Macaroni and Cheese

from: marthastewart.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes 8 servings

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb. elbow pasta (or your favorite)
4 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
8 oz. ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 slices white sandwich bread

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

COOK, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne (OPTIONAL) and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

TOSS pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

IN a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

French Onion Soup

from: marthastewart.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes 8 servings

10 medium yellow onions (about 4 1/2 lbs), halved, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cans (14 1/4 oz each) chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine

For Cheese Toast (Optional)

4 slices toasted multigrain bread
4 oz. sliced swiss cheese

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss together onions, oil, sugar, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover tightly with foil; cook until steamed, about 30 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.

TRANSFER onion mixture to a large saucepan (reserve roasting pan); stir in broth and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.

DEGLAZE the roasting pan with wine: Place the pan over medium heat; add wine. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or scraper to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour liquid (and browned bits) into soup. Season with salt and pepper. (If freezing, let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch at top.)

MAKE the cheese toast: Heat broiler. Place bread on a baking sheet; top with Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut each slice into four triangles.

TO serve, divide soup among bowls; garnish each with two triangles of cheese toast, if desired.

THIS soup can be frozen for up to three months; to serve, defrost, and warm on the stove, over low heat. The soup gets its rich taste from caramelized onions.

Sour Cream Cherry Scones

from: landolakes.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 25 minutes
Makes 16 scones

Toppings:

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp. sugar

Scone Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup dried cherries (or sweetened dried cranberries)

HEAT oven to 375 degrees. Combine all topping ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

COMBINE flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

COMBINE sour cream, egg and almond extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in cherries.

TURN dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 times until smooth, adding small amount of flour, if necessary.

DIVIDE dough in half. Pat each half into a 7-inch circle. Place 2 inches apart onto large ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle topping evenly over dough. Score each half into 8 wedges; do not separate.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes; separate scones.

STORE leftover scones in airtight container at room temperature.