It’s a funny thing, making friends on the internet. And as I’ve learned over the years, it doesn’t take much. In the case of my friendship with Molly from the universally-loved blog My Name is Yeh, it started with a tweet. I found her blog in late 2013 because apparently I was living under a rock. I remember finding her site, falling in love with the photos and recipes, reading her “about me” section and being all like “OMG I JUST FOUND MY NEW BEST FRIEND.” So obviously I tweeted something to that effect to share my newfound love for her site. This was shortly before I launched Cake Over Steak and my old personal website with my illustrations was still up on my Twitter profile. (It is now gone because it mysteriously disappeared from the internet along with the hosting company I used for it, although it had wonderful timing because it happened about a week after I launched this site.) Molly tweeted back at me and said how much she loved my illustrations, so I told her to stay tuned because I was launching an illustrated food blog in a few weeks. When that day came I made sure to let Molly know the site was live, and she was the first person to comment on my first blog post. Ever since then Molly has continued to be incredibly kind and supportive of my blog.
Then in 2014 I met Molly IRL at that blogger picnic I attended. Afterwards a smaller group of us headed to a bar to hang out and I got to know her even better. Molly is the real deal: warm, funny and inviting. She and I are both percussionists, which is an odd thing to have in common. If I had decided for some weird reason to pursue that instead of art for my career and was super talented like Molly and went to Juilliard for it, I bet we would have been besties and thrown weird dinner parties together.
I always say Molly is the blogger you want to hate because she makes everything seem simultaneously effortless and magical. She’s like a unicorn of the internet who farts sprinkles. But you can’t hate her because she’s unbelievably kind and encouraging and the sweetest person ever. I’ve enjoyed watching her success grow with her blog, and her gorgeous photography helped inspire me to dive into doing the photography for this site on my own about two years ago. She got engaged, she got married, she got chickens, she wrote a book …. It’s been fun to watch.
Her first cookbook, Molly on the Range, takes us through her journey, much like her blog has. Her life is basically a mashup of two of my fantasies: I’ve always wanted to live on a farm or a similarly remote rustic house with animals (I attribute this to reading Little House on the Prairie too many times as a kid), and I’ve wanted to live in Brooklyn ever since college. These are two very different fantasies, but now Molly has lived both of them. After college she moved away from NYC to live on her now-husband’s family sugar beet farm in North Dakota, aka the middle of nowhere. (Although she has a Target, so in my opinion she’s doing better than I am.) I was lucky enough to receive one of her review copies of the book, which came with some fun #mollyontherange-themed temporary tattoos. For the day of this photo shoot I wore the sugar beet one and then I got to feel like a cool person when I went out with my friends in Lancaster later that night.
The book takes us through her transition from the Chicago suburbs (where she grew up) to NYC (for college) and now to Grand Forks, ND. It’s peppered with mini essays in Molly’s hilarious conversational tone and her signature food like Funfetti Cake (made from scratch) and her spins on the Midwest “hotdish.” I’m now dying for the height of summer to roll back around so I can make her “Everymorning Breakfast for the Summer” with Israeli salad and tahini. Other things I love about this book: mentions of fart attacks on her first date with her husband due to too much hummus, and a reference to Stars Hollow in the intro. (I actually just served this dish at a Gilmore Girls-themed dinner party I threw … stay tuned for more on that in a couple weeks.)
It was extremely difficult for me to decide what to make from her book. Should I make something sweet and fun, like Molly? How about cake? She and I both love cake and she makes some of the cutest ones I’ve ever seen. Or what about a hotdish? She’s so good at savory stuff, too. But then I was also intrigued by making some mac and cheese with the help of her mac and cheese flow chart. The struggle was real, you guys; I wanted to make it all.
I settled on a bit of a mashup: I went with mac and cheese but I really wanted to put tater tots on something so I gave this mac and cheese a tater tot lid. (It’s not a true hotdish but I’m calling it a “tot dish.”) I, unlike younger Molly, have a hard time eating meals that are entirely brown and orange in color. So I couldn’t help myself and added a decent helping of broccoli to the mac and cheese. Please don’t hate me. (Feel free to sub in brussels sprouts or something else that might be more up your alley if you’re not a broccoli-lover.)
