Longhorn Steakhouse bacon mac

So we went to family dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse and on the menu as a side was this bacon macaroni cheese and I knew I knew it I knew I wanted it I had to have it so I got it and it was definitely the star of my plate but it came in like a 2 inch ramekin and it cost $3. I wanted more but there was no way I was going to pay three more dollars to eat another 2 inches of bacon macaroni and cheese. So I knew I had to re-create myself.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cavatappi pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups cream
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 3 ounces white Cheddar, shredded
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese , shredded
• 4 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 pieces bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to packaged directions. Heat together in a large saucepan 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour over medium heat. Cook until the roux becomes fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of cream and stir until sauce thickens. Add an additional 1/2 cup of cream when the sauce thickens, and then add final 1 cup of cream and stir until the sauce becomes thick.

Add cheeses to sauce slowly stirring until the cheese is blended. Spinkle in smoked paprika. Mix together pasta and sauce, and pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Top macaroni and cheese with crumbled bacon and panko bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until panko breadcrumbs are brown. 

***adapted from copykat.com***

Buttermilk Buscuits

Growing up I knew that my Grandma made the best biscuits that mankind has ever tasted. They were flaky, buttery, melt in your mouth greatness. Nobody can beat those. 

I have tried and failed many occasions with the perplex science on how to make the perfect buttermilk biscuits. They were either not big and fluffy, or dry and crisp, or not flaky, on and on. 

Being me and not giving up(well at least food wise) I wanted my Grandmas or at least the equivalent of her biscuits. So I rolled up my sleeves and got in the kitchen. 

And drumroll please...........not to brag BUT Grandma watch out Haley is coming through!!! 

Here it is my perfect, easy and homemade buttermilk biscuits. 

**I did use food processor but if you don't have this can be done by hand**

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 stick COLD unsalted butter, diced 
• 1 cup of buttermilk 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. heat oven to 425°f.
2. whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. using your fingers or a dough cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks course.
4. Pour in the buttermilk. stir just until all the dry bits are incorporated, no longer. It should be sticky and shaggy. Not too dry and not wet. You might need to add a small bit of extra flour or flour your surface a little more. 
5. Flour a work surface and turn your dough out onto it. Lightly flour the top of your dough and use your hands to pat it out into a rectangle a little over an inch thick. 
6. Fold that rectangle toward you, rotate the dough counter clockwise, roll it out gently using a rolling pin starting always from center of the dough, careful to not crush the outer edges and destroy your layers. Roll very gently. 
7. Repeat the folding and rolling two more times. 
8. Roll the dough out to about an inch thick and using a floured biscuit cutter, cut your biscuits straight down on good push.....no twisting. Continue with scraps until there is no more dough. Placing the cut biscuits touching one another on a lightly greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes. They should be golden brown and fluffily cooked through. 

Pan fried pork chops

Sometimes what you need in life is a crunchy, juicy, delicious fried pork chop!!! Before this whole chicken and waffles craze hit my family had been eating fried porkchops and buttermilk biscuits. It's something about this sweet and salty combo with honey drizzle that does it for the taste buds. And reminds me of growing up.

I suggest nice thick center cut bone in pork chops. The pork chops with the bone in them will always taste better than boneless pork chops. The flavor that comes from the bone being there is amazing plus it's juicer meat.  

So try these out along with my buttermilk biscuits for a great combo your family will crave!!

Ingredients For Your Pork Chops

You will want to get started by sifting together the below ingredients. 

1. One Cup All Purpose Plain Flour. 

2. One Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt. 

3. One Teaspoon Ground Ginger. 

4. One Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg. 

5. One Teaspoon Ground Thyme. 

6. One Teaspoon Ground Sage. 

7. One Teaspoon Garlic Powder

8. One Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika

Sift the above ingredients together very well and put all your sifted together ingredients into a large bowl. 

Now mix together four large eggs and a cup of buttermilk. Mix it together very well. 

Heat a couple of inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet until the oil is hot but not smoking. You want your oil hot enough to brown your pork chops but not burn them. 

Put your pork chops first in the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour mixture. Now they go back into the milk and egg mixture and then back into the flour mixture. They are going to be double breaded. Be sure they get very well breaded before you fry them in the hot vegetable oil. Fry them on one side until they are good and brown and then flip them over and brown them to done on the other side.

Drain them on paper towels. I suggest 2 per paper towel as not overcrowd and so it can soak up oil better. 

Strawberry Angel Cake

HAPPY EASTER!!! 

Sooooo when I was growing up my grandma always made us those Strawberry Shortcakes with those spongy cakes, whipped cream and fresh berries on top!!! I love them. They are so nostalgic to me BUT ever since growing older I'm really not a whipped cream fan. I wanted to make this shortcake for my family but I wanted a modern day, modern Haley twist on it!!! So I decided to combine my favorite CHEESECAKE with my version of a Strawberry shortcake. And I was so nervous about this but it worked and it WAS so good. Not too sweet and not too tart but a perfect combo of fresh, sweet and not so heavy!!! 

INGREDIENTS:

Cheesecake

3 packages of cream cheese(room temp)

3 cups Cool Whip

1.5 cups sugar

1.5 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. And set in freezer for 10 mins or just until firm. 

Short Cake

9" spring form pan

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 9-inch round springform pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and dry strawberries.

1. Slice about 12 strawberries into thin strawberries to use around the outside edge.

   Cut the tops off of about 3 cups of small to medium sized strawberries (about 18-20 strawberries).

   Line 9 inch springform pan used for the shortcake with parchment paper on the bottom and sides. The parchment paper should stick above the edges of the pan about an inch or two.

   Place shortcake in the bottom of the pan.

   Line the sides of the pan with the sliced strawberries, using the prettiest slices.

   Add about 1/2 of the cheesecake filling on top of the shortcake and spread into a thin layer, filling any gaps around the shortcake and sliced berries.

   Place the strawberries on top. 

   Then add remaining cheesecake filling on top of the strawberries. Spread the remaining cheesecake evenly over the strawberries. 

   Cover loosely and refrigerate until firm, about 4-5 hours.

Before serving place strawberries on the top in the center for serving!!