Mac & Cheese

This was one of my favorite foods growing up that my mom made straight out of the Kraft box... just like everybody's mom did. I got the idea for this recipe from an article in the L.A. Times Food section reminiscing about this comfort food and how restaurants today have strayed from its original form. I too appreciate the traditional mac & cheese without any dressing. Keeping with a healthy take, my version watches those extra calories and fat.

Ingredients
8 oz cooked elbow macaroni
1 can (10-3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup (any cream of ... soup works)
8 oz fat-fat shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 horseradish cheddar, 1/2 mozzarella is wonderful)
4 oz whole-wheat crackers mashed into crumbs

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 9 X 9 baking dish.
2. Mix macaroni, soup, and cheese in baking dish.
3. Top with cracker crumbs.
4. Bake until top is golden, about 25 minutes.

To kick it up a notch, we added some leftover chicken-apple sausage to the mac & cheese.

French's fried onions are also wonderful insted of crackers. Add a layer to the top about 5 minutes before you take it out.

Comfort Corn Pudding

This past Friday Marc (my dear husband) stocked up our fridge, inlcuding fresh corn on the cob. On Sunday I took a spill while biking. Okay more like crash landed on my face chipping a tooth, biting my tongue and getting stitches to my upper lip. With said mentioned injury, biting down on bbq'd corn wasn't an option. So as the resourceful cook that I am, and having now reached Friday and becoming BORED with my bed rest, I came up with a corn alternative.

Ingredients:
3 beaten eggs
3 tbsp Splenda
2 cups non-fat milk
pinch of salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups fresh corn (exactly 2 cobs of corn)
slightly old, cubed bread*

Steps:
1. preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish
2. mix eggs, sugar, milk, salt and pepper
3. add corn
4. place cubed bread in baking dish and pour over mixture
5. bake about an hour; done when center is set and top is golden brown

*Challah was supplied by my sister who also bombarded our fridge with food.