The tots on top make it seem super special even though it doesn’t take much time at all to add them. They offer a different texture to the dish, which I thoroughly enjoy. Once they get mixed in it kind of reminds me of a mac and cheese/hash brown casserole. My mom makes a particular cheesy hash brown casserole a lot for family holiday meals and she always has to make like 3 pans of it because it’s so popular. Does anyone else’s mom make something like this? It feels like a real mom move, to make a hash brown casserole. If that casserole was like the North Dakota of casseroles, then this mac and cheese tot dish could be like the Brooklyn of casseroles. Maybe? (All of this cheese is going straight to my brain … I’ve eaten this a lot in the last few weeks …) I particularly enjoy it with a glass of white wine; it gives it a very high-brow-low-brow feel.
Anyway, moving on – I think Molly would approve of this, despite the broccoli. Her book is one of the coolest and most unique cookbooks I’ve seen in a while, and it would make a great gift for someone. Congrats, Molly! I can’t wait for book 2. (There’s going to be a book 2, right?)
Illustration at top created with pen and Photoshop.
Prints of my illustrations (plus other products with my work on them) are available in my Society6 shop.
- 8 oz dried pasta (Note: NOT A FULL BOX! I used cavatappi.)
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- 4 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 12 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (I prefer a mix of mild and sharp cheddars)
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp paprika
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 - 1½ lb frozen tater tots
- Heat your oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water (I used a couple tsp kosher salt) and add the pasta. After 5 minutes toss in the broccoli. Remove and drain everything 2 minutes later. (The pasta will have cooked for a total of 7 minutes.) Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the flour and cook for one minute, while whisking. Stir in 1 cup of the milk until thickened slightly. Add the other cup of milk and continue to stir until thickened again.
- Add the cheese, dry mustard, paprika and nutmeg. Stir until the cheese is melted and everything is incorporated together as a smooth sauce.
- Combine the pasta, broccoli and cheese sauce in a casserole dish. I used an 8x8 which made for a deeper casserole, but it also works in a 9x13 pan if you want it to be a thinner casserole with a higher tot-to-pasta ratio.
- Cover with the frozen tots.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until it's bubbling and the tots are warmed through. You can also broil it for a few minutes at the end if you want to. (I do this.) Let it cool for five minutes and then enjoy!
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Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek says
December 12, 2016 at 7:27 AMOh my gosh! I am always a huge fan of tots on everything! And with mac and cheese? I’m having serious heart eyes over here. I agree with you on basically all of your kind words regarding Molly. And that book! Can’t put it down. Alas, I have not met her IRL yet…but I have no doubt that she is just as magical as she is in print. xoxo
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:09 PMThanks Kelsey! You’ll have to meet Molly one day … I didn’t realize until reading her book that she basically lives in Minnesota, not North Dakota. Her book is soooo good. Glad you approve of my tot dish!!! xoxo
Sarah | Well and Full says
December 12, 2016 at 8:13 AM“The unicorn of the internet that farts sprinkles” <—– That made me laugh out loud, but then get kind of jealous because I wish I farted sprinkles :/
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:10 PMHAHAHAH Don’t we all ….
Abby @ Heart of a Baker says
December 12, 2016 at 8:55 AMOhh this looks incredible! Anytime potatoes and mac and cheese are combined, I’m 100% all in. Molly is such a gem, I just want to eat tots and feed her chickens with her!
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:11 PMHahaha me too! I think she’d be down with those plans.
molly says
December 12, 2016 at 9:26 AMSARA!!!!!! I want to leap through the internet and give you a giant bear hug!!!! This post is so so sweet and this recipe mashup is brilliant!! I love it. Also that picnic day was the best!! Let’s do it again one day soon please :) XOXOXOXOOX
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:12 PMGiant bear hug desire is reciprocated!!! Your book is truly wonderful and I can’t wait to make more from it. Congrats again and I hope we can hang out again soon!!! xoxo
Ileana says
December 12, 2016 at 9:41 AMLove this!! And Molly’s cookbook. :)
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:13 PMThanks Ileana! Her book is so great. :-)
Norrie says
December 12, 2016 at 10:03 AMPercussionist? Did I know that?
Oh, and I do believe I know what we’ll have for dinner tonight!
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:14 PMHaha I’m not sure … but yeah, I followed in my dad’s footsteps for a little bit. :-) If you get a chance to make it I think you and Chef William will approve. ;-)
Aysegul says
December 12, 2016 at 9:10 PMOh my!! This looks amazing.
Mac & Cheese and Tater tots! And that GIF! It made me want to reach in to my computer screen and get a bite.
I haven’t gotten my hands on this book yet, but it is on the top of my list.
Happy Holidays!
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:15 PMAww thanks haha! This book is a must-have, even just for reading it from cover to cover. But she has some really interesting recipes in there. Happy Holidays!
DessertForTwo says
December 13, 2016 at 12:15 AMI love your take on hot dish/ tot dish. Actually, I think you should write a whole book on tot dishes!!!!
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:16 PMhaha! That would be quite a book. I wonder how many tater tots would be involved in the testing and photographing of a book like that … OMG. Hah! xoxo
michelle @ hummingbird high says
December 13, 2016 at 10:54 AMi didn’t know you were a percussionist too! also, i cannot get over this mac and cheese tot dish. i keep staring at it. lol.
Sara says
December 13, 2016 at 2:17 PMYep! My dad is actually a drummer (not professionally, but still), and I took lessons from 5th grade through whatever. I preferred piano but percussion was a fun way for me to be in the band and orchestra, plus my piano skills transferred very well to playing the bells and xylophone, etc. I haven’t played in forever, though. Too busy making tot dishes I guess. ;-)
Willow | Will Cook For Friends says
December 13, 2016 at 4:08 PMAhahaha, she IS like the unicorn of the internet who farts sprinkles! Molly really does make this whole blogging thing seem so effortless, but you’re right, she’s awesome — and I totally have her cookbook on my xmas wishlist, and now I’m even more excited for it!
I love the idea of mac and cheese topped with tots (my mom never made a cheesy potato hash, but she does do some killer baked mac and cheese with crushed up potato chips on top, so… close?). And I’m with you on the whole “there-needs-to-be-some-color-in-here” thing. Broccoli is sooo good when slathered in cheese, too, it seems like a natural fit!
Sara says
December 14, 2016 at 1:22 PMThanks for the sweet comment, Willow! Molly really is so special and I hope you get her book soon. And I love your mom’s decision to put potato chips on top of her mac and cheese! Amazing!
amanda paa says
December 15, 2016 at 8:19 AMomg, Molly is a total unicorn! I’m sad I haven’t met her in person yet, as I hear she is incredibly kind and fun. And her rendition of a midwest staple, hotdish, is so freakin’ aesome with this tot dish. And truth be told, I’d go tots over french fries most days. Perfect for the topping here, and even some green in there!
beautiful post Sara. xo
Sara says
December 15, 2016 at 10:52 AMThanks Amanda! I think you and Molly would get along VERY well. ;-) You both have a good dash of midwestern kindness and sass. For me it’s a tough call of tots vs fries, but in this case I’d definitely go tots. xoxo
Caroline says
December 15, 2016 at 11:17 AMI need to order Molly’s book…I’m such a fan of hers! I love this story of how you met…blogging brings so many like-minded people together, doesn’t it? This is my idea of absolute comfort food…and I need it right now! It’s so cold out today…I just want a big bowl of this and a fluffy blanket! Are you in Lancaster, PA? I’m just over the bridge from New Hope!
Sara says
December 15, 2016 at 2:20 PMOh wow I didn’t realize you were so close! I’m in Lebanon. :-) (PS sign me up for a bowl of this + a fluffy blanket. It’s so cold and windy today!!!)
betty says
December 16, 2016 at 11:15 AMThis looks amazing and so comforting!!!! It’s below freezing today and all I want is to dive into this mac and cheese tot dish. (PS agree with EVERYTHING you said about her book. It is a masterpiece).
Sara says
December 19, 2016 at 6:27 PMThanks Betty! Molly’s book is truly fabulous. It’s been chilly here too, which makes me wish I was still making this tot dish on the regular. I’ll have to make it again soon. :-)
JODY YEH says
December 22, 2016 at 3:14 PMWhat a lovely blog you have, and this post is beautiful!
Sara says
December 29, 2016 at 1:11 PMThanks Jody! :-)