The combination of macaroni and cheese and tacos is absolutely delicious.  I got this idea when eating at a local buffet, after combining these two delicious meals into one, I just knew that I had to come up with a recipe of my own. This recipe is pretty basic and uses packet taco seasoning but the macaroni and cheese is completely is completely from scratch. I tried to make the amount of mac and cheese just enough for the tacos but you may have a little left over. You can top these tacos with any of your favorite condiments; salsa, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream. If you are looking for something a little different, give this recipe a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
1 cup green onions (sliced)
hard taco shells
Macaroni and Cheese-
4 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1/8 cup butter
1/8 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 small dash black pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium skillet over medium high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off any excess liquid and stir in the taco seasoning mix and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes (or until the ground beef is fully cooked), stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. While the elbow macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook for 2-3 minutes awhile stirring. Slowly add the milk and cook while stirring until the mixture becomes somewhat thick. Stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Drain the elbow macaroni and add it to the cheese sauce. Stir to coat.
Step 3: Place a little of the taco meat into each hard shell taco and top with macaroni and cheese and green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

If you are looking for the perfect dish to serve for breakfast this casserole is probably it. It is very easy to prepare and the oven does most of the work for you. Unlike a lot of breakfast casseroles, this casserole does not need to set in the refrigerator overnight, although you could do this if you wanted. You can play around with the ingredients in several different ways. You could add additional ingredients such as sausage, mushrooms, and onions. This recipe gets a lot of flavor from seasoned croutons, but regular croutons would work as well. I know this ingredient may sound a little strange but it is totally delicious. If you want to save time you could buy pre-cooked bacon from the store. This casserole is perfect for Easter. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon
1 cup ham (cubed)
¼ cup butter (melted)
3 cups seasoned croutons
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 ¾ cups milk
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Once the bacon has cooled crumble it into bits and set aside.
Step 2: Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in the microwave (or in a small pan on the stove over low heat). Spray a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray. Place croutons into the bottom of the dish and drizzle the melted butter over the top of them. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 3: Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, and whisk to break up the yolks. Add milk, bell pepper, mustard, salt and pepper. Beat until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the croutons and cheese, and sprinkle with crumble bacon and cubed ham.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Lobster Mac and cheese is perhaps the most expensive dish I have ever prepared. Being from Michigan, I do not have local access to fresh lobster so I decided to order some live lobsters from Maine. With a bit of the leftover lobster meat I decided to make lobster macaroni and cheese. This recipe uses both cheddar and Gruyere cheeses to create a delicious flavor. The recipe also uses nutmeg which I found to be a little strange in the dish. If you are not a fan of nutmeg, I would recommend leaving it out. You can make your own breadcrumbs by placing the bread slices into a food processor or blender. Needless to say, unless you live in an area where lobster is relatively cheap, this recipe is going to be a little expensive. This makes a dinner and will feed about 6 to 8 people. If you want to it serve less you could cut the recipe in half. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
½ cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese (grated)
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese (grated)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½lbs cooked lobster meat (chopped)
1 ½ cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain well.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan heat the milk but do not boil. In a large deep skillet (or pot) melt 6 tablespoons of butter, whisk in the flour and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes while whisking. Slowly add the hot milk, while whisking until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; add the Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well (if there is too much in the pan, you can mix the cheese sauce with the macaroni and lobster in a large bowl). Spoon the mixture into a 11×15”baking dish.

Step 3: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, sprinkle on top of the mac and cheese. Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Chinese lemon pepper shrimp consists of crispy fried shrimp tossed with a sweet lemon and pepper sauce. Some of the key ingredients in the sauce include soy sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar. If you want additional flavor you can add a little grated lemon zest as well. What I like to do is stir fry a few lemon slices with the garlic and ginger to give the oil a nice lemon flavor. The shrimp can be either fried in the wok or cooked in the deep fryer. This Chinese dish is very simple and makes for a quick and delicious dinner. This recipe can easily be doubled if you want it to make more servings. Serve with white rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined with tails removed)
½ cup cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil
4 lemon slices
2 green onions (sliced)
Sauce-
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh garlic (chopped)
½ teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1/3 cup soy sauce
¾ cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons course ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a shaker bag or sealable plastic bowl coat the shrimp with ½ cup of cornstarch. Let the shrimp sit for about 5 minutes so that the cornstarch will adhere better. Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a wok (or large skillet) over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the wok and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shrimp are lightly browned and fully cooked. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Dump out the oil.
Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemon slices and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add soy sauce, and then dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in ¾ cup of cold water, and add to the wok. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Toss the fried shrimp with the sauce and top with green onions.
(Makes 2 Servings)

