Smoked Cheddar And Creole Mac And Cheese Recipes

MACARONI AND SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 F.
• Lightly butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Cook macaroni in boiling salted water following the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter; add flour and stir until blended. Stir in salt, pepper, and mustard. Gradually stir in the milk and continue cooking, stirring, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses until melted and smooth. Add the macaroni and stir to blend.​
• Spoon the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter, tossing to coat well; sprinkle over the macaroni mixture. Lightly sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

SMOKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a pizza pan with aluminum foil; lay bacon strips on top.
• Bake bacon in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Drain bacon slices on paper towels and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Place in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until crumbly.
• Preheat a smoker to 275 to 300 degrees F (135 to 150 degrees C). Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions.
• Mix together cream, Cheddar cheese, Colby-Jack cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, butter, and barbeque rub in the warm pasta pot; add drained macaroni. Mix well and let the cheese melt. Pour into a 9x13-inch aluminum pan and sprinkle bacon on top.
• Place the pan on the rack in the preheated smoker. Cook until cheese is bubbly, about 3 1/2 hours.

CREOLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• In a small pan, cook the andouille sausage over medium heat until done. Set aside. In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs, and stir to coat. Cool, and then mix in Parmesan. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Saute onions and celery until translucent. Transfer to a bowl.
• In the same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, to make a white roux. Try not to let the roux brown at all, it should be white. Mix in paprika and mustard, then stir in milk. Bring to boil over medium heat, then add Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Simmer, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 in pan, or similar sized casserole dish. Transfer cooked macaroni to the dish, and toss in the andouille sausage and sauteed vegetables. Stir in the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown.