Herby, Cheesy Perfection: A Mac and Cheese Recipe You’ll Love

A rich blend of cheeses and herbs to take your mac and cheese to the next level

There’s something about the first bite of homemade macaroni and cheese that takes you straight back to childhood, comforting you like a warm hug on a cold day. But this isn’t your average mac and cheese – it’s packed with rich, creamy cheese and an aromatic blend of herbs that elevate this classic dish to something extraordinary. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or simply indulging in some much-needed comfort food, this herby mac and cheese will hit the spot every time. Ready to dig in?

Ingredients:

1 pound dry medium pasta shells

1/2 cup water

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups half and half

8 ounce brick of mozzarella cheese

5 ounce tub of shredded parmesan cheese

2 cups dry grated pecorino romano cheese

2 eggs

2 cups 2% milk

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons oregano

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon tarragon

salt and black pepper, to taste

Tools:

stock pot

colander

Dutch oven

measuring cups and spoons

cheese grater

whisk

spoons

mixing bowl

While we would love for this to be a one-pot meal, there's really not an efficient way to manage that (at least, not one we've found - if you've got one, please share!). So, for better or for worse, there will be a couple pots to wash at the end of this. But the GIANT pot of homemade macaroni and cheese makes up for it, in our opinion.

After making it through the holidays, we're usually tired of eating food that fits everyone else's preferences. Once we're home again from whatever traveling we did, it's time for comfort food. Lots of comfort food, usually, because we're still of a mindset to cook for a crowd. That tends to linger.

Enter macaroni and cheese, the ultimate, kid-pleasing, crowd-feeding dish of comfort food. Use it as a side, use it as a main course, eat it as a snack... It's versatile like that.

Strangely enough, there's not a veggie to be found in this recipe. It's a rarity for us, we know, but allow it to be a testament to the fact we are /exhausted/ in general. (The fact we also spent a week in a vegetarian household during the holiday break may also have had some influence.)

Fill the stock pot with water enough for your pound of pasta, crank up the heat to bring it to a boil, and salt it generously. We'll need to cook the pasta all by its lonesome, so set a timer and have the colander ready. We like to shave a couple minutes off the box directions because the pasta will still absorb more moisture from the cheese sauce when we reach the baking step.

Set the heat under your Dutch oven to low and melt the butter while you wait for the water to come to a boil. (Yes, we are aware that an entire stick of butter is a lot. Perhaps you've seen this recipe is rather heavy on the fatty dairy stuff. Our little concessions are half and half instead of heavy cream and 2% reduced fat milk instead of whole milk... mostly because it's what we keep on hand. Feel free to make other substitutions of your own design - this recipe is yours now.)

While the butter melts, preheat the oven to 350 and shred up the brick of mozzarella cheese. Don't cheat and use pre-shredded, as it will change the entire texture of the cheese sauce later. Set the mozzarella aside, as it will still be a few minutes before you need it.

To the now melted butter, add the garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, fennel seed, sage, marjoram, tarragon and pepper. Stir it all up with a whisk and allow it to heat until fragrant, maybe two minutes.

Add the all-purpose flour to the pan and stir it in. Yes, it will be pasty and look unappealing, but it's all part of the process of making a roux. Increase the heat a little, and stir frequently until the scent of the mixture begins to change, as does the color.

Around now, it should be time to drain your pasta. Make sure not to leave it in the colander for it to get sticky and cold - return it to the pot after draining and put a lid on it.

Measure in the half and half at this point, increase the heat further to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Be sure to stir constantly. Continue stirring over medium-high heat for two minutes, then cut the heat, remove the pan, and add in the mozzarella, parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses. Trade the whisk for a spoon and stir until melted. It'll be extremely dense and stretchy, but don't worry, this isn't the final version of the sauce.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the two eggs and your salt and pepper into the milk. Once combined, add this to the still-hot Dutch oven and stir thoroughly. It may look like it'll never mix in, but it will. And once it does, you'll be left with a glossy off-white cheese sauce flecked with herbs. After you've achieved the glossy stage, pour your pre-cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to cover.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Feel free to garnish with more herbs before serving.

