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Thai Peanut Chicken and Pumpkin Curry w/Sticky Pomegranate Rice.
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{This post is sponsored by DeLallo Foods.}
I just feel like this is appropriate Sunday food.
Or appropriate any day food. I mean, there is cheese, pasta and bacon. What could not be delicious and everyday about that?
For some reason, I have really been wanting to make mac and cheese for like forever now. I think maybe because it is autumn, and our autumn weather tends to be more like winter weather. Which means mac and cheese should probably be on the menu at least once a week from now until spring. I do have to say though, this last week was pretty beautiful. Monday it snowed… and snowed hard, but the rest of the week was full on sunshine and decent temps during the day.
This was really good since there was a lot of stuff happening down at the barn this week. I now have floors!! Hooray!! I decided on colored concrete floors… I know it sounds odd, but I promise it’s all good. I have been taking pictures, but I am waiting to do one big post, so everything doesn’t look so well um, scary.
And you guys, here is the thing about this barn. We have run into a lot of bumps along the way, but things are finally moving along and I have to say that my family has been such a huge part of actually building this barn. Mom’s still kicking ass as the BIG GC (general contractor) and she has had my brother Kai, his friend Blake (who really is like a member of this family because he chooses to live here and not at his own home for I’d day 85% of the year) and my dad down there working almost everyday. On Thursday night, they where all down there till almost 11:00 working. My dad gets off work at three, so that is when they started and they literally didn’t stop for the next eight hours. SO incredibly thankful for those guys right now.
I felt so guilty though. I mean, all this work for me? What the heck did I do to deserve that? Granted Kai and Blake were told they must help, and Kai did get his English paper practically written by mom in return, but still, I was feeling like I really needed to make everyone some good food. So I decided now was the time to make everyone’s favorite. BUT please, don’t anyone tell the boys that they ate squash. I of course left half of the mac and cheese without any brussels sprouts, but the squash they unknowingly ate… and loved. It’s the cheese, pasta and um most definitely the bacon that they fell so hard for.
Actually, it really may have just been the bacon, they stinkin’ love bacon. Boys.
Oh, and if you are wondering why I have got my family down at the barn working and not paid workers it’s because workers are so not cheap (and OMG, neither is this barn, who knew? clearly not us.) and SO not reliable. Yes, we have workers for the big jobs, but the little crap jobs (we may call them another word) go to Kai or Dad or even Blake. Gotta save money were you can!
Anwhooo, this Mac n’ Cheese with Buttery Bacon Ritz Crackers, it’s obviously delicious… but wait it is semi healthy for us too!!
Yes, there is bacon, butter and cheese, and I know those are not health foods, but there is also a whole four cups of pureed butternut squash, half a pound of brussels spouts and a whole lot of my very favorite whole wheat pasta.
I of course used DeLallo whole wheat pasta, and you guys, my family did not even notice one bit that this was whole wheat. Not even the picky boys. I have to say that this may be one of the healthiest meals those boys eat. I know that’s crazy, but they are some picky boys! Honestly, this pasta is one of my favorites for family meals, especially knowing I am squeezing in some whole wheat goodness.
Ok and the buttery, crunchy bacon topping? That is the best. No seriously the best.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
And if you eat this all yourself… I totally understand.
Made this last night and my husband totally wants to have it again tonight! It was so delicious and perfect for the first cold weekend of September, here in Ottawa. Thanks!
P.S., Made it gluten-free!
Good morning,
Quick question, can this be made ahead of time and reheated. I don’t want to risk it turning out dry.
Thank in advance,
Kathy.
Hey Kathy, making this ahead of time is fine. I do it all the time. Hope you love this!
I made this recipe over the weekend, a bit with a few changes, and it was amazing. I halfed the recipe and added onion and substituted whole wheat bread crumbs instead of ritz crackers. In the ingredients list you say 1/4 tsp nutmeg, but in the instructions you never say to add it. I didn’t add nutmeg, but it would make the dish more “wintery”.
Made this last night and loved the result. One thing about how it’s written:
At one point (just when starting the roux) you say “melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter ” – but I just double-checked and butter is not in the ingredient list, nor have you mentioned it previously in the recipe, so it can’t be “remaining”. This was not a problem for me, I can adjust things as I go and read between the lines of the recipe, but someone else might end up confused.
Delicious, though, excellent flavors! Thank you!
Thank you! I will fix these mistakes!
Sister…this dish was AH-MAZING!!!! We cooked up a batch for Thanksgiving and I seriously cannot eat another Mac & Cheese ever again because they will all be inferior to this mac and cheese. You changed my life with this dish. Holy amazingness!! THANKS!!
SO HAPPY you loved this! THANKS!
I made this last week, and holy smokes. I would live in this dish if I could. Clearly I am not as efficient as you are in the kitchen because the whole thing took me like 4 hours (perhaps because my kitchen is so tiny), but since it fed my husband and me for a week, I was more than happy to put in the time. In fact, I had enough ingredients left over that I’m contemplating making it again tomorrow. I did add some roasted garlic and onions to mine because, well, we’re a little addicted around here. Even though I ate this dish all week, I really wish I could have another bowl right now. I may or may not be your newest super fan.
4 hours!! Oh my gosh. Whoa! I hope it was just a slow moving recipe for you and not difficult. I am so sorry, it is not supposed to take that long, but everybody cooks at their own pace.
So happy you love the recipe though. THANK YOU!
PS LOVE the roasted garlic + onions. That’s the best! 🙂
Reminds me of the BEST recipe you ever posted for nachos with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts!
This would totally get me to eat Brussel Sprouts…
Tieghan this is like the best looking mac and cheese ever!!
This has to be the most amazing recipe on my feed all this week. I just stopped short and saved right away when I saw this. Huzzah for wheat pasta and buttery cracker goodness!
LOVE the sprouts and squash combo plus I’d never pass up mac n cheese! This looks amazing! And your pictures are gorgeous as always.
Woahhh woah this looks amazing. All of those flavors! My bf and I are moving into our first apt next weekend and this will definitely be the first meal we make in our new kitchen 🙂
This looks absolutely wonderful, love that bacon Ritz topping!!!
These look like the greatest rice Mac and Cheese treats ever, incredible!
One of the greatest mac and cheese dishes I’ve ever seen Tieghan, WOW!!
Thanks Matt!