Cooking with Josphine

Creamy Jalapeno Mac & Cheese

Serves 8-10

Chef Jo shares these sensational summer recipes. They are perfect to make and take to your summer BBQ celebrations. Bon appetite!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. rotini pasta

16 oz. Velveeta, diced

4 cups cheddar, shredded

2 ½ cups half and half

1 ½ cups whole milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

3 jalapenos, seeded, roasted, diced

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1/2 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. Dijon or yellow mustard

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325° F and butter a 9x13” baking dish. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until almost done for a firmer texture.

3. Cut jalapenos in half and deseed. Roast in oven until soft and golden. Cool and dice.

4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. The mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for about one minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in milk and halfand-half. Whisk constantly until smooth and combined.

5. Continue whisking over medium heat until mixture is very thick.

6. Remove mixture from the heat and stir in spices, jalapeno, Velveeta, and half the cheddar. Continue stirring until the cheeses have melted.

7. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce. Pour into the buttered baking dish.

8. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and light golden brown.

Apple Pie

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Crust

2 ½ cups flour

2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold & cubed

8 Tbsp. ice water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Filling

1 lb. Granny Smith apples

1 lb. Gala apples

¾ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ lemon, juiced

½ tsp. Kosher salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Egg wash

1 egg

1 Tbsp. water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and place a baking sheet in oven.

2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour (reserve one cup), salt and sugar.

3. Add cubed butter. Using a fork, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like bread crumbs.

4. Add the remaining cup of flour and cut it in until the mixture looks crumbly and forms pea-sized pieces.

5. Add half of the ice water and mix with rubber spatula. It should start forming a dough. If not, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together.

6. Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Cut in half and press each ball into a round flat disc shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

7. Peel and slice apples. In a bowl, mix the apples, sugar, spices, cornstarch and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside.

8. Take one disc from the refrigerator and let it sit for five minutes. On a floured surface, roll it into a 12-inch circle.

9. Place dough in 9-inch pie dish making sure it’s even and that there is a 1 inch edge all around.

10. Take out second ball of dough and let it set five minutes. Roll it into a 12-inch circle.

11. Evenly spread the apple mixture in the pie dish, spreading it evenly. Cover apples with the second crust.

12. Trim excess dough and pinch edges together or use fork to seal.

13. Refrigerate pie for 20 minutes before cooking.

14. Create the egg wash by beating egg and water. Evenly brush mixture on pie crust.

15. Cut four slits in the top.

16. Place pie dish onto hot baking sheet in the oven. Set timer for 20 minutes. Once timer goes off cover pie with foil and cook for another 40 minutes.