Tag: cheese

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Macaroni Gratin

It’s worth bringing out the good china!

Doesn’t Macaroni Gratin sound nice and fancy? Something you might get at an upscale restaurant. Of course, you and I know that Macaroni Gratin is pretty much Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Well, not that neon yellow sauce- coated macaroni that some pass off as Mac ‘n’ Cheese (yes, of course, we’ve had that kind, too). This recipe for Macaroni Gratin is far more upscale, and you wouldn’t really make it for the kiddies, either, as you definitely need to put effort into making this version.

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Potatchos (Potato Nachos)

A new invention perhaps: potatchos!

If you’ve ever visited with Rob, you’re likely to have had Rob’s Famous Baked Nachos, and, if you’re lucky, you’ve been able to watch as Rob prepares them. It’s a great treat, watching as Rob pulls out the special nacho pan, spreads the chips just so, then starts in on deciding on the toppings for that particular batch. There are always some items that are standard, some that change depending on availability, and a variance in the amounts of each. The nachos are never the same twice, but, they’re always great.

Now, we, being scratchers, rarely make baked nachos at home — we’d have to make corn tortillas, then slice and deep fry them to make chips, then finally put together nachos for the oven. But, we have come up with an alternative that we think will satisfy anyone’s craving for nachos. Trust us, we had to have them twice in one week; they were that good.

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Pear, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Agnolotti

Wow! Super tasty!

Before we go further, please note that we won’t cover how to make agnolotti (the easiest filled pasta shape ever) in this post. Yes, we know that it’s in the title, but, this post is really about making the filling for the agnolotti, not making the agnolotti itself. If you think this is unfair, rest easy; we have a tutorial on shaping agnolotti (and instructions for a whole bunch of other shapes of pasta), so you can make them, too.

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Summer Vegetable Gratin

This shows exactly how to assemble the gratin.

Occasionally we need to make up a little something for a dinner meeting that takes place once a month. It’s never any trouble; in fact, often, the hardest part is deciding what to make. This month, we discussed various options for a vegetable side dish, but none was “vegefied enough.” They all relied on some sort of starch to bulk them up: you know, pasta- or rice- based casseroles, that sort of thing. So, we went back to the stacks in The Scratchin’ It Central Library, and came up with this recipe.

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Ricotta Gnocchi

ricotta gnocchi
ricotta gnocchi
We had our ricotta gnocchi with peas and dill pesto.

Do you like gnocchi, but don’t want to go to all the trouble of baking potatoes, ricing them, and then making gnocchi? Do you wish you could just mix a few ingredients together and have done with it? Would you like to have delicious gnocchi available for quick and easy dinners? Well, this is the recipe for you. Plus it makes enough that you can turn a few minutes of work into multiple meals.

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Gruyere and Rosemary Scones

gruyere and rosemarty scones
gruyere and rosemarty scones
Savory scones for a treat!

We wanted a little something to bring down to a short meeting the other day. Something that we could bake up quickly in the morning and get it out the door. Something a bit breakfast-like, but more savory than sweet. We figured scones would be fine, especially since we have a flexible recipe that allows you to make and shape the scones ahead of time and just bake them when you need them. That way, if you want, you can have fresh, hot scones every day for a week.

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Butternut Gratin

butternut gratin
butternut gratin
A great side for holiday meals.

Originally, this recipe was for a pumpkin gratin that we got from a small book by Jacques Pépin, Poulets & Legumes. Not only does it contain recipes, it’s illustrated with artwork by the chef himself. The shape and size of the book might fool you into thinking it’s for children, but it’s not. It is, indeed, a cookbook.

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