Fried Pimento Mac And Cheese Recipes

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND PIMIENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C/Gas 4). Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of about 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Add the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium, and continue boiling until al dente** following package directions. Drain the macaroni well.
• In a bowl combine the mayonnaise, cream cheese, shredded cheese, drained pimientos, and grated onion. Mix the ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Add the hot drained macaroni and mix until well blended.
• Spoon the macaroni and pimiento cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the French fried onions over the casserole.
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese mixture is hot and bubbling around the edges and the topping is lightly browned and crispy.
• Serve with a simple tossed green salad or fresh sliced tomatoes, or serve it along with a holiday meal or Sunday dinner. *Diced pimientos come in small jars, and they're located in the vegetable section of most supermarkets. If you can't find pimientos or need to substitute, use roasted red bell peppers. To roast red bell pepper or fresh red pimiento peppers, place them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake them in a preheated 500 F oven for about 30 minutes, turning frequently until all sides are charred. Remove the pan to a rack and cover with foil. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Quarter the peppers, remove stems, peels, and seeds. Chop the peeled peppers or slice into strips. Refrigerate roasted red peppers in oil for up to 2 weeks. **Al Dente: From the Italian, it means literally, "to the tooth." In the case of pasta, it means cooking it until it is still somewhat firm, or firm to the bite. You Might Also Like Macaroni and Cheese Croquettes Simple Macaroni and Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese

PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs, adding the broccolini during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage; cook, breaking up the meat, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the sausage to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Add the flour to the drippings in the skillet; cook, stirring, until incorporated, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the cheddar, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in the pasta and broccolini, sausage and pimentos.
• Preheat the broiler. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave; stir in the panko and sprinkle the mixture over the pasta. Broil until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

FRIED MAC AND CHEESE BALLS

Steps:

• Fill a pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Drain. Stir in the 2 tablespoons butter, the 1/4 cup milk, and the cheese packet from the package.
• While the macaroni is still hot, stir in the Cheddar cheese, pimento cheese spread, and Italian cheese blend, and continue to stir until melted. Place the macaroni and cheese mixture in a container and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the macaroni mixture from the refrigerator, and, using a cookie scoop, scoop into balls. Place mac balls on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk the bread crumbs with the paprika, chili powder, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne in a shallow dish; set aside. Beat the eggs with the 3 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Remove the mac balls from the freezer, coat in the egg wash, and then dredge in breading.
• Fry the mac balls in small batches until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain briefly on a paper towel-lined plate; serve hot.

PIMIENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, and 1 1/2 garlic cloves to boil in small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tablespoon butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Transfer bell pepper mixture to processor. Add Peppadews and 1 tablespoon brine, 2 tablespoons butter, ground chiles, and 1/2 garlic clove; then add cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Blend until sauce is smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual dishes). Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot. Stir sauce and mozzarella into pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
• Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes (15 for individual). Let stand 10 minutes.

PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Melt remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour and paprika, stir well, and cook until vegetables are coated, about 1 minute.
• While whisking, carefully stream in the milk until smooth and incorporated. Bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and pimentos, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the toasted panko on top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

PIMENTO MAC & CHEESE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Fill a large pot with the water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the macaroni, and cook for about 5 minutes, until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the white and aged Cheddars and the Parmesan. Remove and reserve one-fourth of the cheese mix for the top. To the bowl with the rest of the cheese mix, add the macaroni, pimentos, and flour and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the hot sauce, evaporated milk, half-and-half, and 2 teaspoons salt, mixing well. While whisking constantly, slowly add the béchamel to create a custard. Pour the custard evenly over the noodle mixture.
• Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through baking. Uncover the dish. If you plan to eat the mac and cheese right away, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. If you plan to freeze the dish, do not add the cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until set, golden, and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• TO FREEZE: Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled. Wrap the baking dish in two layers of plastic wrap, label and date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
• TO THAW: You can reheat this dish from frozen, or you can pull it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours.
• TO REHEAT: If reheating from frozen, unwrap the dish, place in a cold oven, and set the oven to 350°F. When the oven reaches temperature, bake for 1½ hours, then sprinkle the surface with the remaining cheese mix and bake for 15 minutes longer, until bubbling. If reheating after thawing, cut the cook time to 30 to 45 minutes.