Spaghetti with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

This is not your typical spaghetti. I saw this one Rachel Ray Show and just by looking at it make me so hungry. So, I decided to cook it myself and it turns out to be really really good. I omitted some ingredients that I don’t like since am not into spicy food. You guys should try it sometimes and I can assure you that you will be cooking this one over and over again.

Good luck and enjoy cooking!







Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce ( i use tobasco juz a few drops)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (depends on ur liking)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin (half a palmful)
• 1 can, 14 ounces chopped or crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 scallions, chopped

Preparation:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt, then the pasta and cook spaghetti until al dente according to package directions.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, about 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary but leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the sirloin and crumble it with a wooden spoon as it browns, 3-4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, and season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire, chili powder and cumin. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Add the beer, cook for 1 minute more then add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring up to a bubble and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
While the meat sauce is cooking, make the cheese sauce: Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat and add butter. When the butter melts, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and then the milk. Thicken for 2 minutes then stir in the cheese and melt, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the jalapenos and scallions. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Drain spaghetti, add to the meat sauce and combine.
Pour into a large serving bowl and pour the cheddar cheese sauce over the top.

4th Wedding Anniversary

Anniversary for me is always special and one of the most happy and fulfilling event of marriage life. It is not, because of the present that I will receive, but what it symbolizes. For me, anniversary is the celebration of love, what we accomplished, learned and shared as married couple.

Being married with “My Vic” as what I call him, for four years is the best four years of my life. With him I feel safe, secure, needed and most of all loved. There would be no other place I would rather be than to be with him. Being married to him is the best decision I have ever made. Life couldn’t be happier and better if not spent with him. I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life.

To my Ever Dearest Husband:

Thank you for bringing out the best in me, for teaching me how to be strong, for being with me all time, for the guidance, for understanding, for loving me and my family and best of all for being My Vic. I love you with all my heart and with all of me. My love for you grows each day and well continues to do so for the rest of my life.


yours,
rOsE

Product dating can be confusing

As I was organizing and sorting my recipe collection yesterday, I came across to this article that I have printed 2 years ago. It was very helpful for me because I always get confused on the dates printed on the foods that we buy like crackers, milk, eggs and etc. Now, at least I know that milk is still good for about 1 week after the sell-by-date. Grocery prices have gone way up lately so every little thing that I can do to minimize our grocery bill is a huge help.

Hope you guys find these article helpful also!


Product dating can be confusing
07/30/2006 05:05 AM
By: Martie Salt, News 14 Carolina

Smart Woman
The expiration date for most foods is the last date you should eat them.

When do you toss out the milk? How long should you keep those crackers? It can be a confusing game, but those different dates on food products really mean something.

Your favorite foods are giving you hints, but sometimes it may seem like a secret code. It's confusing for consumer Mara Lim and many of the rest of us.

"Use by or best by ... It doesn't seem very clear to me," Lim said.

Milk is usually good for about seven days after the sell-by date. So what's the difference between words like expires, sell by, and use by?

Dietitian Eileen Paul, RD, of Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, says it's more about freshness. You'll see words like use by or best if used by on packaged foods like cereal. That's the last date the product is at its peak flavor or quality. It doesn't mean it's unsafe.

"It gives the consumer an alert that this has been on your shelf for a long time," Paul said “You should probably toss it out.”

Sell by or pull are on foods like dairy products. The retailer must remove them by that date, but you don't have to use them by then. For example, milk is usually good for about seven days after the sell-by date.

Dietitian Eileen Paul says the dates normally refer to freshness. Expiration dates for most foods is the last date you should eat them. Perishable foods like meat and bagged salads can harbor harmful bacteria. Eggs are an exception. You should be able to use them safely for three to five weeks after the expiration date.

"For non-perishables it's about freshness, not safety. For perishables it's about safety," Paul said.

Have you checked your dates lately? Product dating is not required by the federal government on foods except for poultry, infant formula, and some baby food, but more than 20 states mandate it for some products.




Contact Information Eileen Paul, RD, CDE
Group Health Cooperative
paul.e@ghc.org