Mac N Cheese Puff Food

MAC 'N' CHEESEBALLS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Crush cheese puffs into a fine powder and set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add milk, cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese. Whisk until all the cheese has melted and sauce is smooth.
• Pour cheese sauce over cooked pasta, stirring to ensure thorough coverage of the noodles.
• Cover and refrigerate the cheese-coated pasta for at least 2 hours, allowing for it to cool completely and for the cheese sauce to bind the pasta together. This recipe also works well with leftover mac 'n' cheese.
• Using your hands, take the chilled mac 'n' cheese and form it into 1-inch (2 ½ cm) balls.
• Dredge the balls in flour, followed by egg before finally coating them in the powdered cheese puffs.
• Heat the oil to 350˚F (180˚C) and fry the mac 'n' cheese balls until the outside is crispy, about 2 minutes. Once done frying, transfer to a wire rack to drain. Lightly sprinkle with salt before serving.
• Enjoy!

CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.
• Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

MAC AND CHEESY

Steps:

• Start by cooking the macaroni as per the packet instructions. When the macaroni is cooked, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Make the sauce by putting the butter in a flameproof 30cm/12in casserole and popping onto a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk in. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking all the time until incorporated.
• Keep whisking till the mixture begins to thicken. Add the evaporated milk and yeast extract and cook until the mixture is thick. Take off the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the cheese to the sauce and mix in until melted. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and half the cheese puffs, then add the macaroni and mix through. Level off the top.
• Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, remaining cheese puffs and the grated cheese.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. Take out and leave for 10 minutes before eating.

MACARONI-CHEESE PUFF

Steps:

• In a sauce pan, combine milk, cheese and salt.
• Stir over low heat until cheese melts.
• Stir about half the hot mixture into the egg yolks.
• Return all to sauce pan.
• Stir in the macaroni, crumbs and onion.
• In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into macaroni mixture.
• Bake in an ungreased 1 1/2 quart souffle dish in a 325 degree oven for about 1 hour or until knife inserted off center comes out clean.
• Serve at once.

NEXT LEVEL MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Cook the macaroni in salted water for 2 mins less than the stated cooking time, so it still has plenty of bite. Drain well and toss with a small knob of the butter to stop it from sticking together.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining butter until frothy and nut-brown. Pour off 1 tbsp into a small bowl and place the pan back on the heat, then scatter over and whisk in the flour and cook for 3 mins until you have a sandy paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, simmering and whisking until smooth between each addition. Once all the milk has been added, drizzle in the evaporated milk, then add the grated cheddar, a handful at a time, until you have a thick, cheesy sauce. Stir through the mustard powder, cayenne, Marmite and vinegar and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
• Remove from heat, stir in the macaroni, then stir through the chunks of cheese. Tip the contents of the saucepan into a large, buttered baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together all the breadcrumbs, the parmesan, another small pinch of cayenne and some crunchy sea salt if you want. Scatter the crumbs over the macaroni, drizzle with the reserved brown butter and bake for 30-35 mins until lightly browned, crunchy all over and bubbling around the edges. Leave to stand for 10 mins before serving straight from the dish.