Cookin' With Meghan: Noodles and Company Mushrom Mac

A few months ago I visited my mom, and we went to this amazing chain restaurant in Lancaster (I know they're all over now) called Noodles and Company. One of the cool things other than it being a restaurant entirely dedicated to noodles was that it let you add stuff to some of the dishes. So I got this amazing cheddar mac n' cheese with mushrooms added.

Fast forward to last month when I would at random just get a craving for this mac n' cheese. Finally today, I decided that my mister could have leftovers (another recipe I will probably share with you in the future - sausage and beef mushroom spaghetti) and I was making myself some heart attack worthy pasta.

I texted this pic to my mom, who requested a tutorial! So this is for her. Love ya, mom!

Sorry for the Instagram photo, it was all I had!

I am not good at making recipes, so this is more of a loose guide. I grew up making fettucini alfredo with my mom, so I basically used that theory only subbing my parmesan with cheddar.

You'll need:

1 box of spiral noodles (they might be called rotini but I might be making them up. Is that the brand?)
1 large brick of sharp cheddar cheese SHARP SHARP SHARP
1 package of portobello mushrooms
4-5 cloves of garlic, grated with a zester into a paste
1 large carton of heavy cream (you won't use all of it, but you will use most of it)
A stick of butter. YES THE WHOLE STICK.

OK. So start a pot of water boiling and cook your pasta. I like mine to be a little al dente, and that works well with this recipe since you will cook them part of the time in the sauce. Basically, just follow the directions on the box because someone already wrote those for you and I don't have time to teach you to boil water.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt half a stick of butter and then add your garlic paste to that. I use a paste because I like a smooth consistency but if you just want to chop your garlic into little pieces you can do that as well. After a few minutes, when the butter and the garlic (maybe some salt and pepper in there to, to taste) have become friends, add your mushrooms and cook them until they are sort of soft. Put them to the side once cooked because this is a topping to your mac.

While the noodles are boiling away, shred your brick of cheddar. I won't lie, I like the Giant brand generic bricks. I used a big one- but two of the smaller ones would probably work. Once you've drained your pasta, put it back on the burner. Set the heat to low, and then add your other half stick of butter. While the butter is melting into your hot noodles, also add (slowly) your heavy cream. Use about 50% of the large carton, and then judge. I like saucy noodles so I ended up using closer to 80% of the carton, but if you like drier noodles you might not need as much. Stir the butter, noodles and cream together and then start adding your cheese. I go slowly and use handfuls. I start with two handfuls, and stir while cooking over low heat. I used the whole brick, but I recognize that might not be the healthiest option (look, it wasn't turning yellow and I thought I had to have yellow mac). It's also about how cheesy you want your mac to be!

As soon as the cream, cheese and butter have all become one with your noodles, kill the heat and grab a bowl because you're done. Put your garlic mushrooms on top and maybe a little pepper (because I like things spicy).

That's it! That's my recipe for the most delicious mac n' cheese I've ever had.

Cookin' with (Drunk) Meghan: Pulled Chicken Sandwich

This post is dedicated to my mom, who I think will find this not as funny as I do.

Today I'm going to share a new recipe with you. I made it up! And did not use an exact measuring method. It's a pulled chicken sandwich recipe. You see, pulled pork is one of my favorite foods, but I really suck at making it. I had a kind of wretched week and I thought I'd make some comfort food to cheer myself up, only, I couldn't make what I really wanted, so I made this instead.

I might like it even better.

What you'll need:

* Half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (I think it's Hickory Smoked?) I know this because it's all I had in my fridge.
* third of a stick of butter (dude, this is not healthy for you at all)
* Three tablespoons (or more) of Worcestershire sauce (I can't spell that. Auto correct did it for me)
* Half a cup to 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (Or less. I was aiming for super sour) 
* whole wheat rolls (I like the super cheap ones because they are bad for you and tasty)
* some sliced Provolone cheese
* spices. I don't know which ones.
* 3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I almost forgot to write this as an ingredient)

Directions:

Ok, so basically what you want to do is poach your chicken first. This is super important and really how I make so many of my chicken dishes because it's stringy chicken goodness. You put your chicken in a pot of water, sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder and pepper (I also add Cayenne and Cajun Chicken Spice). Bring it all to a boil-y-simmer-y-thing and let it cook through. Once it's cooked, pull it out and let it cool. You can expedite the cooling process by cutting it into thirds.

At this point, you should make yourself a drink. This is drunk cooking, after all. I can definitely recommend a gin and tonic with the following ingredients: grapefruit juice, peach gin, tonic and ice. Mmmmm.

Look, Ma, I'm Sandra Lee. 

Once your chicken is cooled and shredded (DO THAT BY HAND) move on to the sauce process.

In a sauce pot, pour your half bottle of store-bought BBQ sauce. Add to it the vinegar, butter, Worchest-wordces-WORCHESTI that other brown sauce, and your spices (same as the ones you seasoned your chicken water with). Add in the shredded chicken and turn the stove on low heat, letting it all mix up together. Once it's warm enough, remove the mixture from the heat.

At this point, you might be on your second drink. Depends on how hot it is outside.

So like, now onto the plating process. What you want to do is preheat your oven to about 400 degrees (maybe less, mine runs cool). Put some parchment on a cookie sheet and then put your bun on the parchment. On the bottom half, put as much chicken as you'd like. Then place a slice of provolone over it, so the cheese will melt all over the sandwich. Place the top half of the bun, rounded side down, on the sheet next to it so it can toast, and then put it all in the oven.

I've never written a recipe before, this is hard work. (Sips gin.)

Okay at this point in sandwich assembly you might need to put the drink aside as this is about the part where I almost burned my sandwich because I forgot I was cooking.

Only leave the sandwich in long enough to melt the cheese. Maybe two minutes. Then, pull it out and carefully put your top bun on the bottom bun, and put on a plate and eat!

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I hope you've enjoyed this drunky cooking segment. I actually have a killer pancake recipe I can't wait to share with you, and now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a mess in the kitchen to clean up and a drink to finish.