Dinner & Movie: Creamy Mac n Cheese

“Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen.” - Kevin McCallister

Guys, Christmas is just around the corner, and it wouldn’t be the holidays without Home Alone. I happen to think Home Alone is the greatest holiday movie of all time, and potentially one of the greatest anytime movies of all time. It’s super quotable, has a killer soundtrack, fills you with warm holiday fuzzies, and helped an entire generation plan out how to protect their homes in the event of a burglary. Safety first. Amanda and I recently got together for our annual Home Alone viewing, and made a big pot of creamy Mac n Cheese for the event.

Its dinner & a movie: Holiday Style!

The Movie: Home Alone

Look what you did, you little jerk! Home Alone! The McCallister family heads to Paris for Christmas, and they accidentally leave 8-year old Kevin (an adorably tiny Macaulay Culkin) home alone. WE FORGOT KEVIN! Meanwhile, two crooks, the Wet Bandits, have big plans for the McCallister’s giant mansion-like house. Kevin comes up with a genius plot to foil the bad guys, and hilarity ensues. The little Nero’s pizza guy runs off in fear from Snakes and Johnny (Acey says 10 percent…), John Candy does the polka, Uncle Frank tries to steal the silverware and champagne glasses from the airplane, Kevin gets a good look at Buzz’s girlfriend (woof!), some totally great classic holiday tunes play, the old guy turns out to not be the shovel slayer after all, and in the end, the whole family is reunited on Christmas morning. Holiday classic! 


The Dinner: Creamy Mac n Cheese

There are a few potential meals you could serve with Home Alone. Pizza might be the obvious choice, since the Little Nero’s pizza guy makes a couple appearances, and Buzz eating all the cheese pizza in the beginning really sets off the chain of events that follow. But, remember that scene right before the Wet Bandits arrive for the final show-down? Kevin sits down (at a candle-lit table) to a bowl of microwaveable Kraft mac n cheese, and says a little thanks for the meal (see quote above). But then the clock chimes, and he doesn’t even get to take a bite. I always felt bad that the mac just sat there getting cold. Did he go back and eat it afterward? Maybe if he had a big pot of creamy, homemade mac n cheese he would have.

This recipe comes from Joy the Baker, and is simple, creamy, and rich… everything a good bowl of Mac n Cheese should be. So, head on over to Joy the Baker, whip up some mac n’ cheese, and get ready to rock around the Christmas tree: it’s time for dinner & a movie!

Recipe: Joy the Baker’s Classic Mac n Cheese

Dinner & Movie: Tex Mex Taco Stack

Guys, I’m hardcore daydreaming about Texas right now. I’ve never been (except for some airport layovers, and some Friday Night Lights fantasies), and Austin is for sure on my bucket list. SXSW is just starting, and the press for it makes me crave sunshine, margaritas, and tacos. Seriously, how can you look at this and not be tempted to jump on a plane right this minute!? If you decide to stay put, you can satisfy your cravings with a grindhouse flick and a big plateful of Tex Mex food. (If you’re squeamish, you may want to fill up just before the movie starts).

It's dinner & a movie: Tex Mex Style!

The Movie: Death Proof

My name is Amber and I’m addicted… to Quentin Tarantino films. I love his movies, and Death Proof has to be one of my favorites. If you’re not a Tarantino fan, I still encourage you to watch this movie. I LOVE the way it’s shot, all grainy and gritty, and the soundtrack—out of this world. And the way he builds the characters and focuses on random insignificant details, I’m obsessed. It starts out in Austin, with a group of 20-something gals out for a night on the town, then some crazy stuff happens, and it ends in Tennessee. The scenery—from Texas to Tennessee—makes me long for nothing more than a sunny day and a pair of cowboy boots. Also, did I mention Kurt Russell and Rosario Dawson? Oh yeah, there’s also some bloody violence, I mean, it IS Tarantino, after all. Sometimes though, I forget about the gory parts because I’m so caught up in how awesome everything else in this movie is (but um, I like the gory parts… so, yeah, there’s that).

Photo Credit: This is actually a pic I took of my movie cover

The Dinner: Tex Mex Taco Stack

In the movie, the girls go out in Austin for margs and tacos at Gueros. Ps. they actually filmed at a place in Austin called Gueros Taco Bar, and it looks amazing. Every time I watch this movie (which, um, is often) I get a super craving for Tex Mex. This Tex Mex Taco Stack has layers of chicken, corn, beans, and corn tortillas, drenched in a spicy chipotle chile sauce and melty cheddar and jack cheese. Do I really need to say more? Stir up a batch of these super fresh blood orange margaritas, put out a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa, and turn off the lights: it’s time for dinner & a movie!

