I’m doing my happy dance right now! Wanna know why? Go ahead, ask me! Ok geez I’ll tell you! Because the mailman delivered The Dairy Good Cookbook yesterday and I’ve been cozied up in my bed for the last hour with this book like I’m reading a bestselling novel.

Have I ever told you all how obsessed I am with cookbooks? It’s pretty bad. Not just any cookbook though. My poison is usually the big, thick kind with tons of pictures, family traditions and personal STORIES! OMG the stories totally suck me in! There is just something special about a cookbook filled with real stories, memories and tried and true recipes. It leaves me feeling all nostalgic, inspired and anxious to get into the kitchen to try out the recipes for myself.

I was thrilled and honored when I got the chance to review The Dairy Good Cookbook! June is National Dairy Month and this cookbook came right on time! It’s a cookbook from America’s dairy farmers and it’s chocked full of everything that I love in a cookbook!

It’s a thick, hard-covered beauty with tantalizing, in-your-face food photos; over 100 easy, dairy inspired recipes; fun facts; and personal, day-in-the-life stories of several American dairy famers. Yeah, they really packed it all in this cookbook!

You won’t find recipes categorized by type but instead recipes are grouped based on the typical day on the farm. It starts with sunrise recipes and goes all the way through afternoon chores, after dinner desserts and more! You’ll explore the farm along the way and even get close up and personal with the six major types of dairy cows.

Isaac loved reading the sections about the dairy cows.  He’s doing a report on the Brown Swiss cow for homeschool after becoming fascinated with Snickerdoodle the cow. Looks like a field trip to the dairy farm is in order!

I particularly enjoyed reading Vaughn and Laura Chase’s story. I totally agree with how these Maine dairy farmers choose to feed and care for their Holstein cows. My great grandfather use to have an old Holstein cow and he use to say “Let that cow roam all day in fresh pastures and it’ll make the best milk on earth for ya”. That was the honest truth because that milk was amazing! To give this cookbook a test drive I HAD to try out a recipe ASAP! I get all excited and stuff when I’m choosing the first recipe to try from a new cookbook.

The Cajun Mac and Cheese caught my eye instantly! Pasta+ spicy sausage + creamy cheese?  Yes please!! This dish was quick, easy and flavorful. I paired it with honey butter yeast rolls, a salad and sweet iced tea. Dinner was amazing!

The Recipe

Cajun Mac and Cheese

Print This Recipe >

Pin This Recipe >

4.7 from 15 reviews

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 large yellow onions, finely diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups finely diced bell peppers (2 cups)
• 1 cup slice Andouille sausage
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions
• ¼ cup sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in an extra large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the sausage and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the sausage begins to brown.
4. Pour in the heavy cream and increase the heat to high.
5. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer until the cream has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the cheese and stir until melted and combined.
7. Season with salt and black pepper.
8. Add the cooked pasta and stir until all ingredients are well combined and the pasta is coated with sauce.
9. Serve immediately topped with a sprinkling of green onions.

3.3.3070

Recipe courtesy of The Dairy Good Cookbook, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

When I was done reading this book I didn’t just walk away with a belly full of delicious Cajun mac and cheese and a handsome cookbook to add to my stash. I walked away with a whole new respect for our nation’s 47,000+ dedicated dairy farmers. They work so hard to bring us that delicious creamy yogurt, gooey cheese, fresh butter, and the list goes on.

This cookbook left me satisfied, educated, enlightened and feeling like I had just come from visiting the dairy farm! Well done, dairy farmers!

This article is sponsored by Dairy Good. The opinions and text are my own. 

The Dairy Good Cookbook is available nationwide wherever books are sold and you can purchase online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bound. Follow the Dairy Good story on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Through The Dairy Good Cookbook, dairy farmers share their secret (and not so secret) stories, traditions, and family recipes that have been passed down through generations. For a chance to win a copy of The Dairy Good Cookbook and a $75 gift card, share a recipe or dish that celebrates your love of dairy (meaning that the recipe or dish must include cow’s milk, cheese and/or yogurt) as well as a story of how that recipe or dish has been passed down through the generations in your family, or is tied to a special tradition or occasion meaningful to you.

Entry Instructions:

You may receive (1) total entry by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/2/2015 – 6/30/2015

Be sure to visit The Dairy Good Cookbook’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!