Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Comfort Food to the Max! Full credit for recipe writeup below and image goes to /u/FailFoxAway from the public Reddit thread here. BASIC

  • Butter – actual butter not margarine or pretend whatever. I mean butter.
  • Milk – I use 2% but you can use skim or whole, whatever you got. I probably would not use actual cream.
  • Flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cheddar cheese – You can use other cheeses, but orange cheddar is my staple because it’s cheap and we’re going to use a fuckton of cheese.

EXTRAS

  • Sage – finely chopped
  • Thyme – finely chopped
  • sauteed shallots or onion – finely chopped
  • sauteed mushrooms
  • cooked crispy bacon – chopped

DIRECTIONS Boil noodles. Rigatoni, macaroni, penne, whatever. Grate your cheese, a lot of it and by a lot I mean you buy a huge brick of cheese and you grate the entire thing. You know the bowl you make cookie dough in? I want you to fill that mixing bowl with grated cheese. Start with your element on medium – low with a medium sized pot preferably non stick coating. Add butter and flour. You want to use the same amounts for both, if you use 1/4 cup butter then add in 1/4 cup flour to the pot. Mix them together to form a nice rue (paste). Add your milk. I usually buy a litre and use maybe three quarters of it but it all depends how much sauce you want to make.

 

Now turn up the heat a little and let the milk warm up stir up the rue mixture so it doesn’t get stuck to the sides or bottom. This is going to take like 10 – 15 mins keep stirring so the stuff doesn’t clump. When the milk mixture is warm add your grated cheese in handfuls stirring after each one, let it melt then add another. Wait a bit but come back every 2 – 3 mins to stir and see if it’s thick enough for you if so then your sauce is done if not add moar cheeeese and repeat. Now is the time to add your salt, pepper and any herbs/ meats you want to go in the sauce.

 

Your noodles should be done, drain them and find a baking dish. You want something wide and shallow to maximize the crust each person is getting. Not a deep dish cause then there is less crust per bite. Put noodles in baking dish, pour over sauce, stir it up and make sure everything is coated nicely.   Now you probably have a lot of cheese left over. Spread it out overtop of your noodle mix. This is where you can add other cheese like Jack and Mozzarella to make an even better topping. Sometimes I use bocconcini (patted dry and sliced).

 

Anyways now you’re going to put it in the oven @ 425 degrees for like 30mins or until the topping is bubbling and crispy looking. You can broil it at bit at the end too to get a more crisp texture.

Maple Waffle Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Maple Waffle Chicken Nuggets by /u/morganeisenberg
Maple Waffle Chicken Nuggets by /u/morganeisenberg

Full image and recipe writeup below credit goes to /u/morganeisenberg posted publicly on Reddit here.

INGREDIENTS

For the Waffle Nuggets:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
  • Vegetable oil, for frying, plus ½ cup for the batter
  • 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1⅓ cups milk
  • ⅓ – ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Dip:

  • 1 part honey
  • 1 part maple syrup
  • 1 part honey mustard

DIRECTIONS

Divide the egg yolks and whites in separate bowls. Beat the yolks and set aside. Whip the egg whites until they’re stiff and set aside.

In a large, high-walled skillet, heat about one inch high of oil over medium-high heat.
As the oil is heating up, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the ½ cup vegetable oil, 1⅓ cups milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla, beaten egg yolks, and ⅓ – ½ cup maple syrup, depending on how maple-y you want your nuggets to taste.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
Fold in the stiffened egg whites. Do not over-mix, you don’t want the egg whites to entirely deflate. It’s okay if the batter is slightly lumpy. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by dipping the end of a wooden spoon into the pan. If the oil bubbles around it after a second or two, you’re ready to go!
Dust the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of flour and then dip the chicken into the batter. Let excess drip off and quickly place in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once, about 4 minutes. If you notice that the outside of your chicken is browning far too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
Let the chicken nuggets drain off extra oil by setting them on a paper towel as you fry up the remaining batches. Once all of the chicken has been cooked, mix together honey mustard, honey, and maple syrup for dipping.