Chicken and dumplings, a confession

Last night I had three delicious, forbidden bites of chicken and dumplings.  So yummy.  Jason made the chicken and dumplings using a recipe he adapted from a great cookbook we received for a wedding present, Cooking for Two.  Being a vegetarian isn’t hard, it’s just that I miss certain things like hot dogs, meat balls, and chicken and dumplings.  I have decided I shouldn’t label myself as a vegetarian anymore.  I have decided that I will eat chicken, and only organic, occasionally in very small amounts, but I will make the exception for Chick-Fil-A.  For example, tonight I am going to have a big salad with lots of fixins and a small cup of chicken and dumplings.  What else goes great with chicken and dumplings?  This mac and cheese recipe that I adapted from Cooking for 2 magazine.   

Mac and cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 1 ½ quart baking dish with non-stick spray. 

Measure 1-1/3 cups dry elbow macaroni OR 2 cups dry small shell macaroni.  Add to a large pot of boiling water and cook until done.  Drain pasta in a colander.  Set aside. 

Once pasta has been removed from pot, wipe the inside of pot dry with a dish cloth and set back on a burner over medium heat.  Add 2 TBS butter butter to pot and melt. 

Then add in 2 TBS all-purpose flour & seasonings (generous sprinkling of salt and pepper about about 1 tsp dry mustard) and stir well, making sure the flour does not burn. 

To this, slowly add 1-1/3 cup milk, stirring with a wooden spoon the whole time.  Stir for a couple of minutes while bringing the burner temperature up between medium and medium-hi heat.  

Add in 2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese and 2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese.  Stir well until thickened.  Add an optional few drops of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir to combine.  Add drained macaroni to cheese mixture and stir.  Carefully pour into baking dish and bake in oven for 10 – 15 minutes.

Enjoy!  Don’t forget to turn off the burner!