When it comes to comfort food, it’s hard to beat the creamy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese. With a generous sprinkle of aromatic herbs and a rich blend of cheeses, this dish is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Plus, it's so versatile – serve it as a side, main course, or snack, and it’ll always steal the show. And while you're whipping up meals like this, don’t forget about your kitchen appliances! If you ever find yourself in need of repairs, our team at Appliance Rescue Service is here to help ensure your kitchen stays in tip-top shape, so you can focus on creating delicious dishes like this one without a hitch.

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Halloween Drunken Noodles: Perfect for Chilly Nights

Fall Comfort Food: How to Make Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Jalapeno Chicken Bowtie Pasta

Leftovers to Luxe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

No Stuffing, No Stress—Just Delicious!

Typically by this point in the holiday season, the whole house is sick of ham. But there's always more ham in the fridge. We needed to get a little more creative with the dinner menu, ensuring the ham (and anything else left from marathon holiday meals) doesn't go to waste.

We have never met someone who disliked chicken cordon bleu. We have also never met anyone who truly enjoyed the process of making chicken cordon bleu. As a direct result of this, we have decided to create an un-stuffed, un-breaded, non-traditional take on a chicken cordon bleu. A casserole... which also happens to use up the remaining carrots, partial brick of cheese and nearly empty carton of heavy cream we had lingering in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

8-10 slices of leftover holiday ham

3/4 cup shredded carrots

5-6 ounces cheese, grated (recommend Swiss but can be any strong cheese)

1/4 cup heavy cream 

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Black pepper to taste

Tools:

Large Dutch oven or stovetop safe casserole dish

Cheese grater

Cutting board

Knife

Serving spoon

Measuring cups and spoons

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In your Dutch oven, melt down the four tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Measure in your minced garlic and allow it to heat until fragrant.

We started with ready to eat matchstick carrots, but in the event you are starting with whole carrots, please wash your produce! And then proceed to chop or shred in your desired fashion. Add the carrots to the garlic and butter.

Tear or cut your pre-cooked ham slices to your desired size and set them aside; we'll add them in a few minutes.

Increase the heat under the pan to medium. Stir to prevent sticking.

Rough chop your chicken into one inch pieces, trimming off and discarding any fatty bits you might encounter. Push the carrots to one side and add the chicken to the Dutch oven. Cover the pan and allow the chicken to cook for five to eight minutes (wait for the color to change).

While you wait for the chicken pieces to cook through, shred your cheese into a small container. Swiss is the traditional choice for a cordon bleu, but no one says traditional is the only option. We're big fans of using up what we have. As such, we shredded a bunch of sharp cheese we've lost the label for in the hectic holiday rush. This house likes sharp, tangy cheeses - but please adjust for your own family's preferences.

Remove the lid, give everything a stir, and sprinkle in the rosemary, celery salt and ground mustard. Crack in some fresh black pepper, as much or as little as you like. Add the ham pieces to the pan, and then stir everything again. Measure in the heavy cream, sprinkle the shredded cheese over top, and transfer the uncovered Dutch oven to the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated from the cream and the cheese has melted and begun to bubble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before attempting to serve.

We served ours over some wide egg noodles and with a side of mixed vegetables (because just one veggie is never enough).

If you're looking for more ways to use up those holiday leftovers, let this dish inspire your creativity. Think of it as a blueprint for transforming what's in your fridge into something comforting and satisfying. Swap out the ham for turkey, leftover roast beef, or even roasted vegetables for a vegetarian twist. Experiment with different cheeses to keep things interesting—Gruyère, sharp cheddar, or even a smoky gouda can take this dish in an entirely new direction. Don’t be afraid to add a handful of fresh spinach or kale for a pop of color and a boost of nutrients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability—it’s your chance to make something uniquely suited to your family’s tastes while keeping food waste to a minimum.