Tex Mex Taco Stack

Olive oil

3 chicken breasts, cubed (or thighs, your preference)

1/2 onion, diced

Juice of 1 lime

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup black olives, sliced

Chipotle chili sauce (see recipe below, or use about 2 cups canned enchilada sauce)

Corn tortillas (about 12)

1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

1.5 cups grated jack cheese

Sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips, for serving

Preheat oven to 350. In a large casserole dish, add a spoonful of sauce to coat bottom.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a swirl of olive oil. Add chicken and onion, and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Add lime juice, and cook another couple of minutes, until lime juice is evaporated/soaked up. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine beans, corn, olives, and sauce in a large bowl. On top of sauce layer in casserole dish, layer: tortillas (you may have to cut them or overlap them, that's fine), bean/sauce mixture, chicken/onion mixture, cheese. Repeat until ingredients are gone, ending with tortilla covered with cheese as the top layer. Depending on the size of your dish, you may need to make 2 dishes. 

Lightly cover foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook another 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving, so it can set up. 

Top with sour cream and sliced green onion, and serve alongside tortilla chips. 

Chipotle Chili Sauce

This seems like a lot of ingredients, but it comes together so quickly, it's totally worth making it! 

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Chipotle peppers in adobo 

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

Start with one chipotle pepper plus a spoonful of the adobo sauce, and then blend all ingredients together until smooth. I prefer to do it in a large bowl with my immersion blender, but a regular blender will work too. Add more peppers and blend to get to your preferred spice level. Use in taco stack. 

If you're using canned tomato sauce and chicken stock, you'll have a cup left of each. If you want to use these up, feel free to double the recipe and freeze half for later. Here's a good way to use up extra chipotle peppers. 

Dinner & Movie: Shrimp & Grits

It's Mardi Gras time! For those of us that have to work on Wednesday, Fat Tuesday may be less of a party, and more of an excuse to eat some spicy cajun food and watch a movie! So, instead of flashing for beads, pull up a seat, grab a big bowl of shrimp and cheesy grits, and turn on a spooky bayou-inspired flick. 

It's dinner & a movie: New Orleans style! 

The Movie: The Skeleton Key

Ok, so I've never been to Louisiana, so this movie might not be the most authentic representation, but it's a fun one! The Skeleton Key is a horror film (with Kate Hudson!) full of ghosts, hoodoo, and Louisianan accents. I'm a big fan of haunted house movies, and this haunted house takes the cake (the king cake!?). A big, giant, old plantation mansion deep in the bayou, with a dark past and, gasp, a secret room in the attic. Add to that cool southern scenery, black and white "flashbacks" of a 1920s conjure man, and tons of twists. And did I mention Kate Hudson? Love her! It can be a bit predictable at times, but the last scene is worth sticking it out to the end! 

Photo credit: http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com

The Dinner: Shrimp and Grits

I put a little poll up on my Facebook page, asking what I should make for Mardi Gras… the winner? Shrimp and grits! It's weird, but I had actually never had shrimp and grits before. I've had cheesy grits plenty of times, and I've had all kinds of shrimp, but never the two together. And, never in classic NOLA style. So, this dinner might be as inauthentic as the movie, but both make for a good time. For me, it's not Fat Tuesday without Andouille sausage, so obvious that went into the mix, along with some smoky bacon, tabasco, a little bit of molasses, lemon juice, and some worcestershire sauce. Spoon onto creamy, cheesy grits, and top with fresh parsley… you have yourself a tasty, cozy Mardi Gras dinner!

Shrimp & Andouille with Cheesy Grits

Grits

2 cups water

1/2 cup grits

2 T heavy cream 

1 T butter

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

Bring water to a boil, add grits, lower hear, and simmer until tender and water is absorbed. Stir in cream, butter, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Shrimp

2 thick slices smokey bacon, diced

1 andouille sausage, sliced

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

2 shakes Tabasco or other hot sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1 squirt ketchup 

Salt & pepper

fresh parsley

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until just about (but not quite) crispy, and add sausage slices. Cook for a minute or so. Add butter, and cook until melted. Add garlic, cook for a minute, and stir in lemon juice through ketchup. Salt & pepper the shrimp, and add to skillet. Toss the shrimp in the butter and cook until shrimp are just pink and cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve shrimp with sauce over grits. Top with fresh parsley. 

I used the following recipes for inspiration: 

Sarah's Shrimp & Grits

Bobby Flay's Grits

Mr. Jim's Louisiana BBQ Shrimp