Mexican Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This dinner reminded me and my husband of our childhood. Neither of us remembers actually having the dish as children, but it brought us back. I used a few ingredients that I would never have eaten as a kid, but I loved how comforting this dish was.

8 oz thick, flat, gluten free noodles
1 package ground beef
1/3 cup diced onion
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, and minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking dish, and set aside.

In a pot over medium heat, cook beef, onions, and jalapeño until meat is browned. Drain excess liquid. Add tomato sauce, and chili powder, stirring until blended.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package instructions. Once drained, mix with cottage cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Add noodles to baking dish, forming a bottom layer. Top with meat sauce mixture. Top meat sauce with cheese, and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Traveling over the Christmas was a nightmare. David and I decided to fly home, instead of driving, but I wish we had driven. Our first flight was moved up by two hours, and we were not notified, but luckily we (barely) made it on time. Our return flight was even more hectic; due to weather we had to move our flight up by a whole day, and had to frantically drive three hours away to the airport. We also made that flight on time, but it was a hassle.

By the time we arrived home, all we wanted was some comfort food. I thought macaroni was perfect, so whipped up a quick batch of stovetop Mac and cheese, with bacon and broccoli. It really helped with the travel fatigue we both felt!

1 box gluten-free pasta noodles of your choice. (I used Glutino spiral noodles)
3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped.
10 oz broccoli
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cups Gouda, shredded
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package instructions. When pasta is 1/2 way cooked, add broccoli, cooking with noodles for the remaining amount of time.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, bring milk to a simmer. Add cornstarch, whisking until thickened. Add cheese, garlic, mustard, and Worcestershire. Stir until blended, and cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta and broccoli and return to pan. Add cheese sauce and bacon, stirring until blended.