Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

by

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

Surely I’m not the only person who grew up eating macaroni and cheese (blue box only, please) with sliced hot dogs mixed in. While I’d like to think my palate is slightly more refined than it was 20 or 25 years ago, child Abby pretty much considered that meal a delicacy. We spent a lot of time each summer with my dad’s mom, Granny, and any day we could convince her to make hot dogs and macaroni was a good day.


Truth be told, there’s probably enough nostalgia attached to that dish that I’d still gladly eat it. But since I can’t quite bring myself to do that, I’m settling for the next best thing: this Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese. Really, though, nothing about this recipe is “settling.” You’ve got hearty chunks of sausage, which can be as mild or as spicy as you’d like. You’ve got the pasta of your choice (for these photos I used a partial box of mini farfalle and a partial box of rotini). You’ve got a creamy, gooey, melty cheese sauce that puts that neon powdered stuff to shame.

If that isn’t enough to convince you to give Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese a try, consider that it comes together in just about 30 minutes and, if you opt for a no-boil pasta, you can make the entire recipe using just one pot. Sold yet? That’s what I thought.

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

[Read more…]

Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce

by

Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce is easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal, but flavorful and fancy enough for guests.

Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce is easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal, but flavorful and fancy enough for guests.

I’m in the middle of a month-long gluten-free eating experiment. To be honest, I’m equal parts hoping it will resolve some health issues and also hoping it doesn’t so I don’t have to give up all things gluten-full. I don’t want to buy a lot of expensive (holy cow, gluten-free products cost a lot) gluten-free products, but I knew I needed to have a few things on hand for quick meals.


One of the things I bought was gluten-free pasta so, naturally, I had to make this Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce. The sauce is thickened with starchy pasta water instead of flour, so it doesn’t get thick and gloopy, rather it stays the perfect consistency to carry the roasted peppers and coat the pasta.

Pasta in Roasted Poblano Cheddar Cream Sauce is easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal, but flavorful and fancy enough for guests.

[Read more…]

Parmesan Roasted Carrots

by

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FeedYourFoodie #CollectiveBias

Whether you’re making a fancy spread or a quick meal, Parmesan roasted carrots are the perfect easy and tasty side dish.

Whether you're making a fancy spread or a quick meal, Parmesan roasted carrots are the perfect easy and tasty side dish.


Just a few months ago I had two preschoolers. Now, I have two elementary school students and an infant. If I thought life was busy before, I had no idea the craziness the world of dance classes and homework and parent meetings would bring. I know life will only get busier as the kids get older, which is why it’s so important to me to establish routines while they’re young.

One of those non-negotiable routines is family dinner time. It’s important to me that we begin this tradition now; I want it to be a habit so that, when the kids are older and even more active, it’ll already be something we’re used to doing.

Whether you're making a fancy spread or a quick meal, Parmesan roasted carrots are the perfect easy and tasty side dish.

Some nights this is more easily accomplished than others. Some nights, it seems I have to choose between cooking an elaborate dinner or sitting down to eat with the family. The choice is easy: I opt for family time and grab a frozen entree to eat, like LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE Cheese & Fire-Roasted Chile Tamale, LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE Chicken Tikka Masala, or LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE Southwest-Style Potato Bake.

Whether you're making a fancy spread or a quick meal, Parmesan roasted carrots are the perfect easy and tasty side dish.

I love these meals because they’re genuinely so good. Not good-for-a-frozen-meal good, but good. Lean Cuisine Marketplace Cheese & Fire-Roasted Chile Tamale is my favorite, but the meals are unique enough to suit any mood. They’re all protein-packed, made with organic ingredient options, and full of flavor, which is why I usually toss a few in the cart nearly every time I’m at Walmart. To round out the meal and add a homemade component (because I just can’t resist), I like to pair my Lean Cuisine Marketplace meals with a simply-prepared vegetable, like these Parmesan roasted carrots.

They’re pretty simple to prepare and they roast in the oven in the time it takes to prepare the rest of your meal and whatever the family is eating. The carrots are bathed in garlic butter, roasted until tender, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and then roasted a little more. They’re the perfect complement to any of the Lean Cuisine Marketplace meals.

Whether you're making a fancy spread or a quick meal, Parmesan roasted carrots are the perfect easy and tasty side dish.

[Read more…]

Spinach and Artichoke Hot Dip

by

This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That’s a good thing, because you won’t want to stop eating it.

This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That's a good thing, because you won't want to stop eating it.

Late October/early November is shaping up to be a sports lover’s dream. It seems like there’s some sporting event or another on TV just about every night of the week. We’re big Mississippi State fans in my house (#HailState), but we’ve usually got one game or another going on Saturdays.


This spinach and artichoke hot dip is the perfect companion for game day. It’s super easy to prepare, and it’s served warm, a nice departure from other dips. The dip is hearty and packed with flavorful ingredients like garlic, Rotel tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. The whole thing gets melted in the oven, resulting in a gooey appetizer that’s filling enough to double as a meal.

My mother-in-law threw this together several weeks back while my sister-in-law and I were doing some freezer cooking. It was beautiful when it came out of the oven, with its golden bread crumb topping and flavor-packed creaminess. It didn’t matter that spinach and artichokes aren’t usually my thing. It turns out I’ll eat pretty much any vegetable, given that it’s bathed in some form of cheese and flavored with garlic.

We couldn’t stop sampling this dip as we cooked. When they left- and took the dish of dip with them- I saved myself a generous portion and proceeded to eat nearly the entire thing for lunch. I feel no shame about it because 1. Spinach and 2. It was so freaking good.

This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That's a good thing, because you won't want to stop eating it.

[Read more…]

parmesan and panko crusted baked vegetables

by

Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

If you’re in the “a vegetable with a few added calories is better than no vegetable at all” camp, you’ve come to the right place. I make my home in that camp.  I’m Head Counselor of that camp. I fly that camp flag with pride.


Today, I’m showing my camp spirit by sharing with you how to take ordinary asparagus or green beans, dust them with flour and soak them in egg, and then crust them with crispy panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. It’s a dish our whole camp can get behind.

When I made this dish, I used a combination of green beans and asparagus, because that’s what I had. The two work well together because they’re of similar thickness, but you could choose to use both or one or the other.

Green beans and asparagus are coated in crispy bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until tender for a healthy side dish with a satisfying crunch.

[Read more…]