Chickpea-Butternut Squash Curry

1 package diced butternut squash

2 Tab. butter or margarine

2 tea. brown sugar

2 tea. honey

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-15 oz. cans chick peas, drained

1-20 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Put butternut squash, butter, brown sugar and honey into a large pot. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat for a few minutes for about 3-5  minutes. Add onion, garlic and olive oil. Cook another 3-5 minutes or until onion is softened. Drain the canned chick peas and add to the pot. Also add the tomato sauce, water and curry powder. Stir the pot until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat. While the chick peas are simmering, rinse the cilantro and pull the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pot. Give everything a stir and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency; about 20 minutes total. Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 48 oz (3 lbs.) elbow macaroni

1 cup butter (or margarine)

1 cup flour

8 cups milk

1 tsp salt/pepper (or to taste)

4 cups shredded swiss cheese

8 cups + shredded cheddar cheese

Spray 3-9x13 inch baking dishes with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 375F.

Cook macaroni in a large pot of water according to package directions.

Melt butter (or margarine -whichever you have on hand) in a large pot.

Pour flour into melted butter and stir together until flour is thoroughly combined. Whisk in milk. Stir constantly for several minutes until boiling.

Stir in 4 cups of swiss cheese and 6 cups cheddar until completely melted. This takes about 2-3 minutes of additional stirring. Remove from heat when thoroughly melted.

Pour in the cooked and drained elbow macaroni into your large pot of homemade cheese sauce. Stir gently, so you don’t mash your noodles.

Fill each dish 3/4 of the way full with Mac and Cheese mixture. Top with remaining 2 cups+ shredded cheese.

Place baking dishes into preheated oven for 25 minutes. When your oven beeps in 25 minutes.

Depending on how brown and crispy you’d like the top, you can turn the oven off, but let your dishes sit 5 or so more minutes in the oven.

Source: modified from the recipe at Large Family Table