Smoked Mac & Cheese

Alright "Q" fans, a short while back, I was inspired by a guest post on The BBQ Smoker Site by Hanneke Eerden of The Dutchess Cooks. The post was regarding a favorite comfort food for millions of people everywhere...Mac & Cheese! She smoked it on the grill and I thought I'd take a stab at this American classic myself.

First thing we're gonna need is our ingredients for the mac & cheese:

1 box Macaroni pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar-jack
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
4 T flour
3 T butter
3 or 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 1/2 t bbq rub (I used C-Dub's BBQ Rub)
1 t paprika
1 t thyme
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t salt

Go ahead and start up your smoker or grill. I have my gas grill fired up with one burner on, and hickory chip filled foil packs for the smoke.

Cook the macaroni as directed on the box and set aside. Add 2 T of butter to large pot and melt. Toss in the bacon and let it cook. Once the bacon begins to get crispy add in the flour and whisk for about a minute or so. Slowly pour in all of the milk, stirring constantly. You sauce should begin to smooth out.

At this point, you should add in all of your seasonings and herbs. Stir and allow to simmer for a few minutes. It will slightly thicken. Slowly stir in the 2 cups of cheese. Next, add in the macaroni and combine completely.

Get yourself a grill safe pan (aluminum, cast iron, etc.). I used a disposable aluminum pan. Use the remaining butter and grease the bottom and sides of your pan. Pour your mixture into your pan, top with the 1/2 cup cheddar and get out to your grill!

By this time, the smoke should be optimal. Place your pan on the grill (not over the heat) and smoke for 40 to 50 minutes. If it's hot & bubbly and the top is golden brown, you're done. Serve on the side of your favorite meal.

For our meal, we did some grill baked potatoes, a salmon filet (with Pirate Jonny's Jamaican Jerk Seasoning) and some boneless chicken breast filets (with Draper's AP Rub).

I put the potatoes over the heat at the same time I put on the mac & cheese. Just before our mac & cheese was done, I turned it and started the middle burner and put on the chicken breast and salmon filet. Don't leave the mac & cheese on the whole time. I timed it out and pulled it off when I turned my chicken over. Once those were grilled to perfection I topped the chicken with a little Original Doomer's "Q" Sauce and the salmon with Dark Doomer's "Q" Sauce. The meal was amazing and the family was pleased. The smoked mac & cheese was a huge success. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you try this out!

Lasagna

Ok, so this isn't a BBQ item, but I started in the kitchen, so I've got a lot to offer! Here's a great take on lasagna (my favorite food of all time...I'm a human Garfield!).

There are so many ways to make it, but this is a simple recipe that anyone can do. Start by gathering all your ingredients. You'll need the following:

1 lb package lasagna noodles
1 26 oz can/jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Hunt's Garlic & Herb)
2 lbs ground meat (I used a grocery store mix: 1/2 lb pork, 1/2 lb veal, 1 lb beef)
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
3 T Italian seasoning
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t salt

To start off, prepare the lasagna noodles as directed on the box and set aside.
Crumble ground meat into a large bowl. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Mix together gently, then brown and drain fat.

Put seasoned meat into a saucepan and add pasta sauce. Place on medium heat and combine thoroughly.

Next add the fresh cut tomatoes and combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering begin combining cheeses in a large bowl, withholding 1/2 cup mozzarella. As a side note, you can always add more cheese (which I usually do). Now, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly, but gently.

Go ahead and get the oven started...you'll want it about 350. Grab a 13x9x2 in pan (I love me some Pyrex!) and spoon a nice helping of meat sauce over the bottom of the pan. Grab the noodles you set aside earlier and place a layer on top of the meat sauce. Next, cover that with a layer of your cheese n' egg mixture.

There are a few ways you can spread the cheese mixture over your noodles (i.e. spooning it, rubber scraper/spatula smearing or pastry bagging). Each has it's pros & cons, so use the one you like best.


Repeat the sauce, noodles, cheese process until you have several complete layers. Top off with a layer of noodles and sauce. Sprinkle that with the remaining mozzarella and additional Parmesan, if desired.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in over for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, serve and enjoy! mmmm...soo good!

