Hamilton Herald Masthead

Editorial


Front Page - Friday, March 7, 2014

Kay's Cooking Corner


Cheesy Macaroni Casserole and Parmesean Crusted Aspargus ... Yummy!



I love Little Debbie Pecan Spins. I usually have a stash of them somewhere – in either my car, my camera bag, or the pantry at home. They are one of my all-time favorites snacks, and I will be really heartbroken if Little Debbie ever decides to quit selling these little gems.

There are certain ways to eat certain foods. For example, you don’t eat chicken nuggets with a fork. They’re finger foods. Same with Pecan Spins – there’s a certain way to eat those.

The other day, hubby and I were driving down the road, and I picked up one to munch on. Since there are two little spins in each package, and since he was looking on longingly, and since I’m such a good wife, I gave him one of the spins. It was the ultimate food sacrifice, but after all, if the occasion ever comes up, I would expect him to share, too!

He ate his in three bites. What’s up with that? He obviously didn’t know how to eat a Pecan Spin, so I had to show him how.

First, you find the start of the rolled edge and pull it open slowly, and then you eat it little by little, spinning and unrolling the edge as you munch on it. I don’t know, but I just have to savor the little bites, and make it last longer. And the little, crunchy pecans? You can’t even taste them if you take a big bite all at once!

It’s like an Oreo cookie. Everyone knows (or at least should know) that to eat an Oreo cookie properly, you should pull the top and bottom apart and then eat the filling off the cookie first. Then you can go on to eating the crunchy chocolate cookies. That’s a basic fact that you learn as a child.

I’ve seen him eat an Oreo before, too, and no...he doesn’t eat one of those right, either. He just pops the whole thing in his mouth. What a waste!

Recently, we ate at a steakhouse that served Parmesan crusted asparagus as an appetizer. Well, we both go gaga over anything cheesy, and we both like asparagus, so getting an order of this was a no-brainer, even though we don’t usually get appetizers.

It was deep-fried, crunchy-crusty, tender, and so tasty. And it came to our table with shaved Parmesan cheese scattered over the asparagus. It was so delicious! The first thing I did when we got home was to find a recipe for it. As usual, there are tons of recipes online for Parmesan crusted asparagus, but I finally found one that was similar to what we ate.

Another thing you can make to serve with Parmesan crusted asparagus is a Garlic Herb Mayonnaise for dipping. I also have a quick recipe for that.

Another thing I made recently was a macaroni cheeseburger casserole for dinner. This is an ultimate comfort food! It’s quick, easy and yummy, and perfect for a quick meal during the weeknights. Since I made it while keeping my grandchildren, I can say kids love it! 

Parmesan Crusted Fried Asparagus

1 to 2 pounds of fresh asparagus spears

1/2 cup of flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs

Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying (I use Canola Oil)

Garlic Herb Mayonnaise

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives

Wash the asparagus and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Combine the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese in a wide bowl. Mix them well with a fork. Set aside.

Make the mayonnaise dipping sauce by combining the mayo, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and set aside.

Lightly coat the asparagus in flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally coat it in the breadcrumb mixture. Ensure each asparagus spear is coated evenly. Repeat the process with remaining spears. Set aside.

Heat enough oil in a frying pan to come up half of an inch on the side of pan. Heat over medium heat. Cook the asparagus spears until their golden. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.

Shave some Parmesan cheese (don’t be stingy with it) over the tops of the spears. Serve immediately with herbed garlic mayo for dipping.

Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

1-1/2 pounds of ground beef

1-1/2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

1 large can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 family size package (24 oz.) of VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner

1-1/2 tablespoons of garlic paste

2 green onions, sliced

Brown the meat in a large skillet; drain. Add water, milk and diced tomatoes; mix well. Bring to a boil. Stir in the uncooked shell macaroni; return to boil. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat for 10 min. or until the macaroni is tender. 

Stir in the cheese sauce and onions; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Serve with a green salad and some hot rolls.