King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

April 27, 2014: The first meal I ever made Andy was my King Ranch Chicken. I was SO crazy nervous about having him over for dinner that I thought it'd be best to make something that I knew well. I had no doubt that the iconic star of my blog and one of my top hits on Pinterest would make a fabulous first meal to serve this cute new boy I liked.

Andy and me on the bench at Cabana #3 where he proposed a few months before this picture

         

Well, I flopped. I was so nervous that I forgot to drain everything- the peppers, the tomatoes, I just dumped in the whole can and kept on going. It turned out more like King Ranch soup. Womp, womp- I was embarassed, and Andy probably thought he was stuck with take out for the rest of this, what was sure to be short relationship. Good thing I was wrong about a lot of things that night. Andy, being the sweet guy that he is, smiled, scarfed it up, and even asked for seconds. It wasn't until months later that I had the conversation with him about the soupy meal, and he admitted that it wasn't the best thing I'd ever made. Well, phew, luckily I was also wrong about my flop being a relationship deal-breaker, because here we are, almost four years later and getting married in a few months!

Andy and me at our surprise engagement party right after he proposed on October 26, 2013

                                     

I found this recipe on Pinterest for a big ol' King Ranch casserole-type meal, but it was based in mac n cheese instead of tortillas. It was like your side and a main course all in one. I made the King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese about two years after I'd made my King Ranch soup, and it was definitely more of a hit than my first King Ranch experience with Andy. Lucky for me, I have a pretty sweet fiance who would probably grin and bear just about anything I put on a plate in front of him. At least now he isn't embarassed to tell me when something is "not the best thing" I've ever made, but let's be honest- I think he's just thankful to be marrying a gal who knows her way around the kitchen!

Andy and me at Martin House Brewing Company

                                       

If you like King Ranch Casserole, you're sure to like the mac n cheese version of it. It makes enough to feed a small army, and it freezes and reheats very well. 

King Ranch Macaroni & Cheese

Pinterest.com
Servings: 20; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

• 13 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chiles (like Rotel)
• 8 oz Velveeta or other packaged pasteurized cheese product, cubed
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cooked & cubed
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced fat cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1/2 c fat free sour cream
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 c fat free cheddar cheese

King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare pasta according to package instructions
3. In a large, deep saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat
4. Add onion & bell pepper, sauté 5 mins or until tender
5. Add tomatoes & green chiles and Velveeta- stir until cheese melts
6. Add chicken, cream of chicken, sour cream, chili powder, and ground cumin- mix until well blended
7. Add cooked pasta- mix until all is well blended
8. Spoon mixture into a non-stick cooking spray coated 11x7 baking dish
9. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese on top
10. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins

Keep on cookin!

-Katherine

Grilled Summer Asparagus

Longhorns at Hayley's wedding

June 16, 2013: My college roommate, Hayley, and her husband, Ben, got married this weekend in Frederickburg, Texas. Ben and Hayley live in Houston, but she is from Fort Worth and he is from Dallas. They decided on Fredericksburg as both mutual territory for the UT Longhorn and SMU Mustang and also because it is a really neat Texas destination. 

On Thursday, June 13, Andy and I were going to be busy wrapping up some work things and starting to pack for the weekend, so we ate dinner at home. I made Firecracker Grilled Salmon, but needed a side. I pulled out my "Texas Favorites by Jon Bonnell" cookbook and found a recipe he had for a "Summer Vegetable Salad" that included asparagus, so I prepped it per his recipe, and it definitely took place as my top favorite asparagus recipe. 

MaryEllen, me, Andy, and JK at Hayley & Ben's wedding

We wanted to make the most out of our adventure down to south Texas, so we broke up the trip into two parts. Friday, June 14, we had decided to drive to see my best friend and her husband, Whitney and Todd, at their home in La Vernia. On the way there, Andy got a nail in his truck tire. Of all places to pull over at, we happened to stop at a car repair shop. They had Andy's spare on, and we were back on the road in only 12 minutes!

Our flat tire, but it only took 12 minutes to change!

We met The Creels for dinner at La Fogata in San Antonio while it was pouring rain atop our covered patio. Then we followed them back to their beautiful home in La Vernia, about 30 minutes southeast of San Antonio. We spent the night catching up (although Whitney and I talk on the phone daily), checking out their son-to-be, Kolt's, nursery in progress, and watching Hangover 2.

Chisholm Trail Winery

Saturday, June 15, Whitney and Todd made us bacon and cheese biscuit sandwiches and then we were en route to Fredericksburg. After checking in to our hotel, The Sunday House, Andy and I headed out to our favorite winery, Chisholm Trail. We had gone there in February 2011, and it was the first winery that ever taught me how to properly taste wine. 

Rancho Ponte Winery

After Chisholm Trail, we went to Rancho Ponte for another wine tasting before we headed back to get ready for the Newell wedding. The Newells had arranged for a shuttle to take us to the winery where the wedding ceremony and reception were, Becker Vineyards. The weather was perfect, and Hayley was a beautiful bride! We spent the night dancing and sampling all of the wines Becker had to offer. I left the wedding the sweatiest hot mess I've ever been at a wedding. I was soaked but it was so fun dancing the night away with my favorite boy and Longhorn girls. 

Andy and me on the shuttle on the way to Becker Vineyards for the Newell Wedding

Ben & Hayley Newell!

Sunday morning, I slept late while Andy did a little sight seeing around town. When he got back, we had breakfast at my favorite little brunch spot in Fredericksburg, Mahaley's, with our friends, Katie, Leo, and Scott. After lunch and checking out of The Sunday House, we went to Luckenbach, Texas, (with Waylan and Willie and the boys). It's been a super fun but tiring weekend and we still have two hours left on our drive back to Funkytown- actually, I think it may be a good time for a nap.

Andy and me in Luckenbach, Texas

Grilled Summer Asparagus

By Jon Bonnell

Serving: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 1

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed & washed
• Pepper, as desired
• Salt, as desired
• Garlic powder, as desired
• Olive oil

Grilled Summer Asparagus and Firecracker Salmon

1. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil
2. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, and garlic powder
3. Grill 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine