Macaroni Cheese With Smoked Bacon Chicken Food

CHICKEN AND BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion. Cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
• Add the chicken, then cook for 5 - 6 minutes until the chicken is sealed.
• Add the salt, pepper, garlic and tomato puree. Stir everything together so that the tomato paste coats the chicken.
• Add in the tinned tomatoes, sugar and stock. Stir and bring to the boil, then add in the macaroni.
• Stir together, bring back to a gentle simmer and place a lid on. Simmer for 13-15 minutes, checking and stirring a couple of times during cooking, until the macaroni is cooked.
• Once the macaroni is cooked, stir in the cream and sprinkle on half of each of the cheeses, followed by all of the bacon.
• Stir together. Mix the remaining cheese with the panko and sprinkle on top.
• Place under the grill (broiler) for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.
• Sprinkle on the chopped parsley and serve!

CHICKEN-BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well, and place pasta in a layer in the bottom of the large casserole dish. Top pasta with cubed chicken and bacon pieces.
• While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk flour into the melted butter, so that both are fully mixed together and smooth. Continue to whisk, cooking the flour and butter, for approximately 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk so that it is smooth and fully incorporated with the flour/butter mixture. Add in salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Keep whisking, fairly constantly, until mixture is starting to simmer and thickening. Reduce heat to low and whisk in cheddar cheese. When cheddar cheese is fully melted, turn off heat, and whisk in 1/2 lb of Monterey Jack. Whisk until complete melted.
• Pour cheese sauce directly over the pasta, chicken and bacon that is in the large casserole pan. Gently stir ingredients together until well combined. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
• In a small bowl, mix melted 3 tablespoons butter with Panko. Sprinkle evenly on top of macaroni and cheese.
• Baked at 375 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 before serving.

CLASSIC MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SMOKED BACON, AGED CHEDDAR AND FRESH SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 2 baking dishes with the butter.
• Place chopped bacon on a baking sheet and cook in oven until half cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, reserve bacon.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook elbow macaroni until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain, toss lightly in olive oil, reserve.
• In a saucepan, on medium-high heat, saute bacon with a light amount of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent then add the garlic. Dust with flour, whisk in milk, cream, nutmeg, and mustard powder. Bring to simmer stirring constantly for several minutes. Whisk in 4 cups of Cheddar and half a cup of Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fold in the pasta, sage and parsley.
• Place into buttered baking dishes. Top with remaining cheeses and place dishes on baking tray and place in the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, garnish with parsley and sage leaves and serve!

BUFFALO CHICKEN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat bottom and sides of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter.
• Arrange the bacon on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan and bake until crisp, about 22 minutes. Allow to cool and coarsely chop.
• Put the chicken and beer in a large bowl and let marinate, at room temperature, for 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the macaroni and cook stirring occasionally, until cooked al dente, about 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and reserve in a large pot or mixing bowl.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Whisk in 1/3 cup flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in 3 cups milk, the salt and the pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups of the Cheddar and 2 cups of the mozzarella (reserving additional cheese for topping) and stir until melted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir the cheese sauce, blue cheese and bacon into the macaroni until well combined; pour evenly into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface.
• Put the remaining 1 cup of flour in a medium-sized shallow mixing bowl. In another medium-sized shallow mixing bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons milk and the egg and whisk until combined. Drain the beer from the chicken tenderloins and dip into the flour to coat well, then dip into the egg mixture and back into the flour. Put on a plate until ready to fry.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add the chicken and hot sauce to a large bowl and toss until well coated. Carefully slice the chicken into bite-sized strips. (Avoid knocking off the batter).
• Evenly top the macaroni with the sliced chicken, and drizzle with additional hot sauce, if desired. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of white Cheddar and the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top of the chicken and sprinkle with the panko bread crumbs. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle it evenly over the bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with celery and carrot sticks, if desired.

GRILLED CHICKEN AND BACON MAC 'N' CHEESE FROM RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
• While the pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with EVOO to coat lightly, then season evenly with the paprika, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
• While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden and very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the cider (or stock), then the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheeses until melted.
• Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with the parsley (or celery greens).

MACARONI & CHEESE WITH SMOKED BACON & CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 2. Cook the chicken, cut up into cubes, and reserve
• 3. Cook the bacon, crumble, and reserve
• 4. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the Parmesan, some salt, pepper, and cayenne, and reserve.
• 5. Cook the pasta, according to package directions, until al dente.
• 6. Chef's Note: Al dente is used to refer to food cooked so it is still firm to bite but not soft. This is very important to pasta, which should be removed from the cooking liquid just before it has fully cooked through, as like most foods, it will continue to cook after being removed from the heat source.
• 7. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 400f (205c).
• 8. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
• 9. Once the foaming has subsided, whisk in the flour, and cook the roux for about 3 minutes.
• 10. Add the milk in a slow steady stream, while continuing to whisk.
• 11. Chef's Note: I typically like a dryer mac & cheese, but it you need your's a bit juicier, try adding about an additional 1/2 cup of milk. And if you want it richer, use half & half instead of milk.
• 12. Allow the mixture to come to a light boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
• 13. Chef's Note: As the mixture begins to boil it will begin to thicken. Make sure that you keep whisking, so that there are no lumps. This process will take about 5 minutes of your undivided time.
• 14. Whisk in the crème fraîche, mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper, & cayenne.
• 15. Add the cheeses.
• 16. Chef's Note: The cheese combinations are really up to you... these are two that I enjoy, but you might like something else... go for it.
• 17. Whisk until they have melted into the sauce.
• 18. Add in the bacon & chicken, and stir (not whisk) until combined.
• 19. Finally add the cooked & drained pasta and stir to combine.
• 20. Add the mixture to a baking dish, about 9x9 should do.
• 21. Chef's Note: I like to make it more personal by adding it to individual ramekins. However, putting it all in a single dish and allowing people to scoop out their own portion is more rustic.
• 22. Cover with the Panko/Parmesan topping.
• 23. Place in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top begins to brown.
• 24. Serve as a one-dish meal with some nice crusty bread. Enjoy.
• 25. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.