New Orleans Mac and Cheese

I'm always looking for a new way to do Mac and Cheese. I found a similar recipe for a skillet version but wanted to bump up the veggies and lower the fat. What came out of my oven was a rich cheesy mac and cheese with crisp veggies with an undertone of spice. I've been told that I'm making this again soon.

Serves 6-8
14oz chicken andouille sausage, sliced
28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup SOS Mix
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced celery
16oz cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded light cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
cooking spray

SOS Mix
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp dehydrated onion flakes
Place all in a jar or zip lock bag, shake to combine
For every 1 1/4 cup liquid, whisk in 1/3 cup SOS mix, place over heat and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium/high heat, stirring until thickened. Use in place of canned soup.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an oblong baking dish with the cooking spray and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the onion, celery, garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies begin to soften. Add the sausage, tomatoes and thyme. Cook until liquid from tomatoes has reduced. Set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together the chicken stock and SOS Mix. Season with salt, pepper and tabasco. When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and add 1 1/2 cups of cheddar and all of the parmesan. Whisk until the cheese has melted. Mix together the sauce, cooked macaroni and veggies. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has begun to brown and the dish is bubbly.

Patriotic Fruit Pizzas

I made these for the 4th but you could make these any time of the year with whatever fruit you have on hand. These would be lovely on a dessert buffet table, served at a shower or a ladies luncheon.
The combination of the cookie, cream cheese filling and fresh fruit is satisfying without being too sweet.

Makes 12 4 1/2 inch tart shells or 24 large round cookies

Cookie Dough
2 sticks butter softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
2tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Add in the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix or the dough will become tough.Place the dough into the frig for 30 minutes if making tart shells or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour if making rolled cookies. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the tart pans with baking spray. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out the dough and press it into the bottom and sides of the tart pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the tart shells from the oven and using the bottom of a heavy drinking glass, press down the bottom of each tart shell to make a recess to hold the fruit and filling. Let cool completely and carefully remove the shells from the pans. Set aside until ready to fill.

Cream Cheese Filling

2 bricks of cream cheese, softened
juice of 1 large lemon
zest of 1 orange
4 tbsp of powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp of heavy cream

Place all of the filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer. If the filling seems too stiff, add another tablespoon of heavy cream. Divide the filling evenly among the tart shells. Spread to fill the bottom of the shell.

Fruit Topping
Strawberries, cut into slices
Blueberries
Raspberries
1/3 cup Apricot Jam or Apple Jelly
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Arrange the fruit as desired on the top of each filled tart shell. Place the jam or jelly and the lemon juice into a microwave safe bowl. Whisk together and heat in the microwave until the jam has melted. Brush the melted jam over the top of the fruit to make it shine. Serve