Awesome Macaroni and Cheese

The other night, we all had a feast for the kings. The theme was home cookin' and the results were outstanding. It all was delicious. The fried chicken, the mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and my personal favorite, blueberry cake (made by Toni!). I contributed macaroni and cheese. I had noticed a recipe for "Fancy Mac" on pioneerwoman.com awhile back and have wanted to prepare, but really never had a good enough reason to prepare a dish with that many calories. Our feast on Monday merited just that. While I used Ree Drummond's wonderful recipe. I did adapt.

Awesome Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups Macaroni
• 8 Tablespoons Butter
  
• 2 whole Medium Onions sliced
  
• 10 slices Bacon
• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease
  
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole
  
• ½ cups Half-and-Half
• 2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 4 oz. Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  
• 4 oz. Grated White Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  
• 4 oz. Grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
  
• 4 ounces Grated Muenster Cheese
  

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni completely. Drain and set macaroni aside.

Fry the bacon in a skillet. Drain on paper towels and pour the excess grease into a mug.

I used the same skillet to saute the onions in 4 TBS of butter. After removing the bacon, I poured the grease in a mug and cleaned the skillet.

Using the same pot as the macaroni, I melted 4 TBS. of butter and 1 TBS of bacon grease. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly while cooking for 1 minute over medium heat. I combined the milk and half and half before hand and poured it all in together. Cook until mixture is thick and add salt and pepper.

"Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute." (Drummond)

Add all the cheeses and stir until melted*. Add bacon and onions. Taste test the mixture, then add the macaroni and stir until well-combined.

Side note - Ree Drummond uses all sorts of fancy cheeses. I went to the store and bought what was on sale. I encourage using any number of whatever cheeses you have on hand.

Side note 2 - She also suggests baking it, but due to time constraints, I did not. All in all, it still turned out fantastic, but it is difficult to mess up melted cheese with bacon and onions. My roommate and I even took some to work the next day for lunch and it was still so delicious re-heated. I high encourage playing around with recipes and deciding what will suite you.

Much thanks to Ree Drummond for this dish! And to Toni for giving us a reason to eat it!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/12/fancy-macaroni/

Saturn Grill

Hi! It's Emily again. And I know that I have cooked and baked this week, but I would like to dedicate my blog post today to the Saturn Grill and some of my amazing friends.

A few months ago, my friend Kathy was in town for the day and we spent the whole day Christmas shopping and running errands all over Oklahoma City. For lunch, we stopped at the Saturn Grill in Nichols Hills Plaza. We had a great time taking a break from our busy day of shopping. We also split the chocolate chip bread pudding, which was awesome.

A few weeks ago, my friend Becky visited in town from Seattle and asked me where we should all meet for lunch. We discussed a few options, but ultimately decided on the Saturn Grill.

And finally, yesterday I met my friend of almost ten years, Anna, for lunch at the Saturn Grill, where she told me that she and her husband, Nathan, are expecting their first child in August. This is so exciting for me because I introduced Anna and Nathan in the tenth grade after I had failed my driver's test (I landed it the second time) and they were both nice enough to celebrate my birthday with me and help me enjoy myself and my birthday.

Now anyone that knows me well would not describe me as a sentimental person, but I do hold quite a bit of sentiment for Saturn Grill. Their menu is amazing. I always order something different and am always pleased with whatever I get. I've never been there with anyone that is even unsatisfied with their food. It's been a great place to relax and reconnect with friends. Everyone in there seems to feel comfortable with where they are and, once again, extremely pleased with their dining experience. If you ever get the opportunity to or need a good lunch place in Oklahoma City, I highly recommend this place. And if you haven't had as good experiences as I have, please keep it to yourself. I'd like to continue to think that this place is fantastic.