The combination of this weekend’s temperature drop and the start of the football season means that if fall’s not here yet, it will be soon. Around our kitchen, fall means the reappearance of dishes like stews and casseroles. One of our favorite quick casserole-like dishes is baked macaroni and cheese. We made that today, based on the recipe we found years ago on the back of a box of Mueller’s elbow macaroni. We’ve tried a number of other recipes, but we always come back to this one.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (with Broccoli)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of uncooked macaroni
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 cup of broccoli, cut into small pieces (optional)

Cook the macaroni for 7 minutes and drain.

While the macaroni is cooking, combine the corn starch, salt, mustard, and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in the milk and add the butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Stir in all but a big handful of the cheese and the broccoli. Stir in the macaroni. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the macaroni and cheese into the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and top with the bread crumbs.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Capellini with Tomato and Basil

Ingredients

• Capellini (angel hair) pasta for two
• 1 medium tomato cut into bite-sized pieces
• Small handful of fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• Grated parmagiano-reggiano cheese
• 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil

Cook the pasta according to directions and drain. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Crush the garlic clove with the side of a knife, remove the peel, and place in the heating olive oil. This will infuse the oil with garlicky goodness, but be sure to turn the garlic before it gets too dark. Remove the garlic when it is browned on all sides.

Add the red pepper flakes to the olive oil and a short time later add the tomato. Allow the tomato to cook for a minute or two and then add the basil. Stir to heat up the basil, then add the cooked pasta. Allow to cook for another minute or two and then remove from the heat and plate it up. Sprinkle a good amount of grated parmagiano-reggiano cheese over the top. Serve and enjoy!