Mac n' cheese soup and buffalo chicken "fries" - Dairy Foods

I can barely type this post because I'm so full. But I promised my honey I would blog about the yummy meal he cooked for me; mac n' cheese soup and buffalo chicken "fries". It was delicious.

I randomly received a new cooking magazine in the mail called Cuisine at Home. It actually has a bunch of great recipes, but these were the first we tried. Make this dinner, you won't be disappointed. The photo doesn't nearly do it justice, as soon as the sun goes down and I don't have natural light my photos go south. Still learning!

Though the name of the mac n' cheese has the word "soup" in it, I think it is really more of a stove-top mac n' cheese. There is nothing very soupy about the dish, it is very creamy, cheesey...not liquidy like you would imagine with a soup.

Mac n' Cheese Soup (adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry elbo macaroni
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose four
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodiun chicken broth
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups whole milk
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

Preparation

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted wsater according to ackage directions; drain and set aside.

Sweat onion and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour to coat and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then whisk in milk and warm through. Do not let boil or base may become grainy.

Add cheddar, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next cup. Stir in macaroni, lemon juice, and salt; remove from heat.

Combine blue cheese and chives in a small bowl. Garnish each serving with blue cheese mixture.

Buffalo Chicken "Fries"

Ingredients

1/3 cup hot sauce (such as Frank's)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. honey
1 lb. boneless, skinless chickenbreast halves, slice lengh-wise into 1/2 inch wide strips, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

Preparation

Whisk together hot sauce, butter, and honey in a large bowl.

Toss chicken strips with flour in a large resealable plastic bag until coated; shake off excess four.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil inn a large saute pan over medium-high; add half the chicken strips, saute until browned, about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to hot sauce mixture and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken strips.

Do you have any examples of a great meal your honey cooked for you?