We know that post-holiday cleanup isn't limited to food. Your kitchen appliances have likely been working overtime, and now is the perfect time to give them a little TLC. Did your oven take longer than expected to preheat during those marathon baking sessions? Or did your stovetop struggle to keep up with the gravy and sauces? Even small inefficiencies can add up over time. That’s where our team at Appliance Rescue Service comes in. Whether it’s a quick fix or a more involved repair, we’re here to ensure your appliances are operating at their best, so you can continue creating meals that bring warmth and joy to your home. Because when your appliances are in good hands, so is your kitchen—and, ultimately, your holiday memories.

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Hidden Veggies: Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls That Impress

A family-friendly recipe for soft and savory rolls with a hidden veggie

We figure plenty of people like us might have overbought their sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and still have a couple of them rolling about the pantry after the holiday. Fresh sweet potatoes are pretty hardy and will last a while, but it's best to get them used up to avoid waste. We decided to mash some more of them, and instead of making something common, hide them in a dinner roll.

Hidden veggies are, in our opinion, the best when you have little ones. Our little one is not so little any longer - he has instead entered the "I subsist entirely on processed garbage and carbs" phase - and this still worked quite nicely for him. Even after he realized there was a vegetable (gasp!) in his bread (the affront!), he still ate more of them than anyone else at the table.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes

2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup warm milk

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

small amount of butter or olive oil, for greasing the bowl and pan

Tools:

10 inch cast iron skillet or large Dutch oven

measuring cups and spoons

knife or bench scraper (for leveling flour and separating dough)

mixing bowl(s)

instant-read thermometer (useful but not strictly necessary)

stand mixer with dough hook (useful but not strictly necessary)

While we started with fresh sweet potatoes, and peeled, boiled, drained and mashed them, you don't have to. You're welcome to begin with baked sweet potatoes, frozen or even canned if you can find the unsweetened kind.

The important part is to have half a cup, post-mashing, with minimal to no other ingredients, and to allow that half cup to cool to room temperature.

Heat your water to somewhere over 100 degrees but less than 115. This is where a thermometer comes in handy, but if you don't have one, here's a little trick to guess the water temperature. Run the water at the kitchen tap and hold a finger under it until you can feel the water getting good and hot. Just before it gets too hot to keep your finger in the water, fill the cup and turn off the water. (Career cooks and servers, please disregard this advice and find a thermometer, as your heat tolerance is generally higher than average.) From this full cup of water, measure out the three tablespoons you need. Add the dry yeast to it, stir, and sprinkle in a pinch of sugar.

Assuming your sweet potato mash has had a chance to cool, add it to the mixing bowl (or the mixer, if you're using one like we did). Measure in the sugar, salt, butter and warm milk. Stir until combined.

Add in the yeast/water/sugar mixture and give a quick mix before measuring in one and a half level cups of flour. Make sure not to pack the flour into the measuring cups, and to use the flat side of a knife or the edge of a bench scraper to take any excess off the top.

Mix with a dough hook or knead by hand until dough starts to form. It'll be sticky at this stage. If you're using a stand mixer, this is the last stage you'll want it to work on. Even the vaunted KitchenAid will struggle with dense doughs, and this one is about to get dense.

Add another half cup of flour to the sticky dough ball in the mixing bowl. Knead it in by hand. If the dough is still feeling sticky - not tacky, but well and truly sticky - add up to another three quarters of a cup of flour. Do so slowly and stay very hands on, because it probably doesn't take as much as you think to go from sticky dough to dough that's too dry to take on any more flour.

