Chowdah!

Hey Friends,

This post is about one of my favorite topics, FOOD!

My mom signed me up for the Rachel Ray e-mail at some point and I get a new 30-minute meal recipe each morning. I know I have been getting these e-mails for a long time, but I’m not sure exactly how long it has been now. This morning when I opened my e-mail I saw the picture below and my mouth started watering it sounded so good! Granted I had my Cherry Cheesecake Visuals shake sitting next to me on my desk that I hadn’t started drinking yet so maybe I was just starving, but how great does Corn Chowdah Mac ‘n’ Cheese sound? I absolutely LOVE comfort food and especially when it is cold outside. I don’t know where you are located, but here in Lee’s Summit (suburb of KC) it is starting to get REALLY cold so this is the perfect fall dish for our home.

I love to cook and experiment and my husband will always attempt to eat anything I make (oh one of the many reasons why I love him!). Granted 98% of the time it is good, but there has been that meal or two that I wouldn’t feed to a stray dog it turned out so bad (still have no idea what I did to ruin it either, oops!). So at some point this weekend I’m going to try this recipe and I will let you know how it turns out. I have posted the recipe and picture below if you would like to try it.

I know this is different from my other posts, but it is time y'all get to know the other side of this girl behind the computer.

Ingredients:

• Salt and black pepper
• 1 lb. mezzi rigatoni, penne rigate or cavatappi pasta
• 4 ears corn, husked
• EVOO, for drizzling
• 1/4 lb. bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 baking potato, peeled and diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning (half a palmful)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red chile pepper, such as fresno, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• A few sprigs thyme, chopped
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• About 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
   While the pasta is working, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the broiler. Place a small bowl upside down in a large bowl. Stand each ear of corn on the small bowl and scrape down the kernels.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and the bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. Add the corn, potato and Old Bay to the bacon drippings in the skillet and brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery, chile pepper, bell pepper, onion and garlic; season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk; season with the mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce coats a spoon thickly; lower the heat to low. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Add the corn-potato mixture and the white sauce to the pasta in the pot and stir together. Transfer to a casserole or serving dish, top with the cheddar and bacon and broil until brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Take Care,

Lisa