Queso Blanco

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper
1 heaping Tbsp minced pickled jalapenos
3/4 lb white american cheese, shredded
1/4 lb pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaping tsp chili powder

In a small saucepan, saute onion and red bell pepper in olive oil until tender. Add jalapeno and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in shredded cheeses a handful at a time and cream. Stir often until al the cheese is melted. Stir in cumin and chili powder. Keep warm and serve with tortilla chips.

Yum! Adapted from a recipe at allrecipes.com

Macaroni & Cheese 6.2.09

I may be biased, but my family's recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is the BEST Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. Period.

Macaroni and Cheese

16-oz box elbow macaroni
Cheese, shredded - lots of it
Butter, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Milk or Half & Half or a combination
Garlic Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water as directed on the package to al dente. Butter a casserole dish or a 9x13" pan and leave the rest of the butter in the pan, cut in chunks. Drain the macaroni and pour into the buttered pan. Season to taste with the garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese. You must use at least 2 cups of shredded cheddar. We always throw in a couple of handfuls of whatever other kind of cheese we have on hand. Do NOT skimp on the cheese! Pour in enough milk until you can see it just under the top layer of macaroni. Bake about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

This is excellent as is, or you can add cubes of just about any kind of cooked meat (smoked sausage and ham cubes are my favorites).