At the point the dough is smooth and just a bit tacky, turn it out onto a floured surface and work it by hand for 5 minutes. Grease the inside of a clean mixing bowl (either clean the one you were just working in, or grab a clean one) and plop the dough ball in. Cover it - with a pot lid, a cutting board, plastic wrap, foil, a clean towel, whatever you have - and allow it to sit somewhere warm to rise for at least an hour.

After it's doubled in size, punch it down, roll it over in the greased bowl, and turn it out onto a flat surface. Using a knife or bench scraper (if you use something sharp, do so on a mat or a board, and not on your countertops!) divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into balls.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, grease the inside of the skillet or Dutch oven, and move the dough balls to the skillet for a second rise. Let them sit and rise for at least 20 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes. Brush the tops with butter for extra appeal.

Website 

Call: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Healthy and Flavorful: A Caponata Recipe That You'll Love

Get Your Protein with This Buddha Bowl 

Fall Comfort Food: How to Make Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Impress Your Guests with This Easy-to-Make Apple Pecan French Toast Bake

Spice Up Dessert Time with Cranberry-Chipotle Heaven’s Pie

Turning leftover cranberry sauce into a show-stopping dessert.

The day after Thanksgiving feels a little like drowning in assorted leftovers, and eating the same things the same way gets boring pretty quickly. We like to take the leftovers and make something different out of them when we can.

This house loves cranberries and makes a big batch of cranberry sauce to share every year. Some years, it gets decimated at the family potluck Thanksgiving dinner and we bring back a few spoonfuls in the bottom of an almost empty Pyrex dish. But other years - like this year, apparently - we come back home with the larger family having made barely a dent. We had two more cups of cranberry sauce left, and not near enough turkey for that much.

So we got inventive. Today we made cranberry-cream cheese pie with a little kick.

We used homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce with real sugar, lemon juice and allspice. You're welcome to try it with the wobbly canned stuff, but your mileage - and the final product's texture and sweetness - may vary. (Let us know if you try it! We're curious, but also morally opposed to canned cranberry sauce.)

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar 

1 teaspoon dried chipotle chili pepper

1 9-inch premade pecan pie crust

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools:

Measuring cups and spoons 

Food processor 

Spoons

Metal mixing bowl

Electric mixer

Preheat the oven to 350, and shove the mixing bowl in the fridge. We know that second one is a little weird, but just roll with it for now.

Begin by measuring your softened cream cheese into the food processor. Add the cranberry sauce and give everything a whirl to combine. Take a spoon and scrape down the sides to make sure you've got everything. Some food processors end up leaving a solid quarter of the cream cheese behind as it sticks to the edges.

Pack a quarter cup measuring cup with light brown sugar and dump that into the cream cheese and cranberry mixture. Pulse the food processor a couple times to begin breaking it up into the filling.

Measure in the dried chipotle. Feel free to use less if you have a lower spice tolerance.

Make triple sure you're using just the peppers! An anti-caking agent or preservative is totally fine, but not a chipotle spice blend. There are dozens of blends on the market, and while they're certainly tasty, they are not a great fit for this recipe. The most common second and third ingredients in the blends tend to be salt and/or garlic... and we are definitely not looking to make a salty garlic cranberry pie for dessert.

Now that all of your ingredients are in the food processor, run it until everything has reached a uniform consistency. You may have to pause occasionally to scrape down the sides.

Remove the blade from the food processor and scrape the filling into the pecan pie crust. We used a premade Diamond brand crust to avoid washing the food processor twice in one afternoon, but you could certainly make your own crust if you're less dish-phobic than we are.

Level the filling in the crust with the back of the spoon. We know it doesn't look like enough, but don't worry. The extra space is for a fat layer of homemade whipped cream later.

Bake the pie at 350 for 35 minutes. It will still be very thin-looking and wobbly when removed from the oven, but don't worry. Set it aside to cool on the counter for half an hour, then move it to the fridge to chill completely. 

While you're in the fridge, grab the mixing bowl and move it to the counter. Pour in your heavy cream, measure the sugar and vanilla extract into it, power up the electric hand mixer and whip on low and medium low until you get stiff peaks. Cover the bowl and tuck it back into the fridge until it's time for dessert. 

Once it's time to serve dessert, dump the whipped cream into the pie shell on top of the cranberry filling. Use the spoon to smooth it out, cut and serve.

This pie has sweet, tangy and spicy all in one delicious pie. To us, it’s delicious and utterly amazing, but you might just end up scaring some of your dinner guests. For that reason, we advise only breaking out this pie if you’re sure people can handle the heat. 

This pie is proof that leftovers can be as exciting as the main event, blending bold flavors into a dessert that’s anything but ordinary. Whether you’re impressing guests or treating yourself, Heaven’s Pie is a sweet and spicy reminder to embrace creativity in the kitchen. And remember, while we’re all about innovative recipes, when it comes to appliances, leave the troubleshooting to us. Appliance Rescue Service is here to ensure your kitchen keeps running smoothly, pie after pie.

Website

Call (214) 599-0055

Dinner Made Better: The Perfect Berry Glazed Chicken Recipe

Bring a pop of color and taste to your dinner table.

Sometimes, dinner calls for a little something unexpected—something that surprises your taste buds and makes the whole table pause for a second bite. This dish delivers just that. With the tangy sweetness of strawberry glaze, the subtle warmth of spices, and the richness of perfectly cooked chicken, this recipe brings a unique and satisfying balance to your plate. It’s comfort food with a twist, easy to make and impossible to forget.

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts

1/3 cup strawberry jelly or jam

2 tablespoons red cooking wine

2 tablespoons vinegar of choice (recommend white balsamic)

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon coriander

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Tabasco Sweet & Spicy, to taste

Tools:

Large covered saute pan or caldera

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons

Small mixing dish

Knife

Fork

Meat thermometer

Begin with the tablespoon of butter in the saute pan. Set the burner to medium and let the butter melt. Generously salt your chicken breasts, then add them to the pan once the butter is hot. Crank the heat up to medium-high. Cover the pan and let the chicken cook for at least five minutes before attempting to flip. Double that time if you're working with thick pieces like we were.

While the chicken is cooking, measure your strawberry jelly or jam into the small dish. Measure in your vinegar, the cooking wine, tarragon and coriander. Add only half of the basil and reserve the rest. Whisk the jam, liquids and spices together with a fork, breaking up big lumps of strawberry.

Flip the chicken breasts, reduce the heat to medium again, and reset your timer for 5-10 minutes, adjusting based on the thickness of the chicken pieces. Cover the pan again and find something to occupy your next few minutes. (We used the time to make drop biscuits.)

When you're ready to check on the chicken again, hit it with a meat thermometer to ensure a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees. If it's a tiny bit shy and you're only waiting for the biggest piece in the pan, you can proceed. But if you’re more than 10 degrees low, put the lid back on and try again in a few more minutes. The chicken has to be pretty much fully cooked before going on to the next step.

Next up, pour the strawberry mixture over the chicken, making sure to get some all over the top. Sprinkle on some fresh cracked black pepper, now that it's got something to stick to, and add the remaining basil at this stage.

Lower the heat to medium-low and let the chicken continue to cook in this mixture, uncovered, for another eight minutes or so. Once the sauce thickens up, it's ready to remove from the pan.

Drizzle with Tabasco Sweet & Spicy hot sauce for a little kick. Serve with some dark vegetables, like broccoli, kale or Brussels sprouts for the best flavor balance

Berry Glazed Chicken proves that dinner doesn’t have to be ordinary—it can be extraordinary with just a handful of simple ingredients and a little creativity. Sweet, savory, and with just the right amount of spice, this dish is sure to become a family favorite. And speaking of favorites, when it comes to keeping your kitchen running smoothly, trust the experts at Appliance Rescue Service. From routine maintenance to unexpected repairs, our team is here to help.