Easy Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Mac and Cheese from scratch is the best and it's so easy!

2 cups uncooked mac
3 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parm cheese


Cook mac according to package directions. Cut bacon in small pieces and cook in medium saucepan. Once cooked, remove bacon and leave drippings. Add flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil, always stirring, until sauce becomes thick. Then add 1 cup cheddar cheese and parm cheese and heat through. Mix mac, cheese sauce and bacon, and spread into baking dish. Sprinkle last cup of cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes in 350 oven.

ps: you can also add spinach or broccoli, if you want a healthier version!

Easy chili in the crock pot

lb browned ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green or red pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cans of tomatoes with chilies (I use Rotel) undrained
1-2 cans of red beans (depends how many beans you like) undrained
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Brown beef. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper. In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, onions, tomatoes, celery, peppers, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly. Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours.

Lentil salad with cumin lime dressing

Ok, so I am expecting a baby and am supposed to eat a lot of protein. It's harder than it sounds to eat protein at every meal. So, I am trying to think of creative ways. I received a calendar from the Scholar House here in Louisville which contained several recipes. This is a great one to get protein in your diet without eating meat :)

1 cup of basmati rice cooked to package directions
1 cup of lentils cooked to package directions
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup pinenuts
1/2 cup red pepper, diced

cumin lime dressing:
1 cup lime juice (use the bottled stuff)
1 cup veg oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
4 teaspoons cumin
s and p

Mix first five ingredients together and chill. Mix up dressing in blender. Add dressing right before serving and chill. You can eat this alone or add some baby greens. Again, adapted from the Louisville Scholar House calendar.