Winter. Ugh. After Christmas is over, I’m kind of done with it. Recently we had a snow storm that shut down our Southern city for a few days, so I took that time to cook. So, not all bad. I’ve been neglecting that part of my life lately, so was nice to get back to it, even if it was forced.
Snow Cream!
So easy, you don’t need a recipe! Stick a big bowl outside to collect fresh falling snow. When full mix with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Scoop into a mason jar and garnish with snow if you want to be bougie.
I find myself really stepping up my pasta game in the winter, since it’s heavier and sticks with you in the frigid 40 degree temps of the Carolina tundra. I found this recipe while searching for one to take to a friend who was in need of a casserole and a visit. It was pretty to look at and yummy!
To view the recipe, head over to Very Best Baking
“BEST”-OVER HAM & PESTO PASTA
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box (12 oz.) dry tri-color rotini or spiral shaped pasta (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 bag (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley
- 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 tablespoons jarred or refrigerated pesto with basil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups (8 oz.) cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
COOK pasta according to package directions, adding frozen vegetables to boiling pasta water for last 2 minutes of cooking time; drain. Return pasta and vegetables to cooking pot.
MEANWHILE, COMBINE evaporated milk, cheese, pesto and black pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
POUR cheese sauce over pasta and vegetables. Add ham; stir until combined.
Winter is when I’m ready for carbs. These potatoes are simply delicious. Seriously. Not a lot of ingredients, and the hardest thing is slicing the potatoes thinly, but I have a mandolin so that was just plain fun.
Oh, and I forgot to snap a picture of this when it was done. Curses! But here’s the cookbook where I tried the recipe:
Potatoes Dauphinoise
INGREDIENTS
- 6 medium russet potatoes (2 1/2 lbs)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup salted butter, plus more for baking dish
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350. Scrub and peel potatoes, then cut them into 1/8 inch thick slices.
- Combine potatoes, milk, butter, salt and white pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add the garlic; partially cover pan and simmer until potatoes are almost tender when tested with point of small sharp knife, about 20 minutes.
- Pour potatoes with liquid into a buttered 13×9 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until sauce has thickened and cheese is melted and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
barenakedchefsaidso.com 