Mac and Cheese Waffles, Leftover Makeover!

Mac and Cheese Waffle topped with Sarayo by Xhico

My aunt sends me emails constantly of stuff to try cooking. I think somewhere in the flurry of her emails I saw something about Mac and Cheese Waffles. I never read the article, but remembered it today when I was thinking of what to do with all this leftover amazing Mac and Cheese. So I decided to pull out the waffle iron and give it a go.

I gave the waffle iron a light coat of non-stick cooking spray and heated it up on medium-high. Then I saw some smoke and could smell a burning odor. Oops. I put the cooking spray onto way too soon. But I kept going. I sliced out a piece of mac and cheese from the casserole dish. I laid it in the waffle iron and it began to sizzle. I pressed the waffle iron until it was tight. I could hear the cheese crackling away and I could begin to smell it in the air. It was delightful. I waited and waited for about 8 minutes and thought it was done.

When I opened the waffle maker my macaroni surprise fell apart. The center feel right out as the top stuck snuggly to waffle iron. I pried it away from the top and bottom and set the crispy bits on a paper towel. I tasted them and they were salty, cheesy, crispy goodness. I had to make this work. Being a designer, makes me a good problem solver among other things.

After a quick wipe down, I let the waffler get hot. This time I sprayed a nice coat of non-stick cooking spray right before I put the slice of mac and cheese in. Also, I just gave it a gentle pressure as I closed it and didn't force it in too hard. This time I waited with anticipation. Would my adjustments give me a magic-mac-cheesy-waffle?

The aroma of the cheese crisping was promising. The crackling sound was another sign things were going good. After about 10 minutes I opened the waffle iron and it came away from what has become a golden crunchy crust of cheese. "Yahoo!" I exclaimed. I was so excited that I had actually accomplished this leftover make-over. I took the waffle out and could hardly wait to eat it. I threw it on a plate, topped it with some Sarayo and got to work on that salty, crackly, gooey, cheesy wonder waffle.

Get my BAKED MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE here!

Roly Poly Potato Recipe

Roly Poly Potato with Cream and Sarayo Sauce

Potatoes are my favorite carb so I'm always looking of new ways to prepare them. I thought I had the fabulous idea of making one similar to an "awesome blossom" aka bloomin' onion. I later learned on Facebook that my idea wasn't so original and these potatoes are actually called Hasselback Potatoes. I don't care, I call them "Roly Poly Potatoes" because they look like the little roly poly bugs I used to play with in the garden as a kid. So, I find it great that these potatoes look like giant bugs or crustaceans.

This potato recipe gives you a tender inside and a crispy texture on the outside. It's a great side dish with meat and perfect substitute for a baked potato. It's very easy to prepare and good to make for just one person.


ROLY POLY POTATO RECIPE (Hasselback Potato Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 Potato (I used Purple Potatoes because they look pretty on the inside)
1 Clove of Garlic
Olive Oil
Butter
Sea Salt

Cut slices evenly and place garlic between each slice

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 425º F (215º C)
2. Starting at one end of the potato, cut the potato cross-ways downward in direction. The slice should be about 1/8" thick. Don't cut all the way thru leave about 1/8" connected at bottom of potato. Continue to cut slices down the entire length of the potato.
3. Slice thinly one clove of garlic.
4. Place one slice of garlic in each slot that you have cut into the potato
5. Coat bottom of baking dish with olive oil. Put potato in dish.
6. Generously drizzle potato with olive oil.
7. Sprinkle with sea salt (make sure salt and olive oil gets into the slots)
8. Bake uncovered for 40-60 minutes. Depending on size of potato and your preference of the doneness of center and crispiness of the outside.

• Melt 2tbsp of butter and drizzle over top. If you want it extra garlicky, then add sliced garlic to your butter as you are melting it. I also enjoy it with crema (Mexican table cream) or Sarayo Sauce.

Provecho!

So in Love with Sarayo Giveaway!

Sarayo Sauce

As you may know if you follow me on Instagram, one of my favorite condiments is Sarayo. It's a mix of Sriracha and a creamy mayonnaise. It's spipcy, tangy and creamy all at the same time. It's even gluten-free! It's fantastic on grilled cheese and quesadillas. I have a killer Sarayo Tuna Salad recipe and Sarayo Deviled Egg Recipe I will share with you soon. Anyhow, this a must have condiment that will make everything more delicious, well maybe not dessert.

SARAYO SAUCE GIVEAWAY!

1. LIKE my page on Facebook
2. COMMENT on what you would do with Sarayo Sauce

3 WINNERS will be chosen and receive a bottle of Sarayo Sauce from Chow with Xhico. Winners will be chosen May 23rd.

Panini Party!

Today I gave a Panini Party at Chase Design Group in Los Angeles. It was a surprise for all the amazing designers and staff at one of the best design firms in the universe. Everyone had a grand time and got down on some mean grilled cheese sandwiches. There was assortment of ingredients and everyone got to make their own combinations of bread, condiments, gourmet cheeses and other tasty toppings. People really enjoyed tasting new things and creating their own custom flavor combinations. If you're in the Los Angeles area you can book a Panini Party with me, just send me a message for details!

The full spread! via Xhico Instagram

Panini's on the press! via Xhico Instagram

Todays Menu Choices:

Breads: German Shepherds Bread, Olive Oil Ciabata Roll, Bolillo Roll, Udi's Gluten-Free White

Cheeses: Basil Gouda (Oakdale, California), Le Marechal (Switzerland), Prima Donna (Holland), Durrus (Ireland) - All imported cheeses can be purchased at Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Meats: Lomo (Spain), Spicy Soppressata (Calabria, Italy)

Veggies: Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula, Basil, Carmelized Red Onions

Condiments: Sarayo, Sarayo Sweet, Wasabi-yo, Apricot-Garlic Spread, Gulden's Whole Grain Mustard, Sundried Tomatoes

Xhico mans the Panini Press. via Paula Instagram