Stuffed Clams

Every year on Christmas Eve my family gets together at my Aunt and Uncle's house for a big pasta dinner. My dad has been making stuffed clams as an appetizer for this event ever since I can remember. Recently I have started helping him make this crowd favorite. This is because as my interest for food grew, so did interest for learning how to make some of my favorite dishes. I love this dish because it is so flavorful and buttery, it just melts in your mouth. I hope you enjoy this sinfully good recipe as much as I do! (this recipe makes 50 stuffed clams)

Ingredients:
7 slices bacon
3 dozen clams
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 onion
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup clam juice (from cooking clams)
1 1/4 stick butter
Desired amount of Frank's hot sauce

First chop the bacon, onion, and garlic. Then cook the bacon until crisp, add the onion to this and continue cooking the mixture until the bacon and onions are fully cooked. Turn the heat off and add the garlic to the mixture.

Scrub the clams to get off all the dirt, then add to a big pot. Add about 3 cups of water (1 cup per pound of clams) and cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the shells have opened.

Once the shells have opened take the clams out of the water. Next open the shell and take out the clams. Pull the shells apart so that you have half shells, and place on a tray. Do this to all the clams and throw away any broken shells and make sure no shell pieces are on the clams.

Chop up the clams and add to a bowl with the bacon, onions, and garlic. To this mixture add the melted butter, clam juice from cooking the clams, hot sauce, and bread crumbs. Mix this all together until it is thick and the bread crumbs are lightly coated with the wet ingredients.

Place the shells onto a baking sheet and stuff the clams with the stuffing, don't be wimpy with the stuffing (the more the better).

Not cooked, wrapped up to bring to my Aunt and Uncles house

Either cook right away at 350 degrees fahrenheit until golden brown or put into the refrigerator until your ready to cook them.

Finished product (sorry for the bad picture I had to use my phone)

Mac and Cheese

One of my favorite dishes of all time is mac and cheese! This is because my mom would make it for me all the time. Whether she made it from scratch or used Kraft Mac and Cheese it was always delicious! From time to time when I am lazy and hungry I will make myself a pot of Kraft Mac and cheese. It is one of those dishes that I can make whenever I want and I never seem to get sick of the taste. For me, it is a comforting dish that reminds me of my childhood. I hope you enjoy my recipe to mac and cheese!

Ingredients: 
1 pound Macaroni
2 cups milk
4 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. First boil water, add salt to the water and cook the macaroni. 

Meanwhile melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. 

In the microwave heat up the milk for about a minute and a half or until the milk is hot. While whisking the rue slowly add the milk and continue to still until the rue dissolved in the milk and the sauce is thick. Add the cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper to the sauce and mix until the cheese is dissolved. 

Add the macaroni to the sauce and stir until the sauce completely covers the macaroni. Add the mac and cheese to a baking dish. Cover the mac and cheese with bread crumbs and add to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bread crumbs and golden brown. 

Serve the mac and cheese, and enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

When having a BBQ or just having burgers for dinner, the sides are always the best part. Baked beans, green beans, potato chips, and mac and cheese are all great sides but my favorite is twice baked potatoes. The gooey cheese, and the taste of the ranch dressing is just an incredible flavor. It is so easy to make and so delicious that is is a great go to side dish. Ever since I can remember my dad has always made twice baked potatoes, and I have always been his assistant. As I got older and started to cook by myself, this has become a recipe that I now make for the family. I hope you enjoy this fabulously easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy! (this recipe is for 4 people)

Ingredients: 
4 potatoes
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

First wash the potatoes, and place them in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked.

When cooked take the potatoes out of the oven, and cut them in half.

Scoop out the inside of the potatoes, and put that into a bowl. In the bowl add the butter, heavy cream, half the cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing to the potatoes. Mix all this together until it looks almost like mashed potatoes. If it is too watery add cheese, and if too dry add more heavy cream.

Then fill the potato skins with the potato mixture.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the potatoes and put into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Put the potato on your plate with a burger or some sort of barbecue dish, and enjoy!

Cheese Fondue

At least once a year around the holidays my dad make cheese fondue. It is a cheesy sauce in which you dip bread, veggies, and meat. Whenever my family has fondue we have broccoli, bread, and some sort of teriyaki chicken my dad makes. I know this sounds weird but to be honest it tastes really good in the fondue, and alone with rice. The main reason I love fondue is because it is in the middle of the table and you can dip whatever and however much food you want into the dish of molten cheese. I hope you enjoy this recipe for cheese fondue as much as I do!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 pound shredded Gruyere
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons sherry wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

First rub the chopped garlic around the fondue pot, then take it out. Turn the heat on, and add the white wine and lemon juice.

Over a low to medium heat add the swiss cheese and gruyere cheese slowly to the pot while constantly stirring until the cheese is melted. After the cheese is melted bring the mixture to a bubble for 30 seconds.

In a cup add the corn starch and sherry wine, then mix together to make a slurry. Add this slurry mixture to the fondue and let the fondue boil again for 30 seconds. If the fondue is lumpy add more wine, and if too watery add more cheese.

Bring the fondue to the table and serve with your favorite fondue items. Suggestions are bread, potatoes, sausage, grilled chicken, and broccoli.

Enjoy this amazing cheesy dish!