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Vrghr's Smoked 3+ Cheese Macaroni
!!UPDATE!! - Was just informed that this dish won a "best of" award at a company potluck out in CA! We made up two HUGE trays while in CA, and the folks hosting wuffy there froze up a nice portion. Apparently it heats up really well from frozen! *HUGE GRIN* So, if you're considering a mac and cheese for a special occasion - this one is literally "award winning"!
While wuff was out in CA on business and visiting friends, Vrghr did a "smoker run" for a friend and smoked up a batch of corned beef (bottom round), pork, and spare ribs. Of course, all that meat needed a suitable side dish, and what better than some macaroni and cheese? It's a great side for BBQ!
Even better, what if wuff made it from scratch, and smoked it along with the meats?
Oh yeah, this is some GOOD eatin' here!
Wuff started with the 'traditional' Velveeta cheese, because that stuff melts the best of anything and gives a lovely thick cheese flavor. Then Vrghr added some cheddar-jack that his hosts had cold-smoked earlier, to bring those lovely Cheddar notes, and some Havarti for that rich cream flavor.
Wuff also had a fair amount of left-over "real" powdered cheddar cheese that we had used for seasoning the movie popcorn earlier. Adding that tinted the mixture a nice yellow color, and brought even stronger cheddar cheese flavors.
This recipe made a "boat load" of mac & cheese. Easily enough for at least 16 servings or more. Wuff's hosts packaged it up and refrigerated some, freezing others, to eat through the next weeks.
The smoke flavor isn't over powering, but definitely is present. The 4 cheeses give this a lovely, complex flavor that still has a lot of the "traditional" mac and cheese 'soul'.
Wuff's only regret is that he didn't bring any of this home with him, because he's craving another helping now!
Ingredients:
1lb 4 oz (~2/3 a 2lb bag) large Elbow Noodles
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
2 tsp Salt
1 lb Velveeta Cheese product
1 lb cold-smoked Colby Jack Cheese
1 lb Havarti Cheese
¼ C Powdered Cheddar Cheese (like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cheddar-Chees...../dp/B00016LZT8 )
1 stick (½ C) Butter
~2-3C milk
1 pt Half n Half
~1/3 C Flour
½ tsp ground Black Pepper
½ tsp dried Marjoram
½ tsp dried Tarragon
~1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg
Special tool: Smoker (gas, electric, or charcoal/wood)
Directions:
In a large pot, bring about 3 quarts of water to a strong boil. Add the salt and granulated garlic.
Add the elbow noodle pasta and boil until just barely al dente (~10-12 minutes or less). You don′t want these to cook completely, as they′ll cook further in the cheese sauce in while in the smoker.
Chop all the cheese up into big chunks, about 1 inch square.
In a large, heavy sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. When it stops foaming, gradually whisk in the flour and stir until fully combined and no lumps.
Add the spices and pepper, and continue to cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the raw flour taste is cooked out and the flavors from the spices are fragrant.
Whisk in the half n half, and 1 cup of milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is steaming hot. Be careful not to scorch the thickening mixture. (This is a seasoned Bechamel sauce)
Add the chunks of cheese to the hot bechamel sauce. Stir them constantly until they all melt. Lower heat to medium or medium-low if it looks like they′re trying to scorch on the bottom.
Whisk the powdered cheddar-cheese into some cold milk to form a cheese slurry, then add that to the hot sauce (helps keep the power from clumping). Stir it in until fully incorporated.
You′re going to want a medium-thick sauce. Thin enough to flow through the macaroni noodles and not stay all piled up on top, but not so thin that it all runs down to the bottom. Gradually stir in some of the remaining milk, letting the sauce come back up to temperature, until the sauce obtains the desired thickness.
Taste, and adjust for salt, pepper, and spices.
When the pasta has boiled to the proper tenderness, drain it and pour it into 2 disposable foil baking pans ~ 3 inches deep, 9 – 12 inches square. You want the surface area, so it picks up the smoke.
Split the molten cheese between the two pans, pouring it over and stirring it in.
Place the tins in a smoker and run the smoke heavy for 90 minutes or so. Stir the macaroni every 30 minutes to bring fresh noodles up to the smoke and to stir the smoky cheese into the rest of the batch.
Optional: If you like a crunchy toppings, mix grated Parmesan cheese with Panko bread crumbs (about half and half) and a bit of melted butter, and sprinkle it over the top of the cheese when it comes out of the smoker. Then broil it for a couple minutes until the bread crumbs turn toasty and golden.
DEVOUR
While wuff was out in CA on business and visiting friends, Vrghr did a "smoker run" for a friend and smoked up a batch of corned beef (bottom round), pork, and spare ribs. Of course, all that meat needed a suitable side dish, and what better than some macaroni and cheese? It's a great side for BBQ!
Even better, what if wuff made it from scratch, and smoked it along with the meats?
Oh yeah, this is some GOOD eatin' here!
Wuff started with the 'traditional' Velveeta cheese, because that stuff melts the best of anything and gives a lovely thick cheese flavor. Then Vrghr added some cheddar-jack that his hosts had cold-smoked earlier, to bring those lovely Cheddar notes, and some Havarti for that rich cream flavor.
Wuff also had a fair amount of left-over "real" powdered cheddar cheese that we had used for seasoning the movie popcorn earlier. Adding that tinted the mixture a nice yellow color, and brought even stronger cheddar cheese flavors.
This recipe made a "boat load" of mac & cheese. Easily enough for at least 16 servings or more. Wuff's hosts packaged it up and refrigerated some, freezing others, to eat through the next weeks.
The smoke flavor isn't over powering, but definitely is present. The 4 cheeses give this a lovely, complex flavor that still has a lot of the "traditional" mac and cheese 'soul'.
Wuff's only regret is that he didn't bring any of this home with him, because he's craving another helping now!
Ingredients:
1lb 4 oz (~2/3 a 2lb bag) large Elbow Noodles
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
2 tsp Salt
1 lb Velveeta Cheese product
1 lb cold-smoked Colby Jack Cheese
1 lb Havarti Cheese
¼ C Powdered Cheddar Cheese (like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cheddar-Chees...../dp/B00016LZT8 )
1 stick (½ C) Butter
~2-3C milk
1 pt Half n Half
~1/3 C Flour
½ tsp ground Black Pepper
½ tsp dried Marjoram
½ tsp dried Tarragon
~1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg
Special tool: Smoker (gas, electric, or charcoal/wood)
Directions:
In a large pot, bring about 3 quarts of water to a strong boil. Add the salt and granulated garlic.
Add the elbow noodle pasta and boil until just barely al dente (~10-12 minutes or less). You don′t want these to cook completely, as they′ll cook further in the cheese sauce in while in the smoker.
Chop all the cheese up into big chunks, about 1 inch square.
In a large, heavy sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. When it stops foaming, gradually whisk in the flour and stir until fully combined and no lumps.
Add the spices and pepper, and continue to cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the raw flour taste is cooked out and the flavors from the spices are fragrant.
Whisk in the half n half, and 1 cup of milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is steaming hot. Be careful not to scorch the thickening mixture. (This is a seasoned Bechamel sauce)
Add the chunks of cheese to the hot bechamel sauce. Stir them constantly until they all melt. Lower heat to medium or medium-low if it looks like they′re trying to scorch on the bottom.
Whisk the powdered cheddar-cheese into some cold milk to form a cheese slurry, then add that to the hot sauce (helps keep the power from clumping). Stir it in until fully incorporated.
You′re going to want a medium-thick sauce. Thin enough to flow through the macaroni noodles and not stay all piled up on top, but not so thin that it all runs down to the bottom. Gradually stir in some of the remaining milk, letting the sauce come back up to temperature, until the sauce obtains the desired thickness.
Taste, and adjust for salt, pepper, and spices.
When the pasta has boiled to the proper tenderness, drain it and pour it into 2 disposable foil baking pans ~ 3 inches deep, 9 – 12 inches square. You want the surface area, so it picks up the smoke.
Split the molten cheese between the two pans, pouring it over and stirring it in.
Place the tins in a smoker and run the smoke heavy for 90 minutes or so. Stir the macaroni every 30 minutes to bring fresh noodles up to the smoke and to stir the smoky cheese into the rest of the batch.
Optional: If you like a crunchy toppings, mix grated Parmesan cheese with Panko bread crumbs (about half and half) and a bit of melted butter, and sprinkle it over the top of the cheese when it comes out of the smoker. Then broil it for a couple minutes until the bread crumbs turn toasty and golden.
DEVOUR
Category Resources / Tutorials
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 720px
File Size 204.5 kB
Oh that looks good may have to think about trying to make it sometime.
Yesterday we stopped by a out side dining place... okay a barbecue called Dad’s Diner A Go-Go in Anacortes and one thing they had was smoked baked potatoes... Oh boy were they good. You may want to try them the next time you fire up the barbe.. I was thinking what would sweet potatoes be like?
Yesterday we stopped by a out side dining place... okay a barbecue called Dad’s Diner A Go-Go in Anacortes and one thing they had was smoked baked potatoes... Oh boy were they good. You may want to try them the next time you fire up the barbe.. I was thinking what would sweet potatoes be like?
Oh my! What wonderful ideas! Smoked potatoes or sweet potatoes would both be fantastic!
For those without the time to actually do a full smoking of the 'taters, wuff would recommend making a batch of smoked salt (kosher or other). Then you can use that for seasoning your regular baked taters for a new smoky taste treat! *grins*
For those without the time to actually do a full smoking of the 'taters, wuff would recommend making a batch of smoked salt (kosher or other). Then you can use that for seasoning your regular baked taters for a new smoky taste treat! *grins*
Likely even more than a couple hours. When wuffy bakes a potato, the oven is normally around 400-425 degrees. Most smokers tend to run closer to the 200-225 range. So, unless they finish them in a hotter oven, they likely plop them into the smoker with the briskets and pork butts, and let them run for 6=8 hours or so, to get done all the way to the center.
That would be some mighty tasty spuds, especially when they get coated with the vapors coming off those pork BBQ items!
That would be some mighty tasty spuds, especially when they get coated with the vapors coming off those pork BBQ items!
Oh yes! Definitely one of this wuff's favorites!
Another cheese this wuff absolutely adores is Humboldt Fog. An artisanal cheese, so it's more for nibbling and enjoying individually than mixing in as a cooking ingredient.
A soft, creamy, slightly runny outer layer with a somewhat firmer interior. Rich cream flavors with a slightly floral scent and a lovely citrusy-lemony touch to the flavor. It has a layer of edible ash running through the center, for a lovely presentation when served. And it has won multiple awards.
You can find it at Whole Foods, and amazingly, Amazon.com carries it at a reasonable price (but reasonable AIN'T cheap. However, if bought directly, it STILL ain't cheap, hence the "reasonable"). http://www.amazon.com/Cypress-Grove...../dp/B001TJRF6I
If you happen to come across a little slice or few of this - give it a nibble. Wuff's sure you'll enjoy the result! *grins*
Another cheese this wuff absolutely adores is Humboldt Fog. An artisanal cheese, so it's more for nibbling and enjoying individually than mixing in as a cooking ingredient.
A soft, creamy, slightly runny outer layer with a somewhat firmer interior. Rich cream flavors with a slightly floral scent and a lovely citrusy-lemony touch to the flavor. It has a layer of edible ash running through the center, for a lovely presentation when served. And it has won multiple awards.
You can find it at Whole Foods, and amazingly, Amazon.com carries it at a reasonable price (but reasonable AIN'T cheap. However, if bought directly, it STILL ain't cheap, hence the "reasonable"). http://www.amazon.com/Cypress-Grove...../dp/B001TJRF6I
If you happen to come across a little slice or few of this - give it a nibble. Wuff's sure you'll enjoy the result! *grins*
Guess I'll be going to Whole Foods sometime this week. ;) One of my fave nibble cheeses is the Bellavitano line (and I'm sure I spelled that incorrectly...it's late and I'm tired lol.) The Gold is my top pick but the Espresso and Kentucky Bourbon are good as well...heck this whole line is delish! Once I.double.check the name spelling I'll see if it can be found elsewhere as you have GOT to try them LOL Some of the Kerrygold ones are nomtastic too!
Duh. The cheese I me tioned has a website! LOL now you Can get the names of ALL the yumminess ans see if anykne in your area has them. I ,inmed the gold as it is by far my favorite! http://www.sartoricheese.com/our-ch.....tano-gold.html
Haha! I love that they're affordable fancies ;) and theyre just rich enough that you can want more after having a few bites, yet are perfectly satisfied after having had said bites. A little goes a LONG way here so.you wont break.the bank enever you get the urge to Snack. ;) The Gold is like a parmesean but not so dry...slightly creamy almost yet grayes really well. So much yum!
And good grief my typing on my tablet is atrocious. -_-;;
And good grief my typing on my tablet is atrocious. -_-;;
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