Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Hubs and I had a very uneventful weekend, which was perfectly fine with me. I felt like I needed some time to get my house in order and attach my behind to the couch. I even finally finished the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy (which was definitely my least favorite of the three.) I'm taking a break from the Kindle to read Deep Down True, which is a paperback that I'd bought a little while ago. Not as epic as Hunger Games, but it'll do. 

Yesterday, I roasted a chicken. You know, the kind that's already cleaned, seasoned and in the bag. Easy stuff. And now we have a ton of leftover chicken. Of course, I whipped up a batch of chicken salad for hubs. Just for him though. I think it's disgusting. Only because it's made with mayonnaise and that makes me want to vomit all over my keyboard. I'm also going to make a big 'ole batch of soup. This recipe for Creamy Chicken Noodle soup came out of my brain the last time we had some leftover chicken and it quickly become a favorite in our house. 

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carton chicken broth

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken, shredded, cubed, whatever you fancy

1/2 cup fat free half and half

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup ditalini pasta (or any other small pasta shape)

Salt and pepper

Saute onion, celery, garlic, carrot in olive oil until tender. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add half and half, cheese, pasta and spiced. Simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Happy Monday!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Typically when it comes to baking, I'm a boxed mix kind of girl. I don't do well with precise measurements (perhaps it's the whole "I suck at math" thing.) We all know that in baking, you need to be pretty precise. Which is why my creations usually turn out lacking a little bit of something. Especially when I'm trying to make it healthier. 


Last night, however, I threw caution to the wind (rebel!) and baked some muffins. From scratch. And guess what? They were pretty darn tasty! I adapted this recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins from Annie's Eats. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp. baking power

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. applesauce (unsweetened)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed banana (this was 2 medium bananas for me)

6 tbsp. creamy reduced fat peanut butter

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with liners or spray with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, combine flours, oats, baking soda, baking power and salt. Stir to combine. In another bowl, combine vanilla, applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, banana, peanut butter and buttermilk. Blend with a whisk. Combine the two ingredients until incorporated well. Spoon into muffin tin. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. You can top these with some additional peanut butter, but I left mine alone.

And you know the best way to mash a banana? With your hands. Clean hands, of course. 

Holiday Detox Soup

For the most part, hubs and I tried to stay away from too many treats this holiday season. However, over the few days we were visiting his parents and mine, we got a little overindulgent. 


Come Wednesday, we were ready for a bit of a detox. We needed some vegetation, not in the form of a creamy casserole. 


My mind immediately went to vegetable soup. Filling and full of veggies and fiber. This time, I decided to use barley. I've had soups with barley before, but had never made it myself. It offers the bite and heartiness of pasta, but without the refined carbs and too many calories.


So, my Vegetable Barley  (aka, Holiday Detox Soup) was born. Just a note, there's literally no method to my madness (like why I used chicken and veggie stock...or soy sauce.) Go with it. Embrace it. And trust me, you'll like this soup.

Vegetable Barley (Holiday Detox Soup)

1 container chicken stock (Those big cardboard containers, not the cans. I'd look up the ounces, but I'm too lazy to go upstairs to the kitchen.)
1 container vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 can of mushrooms
1 can petite diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup barley 
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
Pepper


Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook until softened (about 7 minutes or so.) Add zucchini, cabbage and garlic, cook until softened (about 5 minutes.) Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. 


It cures what ails ya. Trust me, I got my degree from WebMD. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

First off, I see that I have some new followers! Hi! Thanks for stopping by my little slice of the Interwebs. Hope you enjoy your stay. Leave me a comment and introduce yourself!


Second, yes, you read that title right. Yesterday morning for breakfast, I decided to bust out my culinary skills and whipped up the hubs some seasonal pancakes.


When we were first married (you know, almost five years ago...we're so old), I used to make breakfast every Saturday. But then, life got in the way, and it felt like Saturday breakfasts suddenly weren't a priority. 


But this weekend, I decided it was time to bring that back. There had been a pumpkin spice pancake recipe floating around Pinterest, but I decided to put my own spin on it. Plus, I used Bisquick. Because it's convenient. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick (I used the Heart Healthy mix to make it a little healthier)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I like Libby's)
2 tbsp sugar 
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more, if you're a chocoholic like myself)


Pretty simple, really. Mix all the ingredients together. Spray a hot griddle/pan with nonstick spray. Flip when the edges are firm and the middle starts to bubble. 

Finished product. You can see the "mistake" pancakes are on the bottom. I swear, it was the pan's fault. Hubs consistently makes fun of me because my pancakes never, ever look good. Not like you'd get in a restaurant. But they always taste good, and that's what counts.

If you ask me, I don't think these even need syrup. But that's just me :) Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup: Perfect for Fall

Fall is soup season. In my opinion, everyone could use a big bowl of soup to cut through the chill in the air. 


Typically soups tend to bore me and aren't always hearty enough to serve for dinner. However, this soup really fills you up without being too high in fat or calories. 

Lasagna Soup

1 pound, Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
3.5 cups chicken stock
2 cups spinach
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
5 wheat lasagna noodles, broken
2 teaspoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper


In a large stockpot, brown sausage in a teaspoon of olive oil. Remove from pan, add a teaspoon more oil and brown onion and garlic. Add spinach and wilt. Add tomatoes, sauce, stock, seasonings, bring to a boil. Add pasta, boil for 10 minutes. Add ricotta, heat through. 

Upside Down Pizza Casserole

Does anyone else think the weekends too short? I do. I'm all for 3 day weekends every week. 


But, alas, it's back to the grind. Work, working out, cleaning, cooking. With hubs pitching in to help me cook a few times a week, I definitely feel like my load is a bit lighter. I'm starting him out small though. Here's a recipe that I've made before (which is delicious, by the way), and I'm pretty sure it's simple enough for him to be able to do himself. 

Upside Down Pizza Casserole

Source: bhg.com via Audra on Pinterest

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (chicken or turkey would work well too)
15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 10 ounce package of refrigerated biscuits
Salt and pepper to taste
I also added in some basil and Italian seasoning


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, brown beef, drain fat. Add tomato sauce and seasoning, heat through. Add mixture to a greased casserole dish. Top with cheese. Flatten biscuits and add to the top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.


This also makes fab leftovers for your lunch :) 


Happy Monday!

I Baked...For the Dogs

Who makes their dogs homemade treats? Seriously? 


Oh yeah, that's right, I do. Ha! 


Now, this isn't something I typically do. I don't bake for humans a whole lot, so why would I bake for my dogs? Well, of course, it was inspired from a variation of a recipe found on Pinterest and the half can of pumpkin I had in my fridge. 

Pumpkin Puppy Treats

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt


Heat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients until it forms a dough. Roll out as you would sugar cookies.

Cut with cookie cutters. I just so happened to have a dog bone.

Place on a greased baking sheet in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Until crispy.

Cool. You don't want burned puppy tongues.

Try to get your dogs to do something good. Like sit. Demonstrated nicely here by Wiggles.

Then "sit" goes out the window when he's rendered impatient. NOMS!

"More please!" I'd say they were a hit. 

Chicken and Biscuits

This is one of my favorite recipes to come out of Weight Watchers. And it's hard to believe that it's actually a WW recipe. I've made a few tweaks here and there to make it my own. Mostly veggie substitutes because hubs would rather eat rat poison than touch a pea. I made one big pot tonight that we had for dinner and leftovers will be lunch all week. 


This week, I'm linking this recipe up with Cole at All the Small Stuff for Tuesdays at the Table. Go check out her recipes...especially this week. Ranch Mac and Cheese? Yes, please.

For Stew:

1 pound chicken, diced

3.5 cups chicken stock
1 bag frozen mixed veggies

2 tbsp oil

1 small onion, diced

1 large potato, diced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

For biscuits:

1 & 2/3 cups Bisquick Heart Healthy mix

2/3 cup skim milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

Pepper

In a large stockpot, brown chicken in 1 tbsp oil. Remove from pot and put in a bowl for later. Add remaining oil and saute onion. Add potato, mixed veggies, bay leaves, spices and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Mix all ingredients for biscuits. Drop spoonfuls of dough on top of simmering stew. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

Voila! Chicken and biscuits that doesn't go straight to your thighs.

Bonus tip: If you live in an area with a Giant Food and you clip coupons, you can get the new Knorr Homestyle Stock for $.79! It's on sale at Giant for $2.79 and there's a $2.00 off one coupon in this week's paper. Stock up! Ha - pun intended. 

I was reluctant to try this, but I used it tonight and loved it. You just boil 3.5 cups of water and add stock. Much more budget friendly than buying the big boxes because you get 4 packs which equals 14 cups!

Why Don't You Make Me Pies?

Yesterday, hubs and I were hanging out in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner, singing kitchen songs, and all of the sudden he says:


"You've never made me a pie." 


**stunned silence**


Me: "No, but you've never asked me to."
Him: "Well, I just assumed that's something you'd do. Bake pies for your husband."
Me: "HA! I don't just 'bake' pies for no reason. I'm not a baker. I'm not your mother."
Him: "That's a shame. My mother's a great baker."
Me: "Maybe you should have married your mother."
Him: "Maybe I should've."


Silence. 


Me: "Fine, I'll make you a pie. Just to prove to you that I can."
Him: *claps* "Yay! Pie!"


And today, I made a pie. But I cheated. A lot. He doesn't know that though. He thinks I can make a decent pie. From scratch. Who has time for that shit? Not this girl. 


I made him this. Still delicious. WAY less work. And it's light, because we're watching our girlish figures around these parts.

Light Banana Cream Pie - A La Heather

1 container, light whipped topping
1 box, instant vanilla pudding mix
1 3/4 milk (I made it with skim, but I think 2% is probably better for setting purposes)
3 bananas, sliced
1 ready-made pie crust


Mix pudding, milk and half of the whipped topping. Put sliced bananas into the pie crust. Cover with pudding mix. Top with the rest of the whipped topping. Garnish with bananas. Chill for 4-6 hours.


*Note: We did not chill for 4-6 hours as directed. So it was soupy. But still delicious. 


PS - There's still time to enter the Bondiband giveaway! Do it! I'm trying to be generous here. 

Recipe Roundup: Grapenut Pudding

Yes, you read that right. Grapenuts. Like the cereal. In a pudding. Your reaction is probably the same as everyone who I've ever told about it. Disgust, intrigue. How could that possibly be good? Well my friends, it is SO good. 


This is a central PA specialty, as is Grapenut ice cream. I think it's an Amish thing. But it's certainly a delicious thing. And really really easy. 

Grapenut Pudding

2 small or 1 large containers of whipped topping (regular or light)

2 small or 1 large box of vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

1 cup Grapenuts cereal

Take one cup of milk and add it to the Grapenuts and let them soak for 10 minutes. Using the other 2 cups of milk, mix with the instant pudding. Fold in whipped topping and mix in Grapenuts.  And you're done!

I advise letting it set up for about an hour. 

Seriously, I dare you to try it. And them come back and tell me how awesome I am for giving you this recipe. 

Recipe Roundup: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

This past weekend was my sister's bachlorette party. For the party I decided that we she should make cupcakes, because she's an awesome baker. 


I did act as baking assistant though. I definitely handed her ingredients, taste tested, put the icing in the bag and frosted them. But the ingredients/mixing was all her. Because I tend to not measure things properly. And it all turns bad. 


This recipe is long and a little complicated. Not for the novice baker. But they are deeee-licious and totally worth the time. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate mini chocolate chips (semisweet)


Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each is added. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add to butter and sugar, mixing well and adding milk at the same time. Add vanilla, fold in chocolate chips. Divide into 24 cupcake liners and bake at 18-20 minutes. 

 Mmm, cupcake batter.

For the filling:

4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

6 tbsp light brown sugar, packed

1 cup, plus 2 tbsp flour

7 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, milk, vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. After cupcakes have cooled, fill cupcakes by cutting a cone-shaped hole out of the center and fill the hole with cookie dough mixture.

For the frosting:

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp milk

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and salt. Mix in milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Frost with a pastry bag and top with mini chocolate chips. And you'll get these:

Recipe Roundup: Cheesy Garlic Chicken

I just made this last night for the second time, and it was gobbled up (I had dinner guests, don't worry. It wasn't just me and the dogs slurping down dinner.)

Cheesy Garlic Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 medium tomato, chopped OR cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 envelope of LIPTON® RECIPE SECRETS® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix

1/3 cup water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup, shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese OR shredded Italian cheese blend (like the kind Sargento makes)

*I've made this twice and the second time I marinated the chicken in the soup/water/oil mix for 12 hours. I highly suggest doing this because it really pumps up the flavor, but it's not necessary.*

**And, I had a little bit of trouble finding the soup mix at Giant, but it is available at Walmart.**

Preheat oven to 400. Place chicken in a baking dish. Mix soup, oil and water and pour over chicken. Top chicken with chopped tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes. 

And you're done! This recipe is seriously delicious and quick. Because, I don't cook anything that takes more than 30 minutes. I don't have that kind of time (or patience.) 

Did you try last week's recipe for Chicken Enchilasgna? How did you like it?

Recipe Roundup (Yeeehaww!)

I'd been getting some comments that people are enjoying the recipes I've been sharing. So I've decided to make this more of a consistent post AND I made a button! Yay, me! And I shall call it Recipe Roundup because that was the best name I could drum up. Creativity fail.


Anywho, this recipe is for:

Chicken Enchilasgna (via Devin Alexander, chef at the Biggest Loser)

1 can red enchilada sauce (Hot or mild, however you like it)
1 can green enchilada sauce (If you can't find it, green taco sauce will do. If you can't find either, another can of red it fine.)
1 can, chopped green chiles
1 can, chopped or sliced black olives
1 tsp cilantro
2 cups, cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded
2 cups, reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas


Heat oven to 400. Combine enchilada sauces in a bowl. Combine cheese, chiles and olives in a bowl. Put a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (so there isn't stickage) and place two flour tortillas on top of the sauce next to each other. Cover with some of the chicken, cheese mixture and a few spoonfuls of sauce. Layer and repeat two more times. Pour remaining sauce over casserole and top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. 


Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Sauce

It's been a little while since I've posted a recipe and I have a super easy one to share. My friend, Amanda, introduced me to this recipe for tomato basil sauce and it's amazing.


Tomato Basil Sauce


2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn OR half a tube of basil (see below)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. grated parm cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste


In a food processor, add all of the above ingredients and process away! Warm it up or serve it cold. Serve with grilled chicken, pork, brown rice, pasta. Whatever your heart desires. We eat it on brown rice and chicken. 


And here's the basil in a tube I'm referring to (found in the produce section...amazing.)

Taco Dip

You know how everyone has their signature dish...something they always make and everyone enjoys and requests? Mine happens to be Taco Dip. And I wish I could tell you that it's really hard to make. That I spend hours toiling over the stove. But that's just not true. In fact, a monkey could probably make it. 

My mom started making this when we were kids for special occasions and parties. And I've carried on the tradition.

Dawn's Taco Dip

1 (8 oz) container of sour cream (you can use light to reduce the calories)
1 (8 oz) container of cream cheese (I like the whipped kind because it's easier to stir)
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup lettuce, chopped

Combine sour cream, cream cheese, taco seasoning. Pour into a pie pan, or other vessel, top with cheese, tomato, lettuce.

Ta - da! You're done! Serve with taco chips. Oh, and I advise making a double batch. This will be a big hit.

How Much Is That Puggy in the Window....FREE!

Normally, I love my dear, sweet puppies. However, this evening, I'm thinking about opening the front door and letting Wiggles out. 

