Comfort Foods: Grilled Pimiento Cheese

How delicious does that look?  I know you're mouth is watering right now -- it was epically incredible and the perfect hangover cafe sandwich.

The trick?  Perfect pimiento cheese.  Now, since I'm from the south and we tend to put mayonnaise on everything (or ranch.. which is basically the same thing but with spices.. err), I was always used to and still love Stan's pimiento cheese.  However, as far as spreads go -- it's not friendly to my waist line if I ate it as much as I'd like to.

Then Moms started making her own pimiento cheese.  Y'all.  It's perfect.  It's not my recipe to divulge but the trick is to use aged sharp cheddar.  And like every good Southern recipe -- Duke's mayonnaise.  

This pimiento cheese goes so well on everything -- crackers, bread, steak.. you name it.  Divine.

Poor and Hungry: Mac and Cheese

I'm a little sick (congestion, headache, all the fun ailments).. so I've decided to catch up on all my drafts that I started, and never finished.

There's nothing quite as good as mac and cheese.  It's comforting, warm, and always delicious.  And this isn't just your regular velveeta bs.

Whole Foods and I have a love/hate relationship -- I love eating healthy/organic.. and all that.. however, I'm also quite poor.  But.  I found this box of organic, real cheese (cheddar!) mac and cheese at Whole Foods for real cheap.  (like $2-3 and it makes a ton).

Really comforting.  Add some pepper, maybe some oregano (rosemary if you're really feeling crazy).  


I swear I'll start posting more gourmet-y food posts, however, when I'm sick, the quickest and cheapest is always the way I lean towards. 

Aunt Judy's Cheesy Chicken Bake

This is one of my favorite recipes -- a classic. My Aunt Judy's Cheesy Chicken Bake. I'm feeling a little under the weather lately, so this was exactly what I needed. Here's the recipe:

Materials:
1 rotisserie chicken -- fully cooked
1 can of chicken soup
Minute Rice (if it's not minute rice, they won't cook properly in the casserole, and you'll have crunchies in it. trust.)
Milk (skim works, hippies)
Cheddar cheese -- sharp is the best
Ritz crackers

Method:
Take the full chicken, and take all the meat off the bones. Rotisserie is very flavorful, and any grocery store kind works great.

In the casserole dish, pile the meat in, and add the can of soup. With the same can, measure a can full of rice, and a can of milk. Add a few (or many) handfuls of cheese. Then crumble a whole sleeve of ritz crackers and put it in the dish as well. I used wheat ritz, or you could try low sodium as well if you want to be healthier.

Mix it all up with a large spoon, top with more cheese -- add salt and pepper as you wish. Bake for about 35 min at 350 degrees F, or until it looks done (cheese melted, smells delicious, etc).
I know it looks all beige-y and yellow.. and sometimes the best foods are. This one is super simple and the perfect comfort food. I feel better already..