper & green peppers while your browning your beef mix all other ingredients together simmer and enjoy

[bbazemore]

Chicken & Dumplings...I use chicken breast (boneless), pastry strips, cream of chicken soup, add pastry strips to boling water with coking oil added so the pastry want stick together stirring with a fork to keep it loose, boil chicken with chicken broth added to your water along with salt and pepper. After the chicken and pastry strips are done mix together and enjoy

[bbazemore]

Bread Pudding...make a pan of biscuits or buy a bag of pillsbury biscuits, crumble your cooked buscuits, accoding to how much you make a stick of butter, vanilla flavor, sugar, allspice I usually add peaches to mine but its your choice (canned drained) mix all indredients together add mick to make it as loose or as thick as you want it to be..pour in a long pyrex dish or long pan bake at 350

[sabrynamaria]

bbazemore: I will definitely be trying all of these. Thank you! You must cook a lot? These sound like your own personal recipes. Keep them coming if you ever have anymore you would like to share

[CharmedPhoenix]

I cook and bake, from scratch.  I have a number of cookbooks and lots of loose recipes.  My most used book is *bleep* Farmer.

For cornbread I use the *bleep* Farmer recipe.  I use real bacon grease.  It's only a little but it adds so much flavor.  Sometimes I add diced green chilies.  In New Mexico we get them freshly roasted in the summer.  I pack them in sandwich bags and use them all year.  Try to find them in your freezer section.  If you can't find them frozen then use the canned.  Use one can or two to three frozen peppers, about a half cup, drained.  You could also add sliced or diced jalepenos.  (Always remove the seeds and ribs if you want mild heat.)  You could also add drained diced tomatoes instead of half of the chilis for fiesta cornbread.

For bread pudding I would save the heals of bread and let them dry out, like for stuffing.  I make my own bread with a bread machine, but you can use store bought.  You can mix your bread:  white, wheat, french, multi-grain for more texture.  I always add raisens and cinnamon.  Mix eggs, milk and sugar and pour it over the bread chunks in a shallow baking pan then bake at 350 until firm.

I've made my own pot pies using a basicl pie pastry crust.  I fill it with leftover chicken or turkey chunks, diced fresh or frozen vegetables and a little gravy.