Meatball Mac Cheese Food

MIGHTY MAC AND BISON MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix bison, turkey and eggs in a bowl and stir by hand until well combined. Mix kale, onion and garlic in another bowl until well combined, then stir by hand into the bison, turkey and egg mixture. Mix yeast, oat flour, oregano, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and salt in a bowl, then add into the wet mixture, stirring by hand until evenly incorporated.
• Roll into 1.5-ounce balls and space evenly on lined cookie sheet. Bake until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 15 to 17 minutes. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce and Mighty Mac.
• Combine parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, oregano, pepper flakes, salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the cilantro and parsley are finely chopped, 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to sit for 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• Start roux in a large saucepan by combining squash, broth and milk and cook until squash is softened and beginning to fall apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts water and the olive oil to a boil. Meanwhile, return the roux mixture to the saucepan on low heat and add butter, stirring until the butter is melted, 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from heat. With the water at a boil, pour chickpea noodles in and cook, stirring frequently, for 11 minutes. Meanwhile, add the cheese to the roux, off heat, stirring frequently until cheese is fully melted and incorporated, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and nutmeg to the roux and stir well. Once the noodles have been cooked, strain well and return to the large pot, then pour in the cheesy roux and combine well.
• Disclaimer: When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth.

MAC & CHEESE WITH SAUSAGE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Reserve the pot.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup crushed cheese crackers and 1/4 cup milk in a medium bowl; let sit until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and 2 tablespoons Parmesan and mix well to combine. Form the sausage mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 28); arrange on the prepared pan. Bake until golden and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the flour and the remaining 2 cups milk to the reserved pot and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cheddar and processed cheese and stir until smooth. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt and the mustard.
• Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water to the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Add the meatballs and stir to coat; thin with the remaining 1/4 cup cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
• Combine the remaining 1/2 cup crushed cheese crackers and 1 tablespoon Parmesan in a small bowl. Divide the mac and cheese among bowls and sprinkle with the cracker mixture.

MEATBALL MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350.
• For the meatballs, mix first 7 ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly with your hands. Form into balls, I usually make rather large ones but the size is up to you, although the bigger ones come out more moist.
• Boil a large pot of well salted water and add pasta when boiling, cook to just almost al dente, then drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook untill soft. Do not stir too much, just give it a shake every couple minutes.
• Add meatballs to pan and turn up heat to med high and brown on all sides.
• Add spaghetti sauce to pan to cover meatballs. Add a little pasta water to thin out, if needed. turn heat back to medium or medium-low and simmer untill meatballs are mostly cooked through.
• Add pasta to a large casserole or baking dish, pour meatballs and sauce over pasta and mix slightly to make sure everything is mixed and coated with sauce. Keeping the meatballs down more on the bottom makes them come out more moist.
• Spinkle cheeses evenly over the top and bake for about 15 minutes, or untill cheese is melted and meatballs are done.

MEATBALL MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand (bare hands yield best results, but be sure to wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat).
• Roll meatballs in the size of golf balls - you can make smaller meat balls but you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.
• Drop raw meatballs into large pot (stock pots work well) full of sauce, it should be about one jar of your favorite sauce.
• Simmer for 3 hours.
• Either store, in the fridge or freezer your meat balls for later mac and cheese use. Or start cooking your box of mac and cheese in the last 20 minutes of simmering your meat balls.
• Top your mac and cheese with as many meatballs as you want, you may have leftovers depending on how many you use.
• Great some fresh parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or according to package directions.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain.
• Add milk, cheese sauce packets and sour cream, stir to combine.
• Place meatballs in the bottom of an oven proof casserole, top with macaroni, cover with tomato slices sprinkled with parmesan.
• Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes.