Kicked-Up Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni & Cheese, done correctly, is a great comfort food… it’s even good cold! This recipe brings humble macaroni & cheese to a new level with the addition of some jalapeños, spices, onion and, of course, bacon. Then it’s cooked in the smoker. (This recipe serves two but is easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled.)
8 ounces elbow pasta (about 2 2/3 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 slices jalapeño jack cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeño
1 tablespoon finely minced green pepper
2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko crumbs
Paprika
Bring a medium-size (2 1/2-quart) pot half filled with salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for seven to eight minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In the same saucepan melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to form a blonde roux, about three to four minutes. Stir in the milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about five minutes. Add the cheese and the spices. Stir until the cheeses melt. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more milk.
Butter an 8 1/2- by 8 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch casserole dish (or use individual 5 1/2- by 5 1/2- by 1 1/2-inch casseroles adjusting accordingly) and pour in enough pasta to come up about an inch (about 1 1/2 cups). Pour in one cup of the cheese mixture and stir. Sprinkle the jalapeño, green pepper and bacon evenly atop the pasta. Add the remaining pasta and 1 1/2 cups of the remaining sauce. (Depending on the size of the casserole dish you used, you may have extra sauce. It’s an excellent topping for steamed broccoli, baked potatoes and roasted chicken.)
Combine the Panko crumbs and parmesan in a small bowl. Sprinkle atop the macaroni & cheese. Dust with paprika.
There are a couple of options for smoking the casserole: hot and fast or low and slow. For hot and fast smoking, prepare the smoker for 350 degrees F. cooking. Cook the casserole for about 45 minutes. For low and slow, bring the smoker to 225 degrees F. and smoke the macaroni & cheese for two to three hours. (I use apple wood but use whatever wood you like.)
(Alternatively, the macaroni & cheese could be cooked in a 375 degrees F. oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.)
Allow the casserole to rest for ten minutes before serving.
On the Yoder (left) and after smoking for about 45 minutes (right)
Prepared in individual casserole dishes
Prepared in a large casserole and served in a ramekin