 

Gettin' Sauced 2011

So...I entered my line of sauces in a few contests this year and the first one has been completed. I didn't win, but Doomer's Original "Q" Sauce came in 5th in the Bottled Tomato Mild Category!! Not bad for a little guy out of Maryland! Below are all the results! Special Thanks to the guys at Man Up Texas BBQ & Gettin' Sauced!!

Gettin' Sauced! placings, by division & category:

Fresh Division
Tomato (mild) 1. Black's Smokey
2. Sugar Shack Backyard Red
2. Hyatt Lost Pines Smoked Tomato
3. Shiner R&B Black Sauce
3. Smokin Ronnie's Sweet & Spicy #4
3. Black's Original
4. Two Bros. House
5. Black's Sweet
6. Black's Agave
7. Texas Pride Regular
7. Black's Honey Barbecue
7. Smokin' Rose of Texas
8. Pizzitola's Serious Sauce
8. Black's Honey Mustard

Tomato (spicy) 1. Black's Habanero
2. Black's Original Spicy
2. Black's Chipotle Mustard
3. Two Bros. Spicy
4. Black's Ghost Chili
5. Texas Pride Hot
6. Pizzitola's Serious Sauce

Mustard
1. Two Bros. Sweet
2. Smokin Ronnie's Pig Sitckin Mustard Sauce
3. Sugar Shack Gold Rush
4. Shiner R&B Hop Hog

Fruit
1. Two Bros. Tamarind
2. Shiner R&B Heyyy!
3. Q on the Riverwalk Smoked Peach & Bourbon
4. Sugar Shack Strawbizzle
4. Hyatt Lost Pines Blackberry Sage

Miscellaneous
1. Shiner R&B The Great White Hope - Alabama White Sauce
2. Two Bros. Shiner Black Coffee & Molasses
3. Sugar Shack Holy Mole
4. Two Bros. Tangy
5. Hyatt Lost Pines Red Onion Mustard Seed Jam
6. Smokin Ronnie's Pig Stickin Dippin Sauce
7. Pizzitola's Serious Sauce
8. Sugar Shack Smokin White Swag
8. Pig Pit BBQ Inn Beef Brisket Sauce

Overall
1. Black's Habanero
2. Black's Smokey
3. Two Bros. Sweet
4. Two Bros. Tamarind
5. Shiner R&B The Great White Hope - Alabama White Sauce


Bottled Division
Tomato (mild) 1. Grumpy's Goodnight-Loving
2. Big Butz Mild
3. J&J BBQ Company K.C. Sweet
4. Grumpy's Not So Bold
5. Doomer's Original "Q" Sauce
5. Rufus Teague Honey Sweet
5. Uncle Sunny's Special Blend
6. Oregon Dan's Original
6. Kolander Grubb's Original
7. Earl's Gone Wild California
7. Meat Mitch Naked Whomp!
7. Pigchaser Original
7. Dimples BBQ Sauce
8. Kinderhook Brand Bold & Spicy
9. Russ & Frank's Mild
9. Russ & Frank's Sassy
9. DBQ Smokin' Sauce
9. Alisha's Kitchen Honey BBQ Sauce
9. DennyMike's Sweet 'n Spicy
9. Grill Side Barbeque Suburban Sweet
9. KC Masterpiece Smoky Bourbon
9. J&J BBQ Company Texas
10. Anthony Spices Phoenix Original
10. KC Masterpiece Original
10. Stubb's Smokey Mesquite
10. Hack's BBQ Sauce
10. Pig Pit Ray's Sweet
11. Doomer's Dark "Q" Sauce
11. Main Street BBQ Sweet 'n Sassy
11. POTM Cattle King
11. Texas Smokehouse Original
11. Pig Pit Dana J's
11. Uncle Bob's Sweet & Spicy
11. Draper's Smokin Sauce
11. Country Chef Hickory Smoked
12. Abrams BBQ Original
12. Brother Jimmy's Original
12. Stubb's Original
12. BBQ Barn Sauce
13. The Stirring Spoon Smokin' Agave Gourmet
14. Texas Pride Regular
14. Big Bear BBQ Sauce
15. The Stirring Spoon Balsamic Honey Gourmet
16. The Stirring Spoon Wild Bourbon Molasses Gourmet
17. Soul Mountain Doc's BBQ
17. Southern Soul Sweet Georgia Soul

