Blue Cheese Slaw

Last night I had a roast in the oven, seasoned with Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning and smoked paprika. We had white beans, because I MEANT to make baked beans but I've been hauling mulch and was too tired to grill the ribs that the beans were supposed to go with.

So...beans and roast. That works. But the only fresh green thing in the refrigerator was a head of cabbage, so we had slaw. And it was SO good that we're having it again tonight. With roast beef sandwiches.

Blue Cheese Slaw
1/2 head cabbage
2 carrots (or a handful of small ones)
1 red onion
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse ground mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 to 3/4 cup blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the cabbage, onion and carrots the way you do it...I use the slicer blade on my food processor. My mother puts it in a blender with water and then drains it. My nephew hand chops everything. Whisk mayo, mustards, vinegar and celery seed. Toss the cabbage and carrots with the dressing and blue cheese. Chill for an hour or so, to let the flavors make friends.

(A little aside here. I had a piece of the Point Reyes blue cheese I got for Christmas, frozen. I used it and while the taste was OUTSTANDING, if you're not a blue cheese person it might be too strong. So do the blue cheese to taste, depending on the quality of cheese you have.)

This was SO good.

Comfort in a Crockpot

It may be true that "nothin says lovin like something from the oven," but nothing says comfort like something from the slow cooker.

Last week we got a request (from a male reader, who is not exactly Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen, bless his heart) for an easy recipe.

"I don't know the difference between chop and mince."

Fair enough. We love the newbies as much as the cooks who are serious enough to be in jeopardy of losing their amature status.

So I give you: The Best Baked Mac and Cheese.

Only not baked.

There used to be a soul food restaurant in Florence, Alabama that was iconic. It actually was featured in the Travel section of the New York Times. The meatloaf, baked chicken, sweet potatoes and mac and cheese at this place were IT. Man, if something ailed you, all you needed was a plate from The Hollywood to set you right.

I found this recipe a few years ago in a great little just-for-crockpots cookbook, "Fix-It and Forget-It." It tastes exactly like Sonja's Hollywood mac and cheese.

As an old boss of mine would say, "So good it'll make you slap your Momma."

Almost Hollywood Inn Macaroni and Cheese
8 oz. package elbow macaroni, cooked but not mushy (al dente)

13 oz. can evaporated milk

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

4 cups grated/shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch pepper

In the bowl of the crock pot, combine (mix up) cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, salt, pepper and 3 cups of the cheese.

Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover.

Cook on low for 3 hours.

Serves approximately 8.

Image Credit: NYTimes