Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe

6805026497 93aa9a9f12 Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe

Macaroni and cheese has been a staple in my house for generations. Defying culinary greatness, the simple recipe of macaroni noodles and cheese sauce has been paired with the likes of choice hamburger patties and graced in design with silly outlines of cartoon characters in my home. However, nothing compares to the savory rich smoky flavor and smell of smoked Mac n Cheese made from scratch and BBQ’d to perfection. Most have kept to the original concept of “Yellow” Mac n Cheese, a tried and true style favored by most.

I have tried several in my days, with many being over the top in cheesy delight but this recipe is my first original creation and (IMHO) it holds its own with the best that I have tried. Not a tradition “Yellow” Mac n cheese but full of flavor and smoky goodness with bites of smoked bacon to tease your taste buds. Several types of cheeses and a crunchy corn flake and bread crumb topping that will turn a golden brown when smoked to completion, balancing it all together.

Hickory was my choice of smoke for this recipe when I prepared it in my Camp Chef 18″ Smoke Vault. Hickory chips were the “Best of the West” all natural smoking chips curtsey of Two Trees Products. Bacon was smoked for two hours using Applewood chips from Two Trees also. I never stopped to take any pictures during the cooking process so I had to use screen captures and the quality is not what you may be used to, but this is about the recipe not the pictures right?

6805029729 dbb98c5243 Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe

6805030235 da35321cbf Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe

Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe
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Recipe type: Side dish
Author: Gary House
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
Serves: 6 – 8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz large elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 6 slices of smoked bacon, cut in 1″ pieces
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups mexican blend (cheddar/colby) cheese, shredded
  • 5 oz 3 cheese blend (parmesan/asiago/romano) cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 2 tbs pepper
  • 1 cup crushed corn flakes
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 3/4 stick butter, about 9 – 1/4″ pats
  • cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Prepare elbow macaroni according to package instructions.
  2. Mix elbow macaroni, bacon, cheddar cheese, mexican blend cheese, 3 blend cheese and cream cheese together.
  3. Mix heavy cream, milk, salt and pepper together.
  4. Add milk mixture to macaroni mix and blend together.
  5. Pour Mac n Cheese into cooking container.
  6. Combine crushed corn flakes and bread crumbs together.
  7. Spray all sides and bottom of a 8 x 8 x 4 inch container.
  8. Pour Mac n Cheese into container.
  9. Spread bread crumb mixture over top of Mac n Cheese to cover.
  10. Place pats of butter on top of crumb mixture.
  11. Smoke at 225 degrees F for one hour.
Notes

Container size can vary, just cook till cheese melts and top browns!

“Get out of the kitchen! Light the fire! Start cooking outdoors”
fire052 Smoked Bacon Mac n Cheese recipe



Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas

5806056907 a37a565827 m Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas Chipotle chiles and Adobo sauce flavoring these grilled vegetables is a combination born for a grill. Smokey richness with a slight bite, accenting the caramelization of the grill marks burned into the vegetables, a visual and sensory explosion encased in grilled tortillas and melted cheese is not to be denied.

This is the same recipe I use during my popular “Grilling for Women” classes. I hope you enjoy it as much as the ladies do!

Grilled vegetable Quesadillas

5805920119 fa94b833b2 m Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas Recipe by Sargento Shreds as posted on AllRecipes.com

 

Ingredients

2 tbls olive oil

1 tbls  pureed chipotle chillies in adobo sauce

1 red bell pepper

8 whole green onions

2 small zucchini or yellow squash quarterd lengthwise

8 whole wheat flour tortillas

5806541524 35d0678a56 m Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas 2 cups Sargento Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Sour cream, salsa, guacamole (optional)

Directions

Combine oil and chilies. Set aside tablespoon of the mixture. Brush remaining mixture  over both sides of the vegetables.

Grill vegetables over medium coals 10 minutes or until tender , turning occasionally.  Bell peppers and zucchini crosswise into 1/4 inch slices .

5805987135 1250305250 m Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas Sprinkle half of cheese over for tortillas; drizzle reserved oil mixture over cheese.  Top with grilled vegetables, cilantro, remaining cheese and tortillas.  Grill quesadillas over medium low coals three minutes per side or until cheese is  melted and tortillas are lightly toasted. Cut into wedges and garnish with sour cream, salsa and guacamole, if desired.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did in the classes. This this recipe was prepared on the Camp Chef “Big Gas Grill III” model #SPG-90B.

You can watch my new video “Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas” on iTunes.

 

“Get out of the kitchen! Light the fire! Start cooking outdoors”
fire052 Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas



Plank Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

5656540546 5ddd4875a8 m d Plank Grilled Stuffed JalapeñosWhether you are tailgating or grilling for friends and family in the backyard these plank cooked stuffed jalapenos are sure to be a crowd pleaser. This is a simple recipe for the grill, with only five ingredients and a cedar plank. My cedar planks, provided by www.grillingplanks.biz worked perfectly for this recipe.

Cooking with cedar planks requires only a minimal amount of preparation. The first and most important thing is to soak your cedar plank in water for at least two hours for a half-inch plank. Second step is to place your plank over your hot coals to pre-heat to just before the point of burning. Once you have done two simple steps you are ready to flip the plank over and place your food on 5656406058 d6ddc98b77 m d Plank Grilled Stuffed Jalapeñosit to cook. It is that simple!

 

Ingredients

10-20 large jalapenos

8 ounces of soft cream cheese

5656444980 ee3d5682cb m d Plank Grilled Stuffed JalapeñosOne package of sliced ham, diced

½-teaspoon fire salt from www.myspicesage.com

Bacon bits for topping

 

Preparation

5655904891 8d8e2ee21b m d Plank Grilled Stuffed JalapeñosIn preparation for this recipe, I highly recommend you wear rubber or vinyl gloves when handling jalapenos to protect your skin from irritation.

Wash your jalapenos thoroughly, then slice in half through the stem lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes with a spoon.

Mix cream cheese, diced ham and fire salt together. Using a spoon, stuff the jalapeno until it has a nice mound of mixture in it. After stuffing jalapenos, sprinkle bacon bits over the top.

5655919863 159e10b758 m d Plank Grilled Stuffed JalapeñosProcedure

Now it is time to start grilling. Following two steps above prepare your cedar plank over direct medium heat. Click your cedar plank over and place your jalapenos on the preheated side. Closure lid and cook for at least 15 minutes or longer at approximately 350°F until jalapenos are cooked. You can tell this by looking at the cut edges will have dried up in troubled a bit and when you touch the bottom of the jalapeno, it has softened. By this time, the cream cheese should have brown a bit on the top and melted.

Give these a try the next tailgating party or backyard party with your friends and wash it down with a nice beer!

Gary

“Get out of the kitchen! Light the fire! Start cooking outdoors”
fire052 Plank Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños



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