My Wednesday Pantry Continues

      I'll be keeping Wednesday as a food day post, sharing recipes of new to me or favorites from recent weeks. This will be my challenge day to do better food photos. I'm a rubbish photographer but I'll sure try. Three dishes stood out this week as perhaps worthy to share. They're all economical and two are vegetarian The third could be with the use of meatless sausage. 

Our Thursday night dinner was part request, part use it up and it made leftovers for Friday lunch.

Homemade macaroni and
cheese with Spinach Egg bake 

Mac and Cheese  

8 ounce cooked elbow macaroni, set aside 

     Make a roux with 2 TBLS melted butter and 1 of flour, gradually whisk in two cups milk, salt and hefty amounts of pepper. I also added a heaping tsp if both garlic and onion powder. As it thickens a bit, add 2-3 ounces  cream cheese and a cup if cubed our grated cheddar. Mix all to melted, add macaroni, then dump in a greased baking pan. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 for at least 30 minutes.

Egg bake- I had frozen spinach and three lingering eggs. I added two more to have enough to fill the pie plate 

     Scramble the eggs, add 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup sour cream, whisk more to combine. Add thawed frozen spinach, I probably had 1/4 of a 12 ounce bag of chopped left, and about 1/2 cup cheddar. Bake in a sprayed pie plate   at 350 for about 45 minute's until eggs are set. You could add any cooked vegetables you like to bulk this out, but then might want to reduce the milk a bit to counter liquid.

Sausage Gravy...over biscuits

     Sunday morning was cold and brisk. I had a list if stuff to get done after being lazy for two days so decided a large brunch was in order. I had bought two pounds of sausage last month when Aldi had it for $2.39. Half went into sausage gravy. Now normally I'd buy one of those country gravy mixes, but Sunday I used this Best Sausage Gravy recipe, but a 1/2 batch. Note, I still used all the seasoning of the full batch. It was as easy as a packet and much creamier.  I will admit, I just used Aldi grands biscuits. They're delicious and only 95 cents for 8 massive ones. I made a few sausage biscuits for grab and go mornings with the rest of the sausage and biscuits. There's also more gravy but I might stir into a pasta dish or use for baked potato toppings.

Very beige but very delicious. I ad
a couple clementine's as well. 

      I had mine with a perfect over easy egg, with perfect oozy yolk. I was set for the afternoon, fueled with carbs, fat, and protein to carry out my list. I anticipate that we'll eat may meals that are easy, economical, and yield leftovers for my lunch. Ill make sure to have vegetables and fruit on the side if they are lacking. It's not so much a change in how we eat, but more of a giving in to ease. Sometimes I'll feel like making a complicated meal, but if I'm going to cut our  many processed ingredients like canned soups, I'll trade off for simple and humble meals more frequently. Let me know if you have a favorite mac and cheese or sausage gravy recipe.