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By Drew Gaytan
BADBOY MACARONI & CHEESE
Hey,
what's shakin'? This month I'm gonna share MY
version of one of EVERYONE'S favorites: good
ol' American MACARONI & CHEESE. First of all, anyone
who DOESN'T like it is not only un-American but likely
not even from Earth...even the 'instant' stuff sold
at Publix is comfort food, yeah? The cool thing is,
you can add anything to it to jazz it up: meat, vegetables...and
CHEESE!! I LOVE cheese; my version includes at least
5 different ones, so lets get started with it.
Start with a box of
cooked,and drained pasta, whatever you like: elbows,
rotini, fusilli, rigate, whatever; I add a couple tablespoons
of olive oil to the boiling water. I let it cool, because
I mix it with my hands.
Fry some bacon -or
crumbled sausage, whatever YOU like- when it's
crisp and done, crumble it. Brown some minced onion
and garlic, chopped peppers, whatever you want, in
the hot grease and set them aside. Add some butter
to the grease; when it melts, throw a cupful or so
of whatever bread crumbs you like into the pan and
stir 'em 'til they're thoroughly coated. Set them aside,
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A good starter is any kind of cheese sauce- I use
a standard restaurant-supply #10 can of nacho sauce, myself;
use whatever you like: Velveeta, or anything in a jar or
can. Add some dairy to it: anything from skim milk to heavy
cream will work- I like whipping cream for its richness-
and some butter, and warm it up on the stove. Be careful
to not scorch it!
Now: add your cheeses; I like Philly
cream cheese, grated colby and monterey jack, asiago and
parmesan, some sharp cheddar, some stinky Mexican cheese
like guerrero- use whatever you like. Add them to your cheese
sauce, let them blend and melt.
Pour
the sauce into the pasta; I like to mix it in with my hands.
Fold in more of whichever grated cheeses you're using-
the more, the better- and season it with whatever you want:
cajun seasoning, garlic salt, etc.I like poultry seasoning,
myself, and coarse-ground pepper. Add the crumbled bacon
and onions; give it a good dose of your favorite bottled
hot sauce too, for effect. Spread the bread crumbs across
the top, cover it with foil, and put it in a 350-degree oven
for an hour or so OR put it on the top shelf of your slow-cooker,
over a charcoal or gas fire; that smoke-flavor is BADASS!!!
Serve it hot, serve it cold- whatever YOU like...drop me
a note, let me know how yours turns out. Ask me ANYTHING, c/o
this magazine...'til next month: RIDE SAFE!!!
If you would like to contact Drew for
comments he can be reached at badboy@metromusicmayhem.com
The views, opinions expressed by the
authors and those providing comments are theirs alone,
and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions
or strategies of Metro Music Mayhem. We make no representations
as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability,
or validity of any information contained within and will
not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this
information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising
from its use. |
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