Tomato (spicy) 1. Grumpy's Black Label
2. Two Fat Guys Mild
2. Soul Mountain Mountain Fire
3. Grill Side Barbeque Downtown Hot
3. Brother Jimmy's Chipotle
4. Russ & Frank's Fiery
4. Two Fat Guys Spicy
4. The Belgian's "Nasty"
5. Alisha's Kitchen Signature Sauce
5. Rufus Teague Blazin' Hot
5. Anthony Spices Phoenix Hot
5. Two Fat Guys Lava Hot
5. J&J BBQ Company Lava Hot
5. Picky Vicki Hot Stuff
6. Doomer's Hot & Spicy "Q" Sauce
6. Kolander Grubb's Habanero
6. James Gang Sweet Southern Heat Whiskey
6. J&J BBQ Company Texas Heat
6. Pig Pit Red Hot
7. Russ & Frank's X-Fiery
7. Rufus Teague Touch 'O Heat
7. Jimmy G's Gourmet Spicy Whiskey
7. Grill Side Barbeque Hometown Heat
7. Two Fat Guys Smoky
7. Fat Hen Grill Original
7. Grumpy's Bold XX
7. J&J BBQ Company K.C. Sweet Heat
7. Uncle Sunny's Spicy Blend
7. Southern Soul Hot Georgia Soul
7. Big Butz Spicy
8. Oregon Dan's Medium Spice
8. Oregon Dan's Apricot
8. Meat Mitch Whomp!
8. DennyMike's Hot 'n Tasty
8. Pepper Ranch Habanero Style
9. Oregon Dan's Habanero Hot
9. BBQPHX Hand-Crafted BBQ Sauce
9. Uncle Sunny's Haba-Honey
10. James Gang Honey Habanero
10. Country Chef Sweet and Spicy
11. Country Chef Chipotle

Vinegar (mild) 1. DennyMike's Carolina Style
2. KC Masterpiece Southern Style
2. SuckleBusters Original
2. SuckleBusters Honey
3. Burnin' Love 1919 Molasses
3. Pig of the Month Miss Scarlet's
4. Pig of the Month Love Me Tender
4. WoodenSpoon Hickory

Vinegar (spicy) 1. Desert Smoke Sweet & Spicy
2. SuckleBusters Chipotle
2. Big Un's BBQ Sauce
3. Desert Smoke Raspberry Chipotle
4. Uncle Bob's Georgia Juice
5. Burnin' Love Sassy Mo'Lassy
5. WoodenSpoon Spicy
6. WoodenSpoon Mesquite
7. Granddaddy's Sweet Southern Heat

Mustard 1. Old Timer Gourmet
2. Brother Jimmy's Mustard
2. Fat Hen Grill Mustard Q
3. Sam Dog BBQ Yellow Dog Sauce
4. Texas Tasty BBQ Dippin' & Grillin' Sauce
5. Pig of the Month Colonel Mustard's
5. Country Chef Mustard
6. Southern Soul Low Country Soul Tangy

Fruit
1.Tribal Moose Original Cranberry
2. Busters Blueberry Chipotle
3. Jerry's Slice off the Grill Old Homestead BBQ Sauce
4. Texas Smokehouse Apple
5. Desert Smoke Pineapple Habanero
6. Pig of the Month Key West in a Bottle
7. Iguana Isle Marigot Bay Mango
8. Busters Blueberry Original
8. Busters Blueberry Habanero
9. Tribal Moose Spicy Cranberry
10. SuckleBusters Spicy Peach
11. Kolander Grubb's Sweet Orange Mango

Miscellaneous 1. 816 Original
2. Picky Vicki Brazenly Bold
2. Pig Pit Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce
3. Pigchaser Garlic
3. Bodean's Hickory
3. Bodean's Hot Chipotle
4. Rufus Teague Meat Sauce
4. DennyMike's Mesquit-O-Madness
5. Pig of the Month Get Lei'd
6. Rufus Teague Spicy Meat Sauce
7. Burnin' Love Torch-ered
8. Burnin' Love Heartbreak

Overall
1. Old Timer Gourmet
2. DennyMike's Carolina Style
3. Desert Smoke Sweet & Spicy
4. Grumpy's Black Label
5. Grumpy's Goodnight-Loving
6. 816 Original
7. Tribal Moose Original Cranberry