Monday Meals: Comfort Food--Mac N Cheese, Burrata and Apple Sauce Cake (39/60)

It's been a gray chilly day after a super busy foody weekend.  So we've gone to our old favorite 

Mac N Cheese

1 pk of elbow macaroni 

(Cook according to directions)

Cheese sauce:

1/4 c butter melted in a medium size sauce pan

Add:  1/4 and 2 tbsp Flour

Mix until it's a roux (like play dough)

then add: 1 cup milk

Stir until it's thickened.

Add 1 more cup of milk and mix until thickened.

Add:

1 tsp salt

1 cup of graded cheddar cheese.

Stir in until melted and saucy 

Place drained noodles in a 9 by 13 inch GREASED pan, pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and stir.

Sprinkle an extra 1 or 1 1/2 c of graded cheese over the top.

Cook at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Until bubbly and melted and browned.

And here is our favorite:  Burrata with delicious tomatoes.

Slice thin white bread and place on a cookie sheet.

1/3 c olive oil with 1 tsp  minced garlic.  Let sit for 10 minutes

With a pastry brush, brush the bread with the olive oil and garlic . . .  bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes

Cook until it's golden and crispy . .. but not brown (like so . . . )

Tomatoes . . . 

4 large tomatoes, diced

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp sugar

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 5-10 minutes

Place the burrata (the white stuff on the pink plate) on a plate and slice open 

Serve with the bread, burrata cheese and tomatoes ---bread, spread the cheese like butter, then dribble tomatoes over them all (you will become addicted)

And if you want . . . what I want . . . I don't that much bread, so I put the cheese and the tomatoes over a bed of lettuce.  It's delicious! 

And most important part of the meal . . . the dessert!

Grandma's Apple Sauce Cake

2 c apple sauce

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 c sugar

2 c flour

1 c oil

Combine all ingredients and mix on medium high for 2 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes in a bundt pan (in regular pan, 25-35 minutes)

It comes out like this . . . Sigh . . .   Cool 

Then frost with Carmel Frosting

1/2 cup butter melted in a medium sized sauce pan

1 cup brown sugar

Stir until combined.  Once it comes to a small boil, boil for 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 c evaporated milk or half and half

Bring back to a boil and then remove from heat.

Add 2 c powdered sugar and stir like crazy until it's smooth and combined.

Then immediately pour over the cooled cake (it coats it like a beautiful delicious ribbon)

And now . . . I'm going to go eat this cake.

I hope your Monday was calm and comforting and delicious . . .