Pug Thug

Not really. He's too dumb to survive on his own.


They've been staying with my parents for the past 2 weeks, while I took care of stuff here and there. Now they're back, and I'm very happy they are. However, Wiggles is getting on my last nerve. 


He's been irritating me with the following behaviors:

1. Barking at every stink bug he can find in my house. Which right now, is more than I'd care to admit.
2. He then proceeds to kill and then eat said stink bug. 
3. No pillow in my house is safe. He's going from couch to couch removing all the throw pillows and attacking them like they're demons.
4. Whenever Peanut comes near him, he snaps and goes nuts, grabbing the nearest thing in sight with his little mouth. Usually, it's my slipper. I like to call this "Wiggle Fury". 
5. He's also coming up to where I'm sitting, and looking at me with his most pissed off pug look, and barking as loud as he can. If he was human, it would be equivalent to a teenage temper tantrum. 
6. Since Purina One has so graciously changed the formula of their food to include moist little meaty bits, he's been eating only those pieces of kibble and spitting the crunchy ones out on my floor. 

I know what you're thinking. I did this to myself. I know. I carried him around when he was a puppy. Catered to his every puppy whim. Spoiled him rotten. I regret my actions. But at least I screwed up on a dog, right? It better prepares me to raise a human. 

Homemade BBQ Potatoes

I love potatoes. In any form, really. French fries are one of my weaknesses. But with the new Weight Watchers plan, French fries are obviously not on the menu. So I came up with this little recipe to satisfy my craving.


Heather's Homemade BBQ Potatoes


1 medium baking potato, thinly sliced into chips
1/2 tablespoon, olive oil
1 tablespoon, McCormick BBQ seasoning
1 teaspoon, salt


Preheat oven to 400. Toss potatoes in oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning and salt. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp.


Points Value: 4...for the whole serving! 

Rosemary Ranch Chicken and Onion Potatoes and Mushrooms

I've been trying to find ways to use my herbs because, believe it or not, they are healthy and growing like weeds! 

This is what I made for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. For the potatoes, I used fresh parsley and chives, but it's not necessary. Enjoy!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
5 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl, add chicken and marinate for 5-24 hours. Put chicken on skewers and grill.

Onion Potatoes and Mushrooms

1 pound baby red skin potatoes, cut into chunks
1 package white mushroom caps
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients and roast for 25-30 minutes.

Using the Herbs

I just used the rosemary from my garden  in my first recipe of the season! I have to say, it was very nice to walk out to the deck and harvest my own herbs. I made a marinated flank steak, that was really delicious and tender. Here's the recipe:

Marinated Flank Steak

1 flank steak, about 1-2 pounds
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of vinegar (I used white wine, but red wine or rice wine would be fine)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspons, dijon mustard
1 teaspoon, pepper

Lay flank steak on cutting board and create hash marks with knife to allow the marinade to penetrate. Mix all the ingredients above and add to a plastic bag with the meat. Work the marinade into the meat. Leave overnight for best flavor. Grill and cut along the grain into slices.

Blizzard Bound Low-Fat Mac and Cheese A La Heather

Being cooped up inside during a snowstorm always makes me want to cook for some reason. I was craving Mac and Cheese because it's my ultimate comfort food, but wanted something lower in fat and calories (since I obviously won't be going to Spinning anytime soon with all this snow.)

In my brief moments of Betty Crockerness, I came up with this low-fat recipe (with help from the Weight Watchers website), that was amazing...if I do say so myself. Nile says so too.

So for you all, I share my culinary creation:

Blizzard Bound Light Mac and Cheese A La Heather

1/2 pound Barilla Whole Grain Elbow Macaroni
3 tbsp light butter (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt
pepper
 1 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions.

In medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When butter is melted, add flour, stirring constantly. Add milk gradually and bring to a boil. Add both cheeses, bring the heat to medium, stir until melted. Add sour cream, garlic powder, mustard, broccoli, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and combine with bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine macaroni and sauce, and pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes or until top has browned.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!