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OK, I am officially over winter. Once the holidays pass, I am usually down to get a little ice fishing in, a little snow tubing, and some general fun. But this last week? Once the negative 30 hits, get me out of Dodge. I want nothing to do with winter anymore and am just counting down the days until golf season now. Although it was bizarre last year, I’m missing the 50s and 60s we had in January and February. I golfed a round at Chisago Lakes in February last year even! Let’s get back to that and away from temps that make ice cubes shiver.

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BUFFALO MAC N’ CHEESE

Kosher salt, for the pot and seasoning

12 oz. elbow macaroni

2 Tbsp. salted butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 mounded Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 oz.)

1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (about 6 oz.)

1 generous cup shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup Buffalo-style hot sauce,  plus more for serving

2 Tbsp. buttermilk ranch dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 2 oz.), for serving (optional)

Celery leaves, for serving (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Season with the pepper and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion and garlic are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic and stir to make a roux. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes before slowly stirring in the milk and then the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle boil, allowing the mixture to thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and pepper jack a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Stir in the chicken, hot sauce, and ranch dressing and cook until the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well to combine. 

Serve topped with the blue cheese, celery leaves, and a drizzle of hot sauce, if you like.

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WHITE CHICKEN

ENCHILADAS

3 Tbsp. canola oil, divided

12 whole corn tortillas

1 large onion, diced

1 whole jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

3 (4-oz.) cans whole green chiles, diced and divided

1 tsp. paprika, divided

2 cups reserved broth from chicken, divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese, divided, plus more to top

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cilantro, chopped

Picante sauce (optional)

In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp). Place the tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat the remaining one tablespoon of canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño, and sauté for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add the chicken, half of the green chiles, and 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and stir. Add the heavy cream and stir, allowing the mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Whisk together and cook until it begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the remaining half of the chiles. Reduce the heat, then stir in the sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups of cheese and stir to melt. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Check the seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To assemble, spoon the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.

Pour the cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you'd like, then bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

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CHICKEN FRIED TURKEY

For the turkey:

2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning

2 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup whole buttermilk

2 Tbsp. hot sauce

1 large egg

2 lb. turkey cutlets

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 Tbsp. baking powder

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the creamy gravy:

1/4 cup salted butter

1/2 medium yellow onion, grated

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups warm turkey or chicken stock, divided

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. dijon mustard (optional)

For the turkey: In a small bowl, combine the poultry seasoning, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture until smooth. Add the turkey to the buttermilk mixture; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 10 minutes before frying. In a medium shallow bowl or pie plate, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, the remaining spice mixture, and 3 tablespoons of the turkey marinade until well combined (the mixture will be pebble-y). Working with one piece of turkey at a time, dredge the turkey in the flour mixture, patting to coat. Shake off the excess flour, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining turkey.

Add oil to a depth of 1 inch in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°F.

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

When the oil is hot enough, fry the turkey, in batches as necessary, until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. (The internal temperature of the turkey should read 165°F on an instant read thermometer when finished.) Transfer the cooked turkey to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven.

For the creamy gravy: In a medium stainless steel skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until lightly golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour smells toasty and turns lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add 3 cups of the stock, whisking to break up any clumps. Add the salt and pepper, and bring to gentle simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy is smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and mustard, if using. Add more stock, if needed; season with additional salt and black pepper.

Divide the turkey among plates; spoon over the warm gravy. Sprinkle with more black pepper.

TFD: Don’t think about what could go wrong. Think about what could go right.

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