You can stuff chicken breasts with several different ingredients and you can’t really go wrong with pepperoni and cheese. These chicken breasts are stuffed with sliced pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. They are also coated with flour and Italian breadcrumbs. I chose to use Italian breadcrumbs because I like the extra flavor but you can use plain bread crumbs, seasoned bread crumbs, or even Panko bread crumbs instead. The chicken is first fried in the pan and then placed into the oven to finish the cooking process. This recipe does take a little time to prepare but it only consists of a few ingredients. It goes great served with a garden salad as a side dish. Enjoy. Adapted from Budget Bytes.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (8 ounce) block mozzarella cheese
1 package sliced pepperoni
2 eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup vegetable oil
cooking spray

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Slice the block of mozzarella cheese into even slices. Using a small sharp knife cut a pocket into the front of each chicken breast. Be careful not to cut all the way through the chicken breast or the filling will come out. Stuff each chicken breast with 2 slices of cheese, and 6-8 pepperoni slices.
Step 2: Place flour into a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish beat eggs, and in another shallow dish add the bread crumbs. Coat each chicken breast first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. During the coating process make sure to press down on the pocket to keep the filling from falling out.
Step 3: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the aluminum foil lightly with cooking spray. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Test the oil to make sure it’s hot enough by dropping a small pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil. The bread crumbs should sizzle a lot if it’s hot enough. Once the oil is hot enough, place chicken breasts into the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on each side (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the chicken from the skillet and place onto the baking sheet.

Step 4: Place chicken into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (has reached and internal temperature of 165 degrees).
(Makes 4 Servings)

Shrimp penne casserole is a very simple and delicious seafood dish. This recipe consists of ingredients such as shrimp, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and spinach; with a combination like this you cannot go wrong. If you are looking for a quick dinner this is an excellent choice because this casserole only takes about 40 minutes to prepare including the cooking time. If you don’t want to use shrimp, a good alternative would be to use sliced cooked chicken breasts. A good alternative to mozzarella cheese would be Italian cheese blend. This goes great served with garlic bread. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 eggs
½ cup half-and-half cream
4 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
1 ½ cups fresh spinach (chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. In a small bowl combine eggs, half-and-half, and butter; set aside. Drain the pasta and place it into a large bowl. Add parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and reserved egg mixture; toss to coat. Stir in shrimp and spinach.
Step 2: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour the shrimp and penne mixture into the baking dish and top with left over mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and the cheese has melted.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Popcorn chicken makes a great appetizer. If you are not familiar with popcorn chicken, it is basically like chicken nuggets, only smaller. If you are looking for a recipe for KFC popcorn chicken, this is not it. Instead this is my own version of popcorn chicken that uses both a seasoned flour mixture and panko bread crumbs. What I like about using panko bread crumbs is it leaves the chicken bits nice and crispy. The chicken pieces are double breaded and then fried in the deep fryer. You can cut the chicken up however you want; either into bigger or smaller pieces.  Popcorn chicken typically uses really small pieces, but this requires a lot of work so you may want to make them a little bigger. If you want more flavor, you can season the panko bread crumbs with whatever you like. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small chunks)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
oil (for deep frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a shallow bowl beat together 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. In another shallow bowl (or pie plate) combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and baking powder. Mix well. In another shallow plate add panko bread crumbs.
Step 2: Roll each piece of chicken first in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture and then roll in panko bread crumbs. Once the chicken pieces are coated once repeat the process by rolling the chicken bits in the flour mixture, dipping in the egg mixture and rolling in the panko bread crumbs.
Step 3: Heat oil in a deep fryer for 375 degrees. Deep fry chicken in batches until golden brown and fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Drain on paper towels.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Ground turkey is an excellent alternative to ground beef or Italian sausage in spaghetti sauce. What I found interesting about this recipe was the addition of chicken broth and butter in the sauce. I was a little unsure of what to think about this recipe, but the sauce turned out to be extremely delicious and I will definitely make it again. You can double the recipe if you want to freeze some or make a large batch. You can also adjust the seasonings to your taste. This makes a great dinner for any night of the week. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs ground turkey
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large deep skillet brown ground turkey over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Stir together until the mixture is combined. Pour in the chicken broth. Add oregano, basil, thyme, sea salt, black pepper, and butter. Mix well.
Step 2: Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes. You can adjust the seasons to your taste.
(Makes 4 Servings)

This recipe for fried shrimp is both easy to prepare and delicious. This recipe uses panko bread crumbs and I highly recommend using them. Panko breadcrumbs will give the shrimp and light and crispy coating. The process is simple; the shrimp are first rolled in flour, then in egg, and then in breadcrumbs. After the shrimp are breaded they are placed into a deep fryer and cooked for a few minutes. This recipe calls for shrimp with the tail-on but you can use shrimp without the tails as well. This makes a great appetizer or can be served as a dinner. I like to serve these with cocktail sauce. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined, tails left on)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place the shrimp in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a small bowl mix together flour and paprika. Place beaten eggs in another small bowl. Add panko breadcrumbs to a pie dish or on a plate.

Step 2: Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Dip each shrimp first into the flour mixture, then into the egg, and finally into the panko breadcrumbs to coat.
Step 3: Deep fry shrimp in batches until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
(Makes 4 Servings)