Cooking for One: Macaroni and Cheese

I've been on a mac and cheese kick lately. There is an LA food truck, Worldfare that sells Mac and Cheese in the form of truffles. My oh my. I decided against trying it when they were stopped in front of my work the other day, but I'm not sure why. I'm obviously still thinking about it. To satisfy my craving, I found this quick and easy version for one serving mac and cheese.

*from Razzle Dazzle Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons butter, divided

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch pepper

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup shredded cheese

1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon onion, chopped

1/2 cup elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

bread crumbs or crushed saltine crackers

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Whisk in milk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and onion. Stir until cheese is melted. Add cooked macaroni. Transfer to a small, greased baking dish (I actually used multiple cups of my cupcake pan). Sprinkle with bread crumbs/saltines and dot with remaining butter.  

Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cool serving dish and enjoy.

Cooking for One: Stuffed Pepper

Did you know that one yellow bell pepper contains 569% of your daily value of Vitamin C? By comparison, one orange has 160% of your Vit-C daily value. Bell peppers have a strong, crisp consistency which several people don't like but when cooked well, they develop into a softer shell which works perfectly for stuffing.

This is a great recipe for one or two (if doubled).

INGREDIENTS:

*to double the recipe, double each ingredient except for the tomato sauce and egg

1 medium bell pepper (color of your choice)

1/4 lb. ground beef

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce, divided

1/8 cup uncooked rice

2 Tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 Tablespoon chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the pepper by cutting the top off, removing the seeds and blanching in a pot of boiling water for five minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine beef, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, rice, 1 Tablespoon cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix well (with your hands if you feel the need). Stuff the peppers with the mixture.

Place the stuffed peppers in a small ungreased baking dish (I used a loaf pan) and pour the remaining tomato sauce over the pepper. Cover with a lid or tin foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and pepper is tender. 

Sprinkle with the cheese and return to the oven for another five minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy! 

Cooking for One: Pita Pizza

Brad is on a hiking trip until Saturday which means I have five days of cooking for myself. There is a reason this blog didn't get started until AFTER I was married and was responsible for feeding another person. Cooking for one is hard. The other night, I decided to make a one-serving pizookie and found myself using one tablespoon of a raw egg. Yes, it was a waste of over half an egg.

This week I will attempt to make recipes for one that do not waste food or have exorbitant amounts of leftovers. My first post is a pita pizza. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 piece of pita bread

3 Tablespoons hummus (or more if you like more)

Toppings (you can use whatever you have but good pairings with hummus include: avocado, tomato, carrots, chicken, nuts, bell peppers, goat cheese, ground beef, garlic)

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread hummus on the pita and top with desired toppings. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until pita bread is slightly toasted. 

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Use any remaining toppings (i.e. the other half of a tomato or avocado) and plate it as a side salad.