Pimento Mac Cheese Custard Food

PIMIENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flour to coat the vegetables; cook 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil, stirring, until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tuna and 1/2 cup pimiento cheese; stir until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pasta until combined; season with salt and pepper.
• Dollop the remaining 1/2 cup pimiento cheese on the pasta mixture and broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, 1 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and broil until the crackers begin to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Let cool 10 minutes.

FRIED PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least 2 sides.
• Put the milk and macaroni in a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to keep the macaroni from clumping. Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the macaroni is tender and the milk has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the Cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, pimentos, sour cream, hot sauce, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and stir until smooth, thick and creamy. Spread into the prepared baking dish and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Use the parchment overhang to lift the macaroni in a block from the dish. Cut into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet and freeze until completely firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil and heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Fry the mac and cheese squares in batches until golden brown on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm with more hot sauce drizzled over top.

CUSTARD-STYLE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package, using minimum cook time.
• In large bowl, stir eggs, milk, salt, mustard, black pepper, red pepper and 2 cups of the cheese with wire whisk until blended. In baking dish, place half of the cooked macaroni. Sprinkle with 2 cups cheese. Top with remaining macaroni. Pour egg mixture evenly over all.
• Cover; bake 35 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with bread crumbs; drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 8 minutes longer or until golden brown and set.

PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in boiling water for approximately 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir flour into the melted butter until combined. Stirring ocassionally, cook for 2 minutes'.
• Add milk and keep stirring until flour mixture has has thickened. Once thickened, add 1 cup of Palmetto Cheese and remove from the heat.
• Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In oven safe bowls combine macaroni and the cheese sauce until mixed thoroughly. Spoon remaining Palmetto Cheese over the top. Bake at 350F until bubbly, approximately 25 minutes.
• Right before removing from oven, top with crumbled bacon and bread crumbs if desired.

PIMENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Melt remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour and paprika, stir well, and cook until vegetables are coated, about 1 minute.
• While whisking, carefully stream in the milk until smooth and incorporated. Bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and pimentos, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the toasted panko on top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

CUSTARD-STYLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in water until tender.
• Drain thoroughly.
• Stir in butter and egg.
• Mix mustard and salt with 1 Tbsp. HOT water, and add to milk.
• Add cheese (saving some for top) to milk.
• Pour macaroni into a buttered casserole and add milk/cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle top with reserved cheese.
• Bake at 350º for approx. 40 minutes, or until custard is set and top is crusty.

PIMIENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously brush a 2 1/2-to-3-quart baking dish with butter. Char red pepper over a gas flame on high (or, if you don't have a gas stove, on a rimmed baking sheet directly under the broiler) until blackened all over, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer peppers to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Rub charred skin with a paper towel to remove. Peel, seed, and stem pepper, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook macaroni in a pot of generously salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain well; transfer to prepared baking dish. Mix in cubed cheese and 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (reserve remainder for another use).
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, mustard, cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk in sour cream and eggs until smooth, then onion, half and half, cream, and Worcestershire until thoroughly combined. Pour over macaroni mixture; gently shake dish to blend. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top.
• Bake until set around edges but still loose in center, 25 to 30 minutes (do not overbake; mixture will continue setting as it cools). Let cool on a wire rack until set but still warm, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve.

EASY PIMENTO MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Drain macaroni; return to pan.
• Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir on low heat until pimento spread is completely melted and mixture is well blended.

PIMENTO CHEESE MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions suggest.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimento peppers, Cheddar, chives, smoked paprika, garlic, hot sauce and a pinch of salt and black pepper together until thoroughly combined.
• Transfer the cooked macaroni directly to the large bowl with the cheese mixture and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Fold in the red bell pepper and garnish with more smoked paprika. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

PIMIENTO MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, and 1 1/2 garlic cloves to boil in small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tablespoon butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Transfer bell pepper mixture to processor. Add Peppadews and 1 tablespoon brine, 2 tablespoons butter, ground chiles, and 1/2 garlic clove; then add cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Blend until sauce is smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual dishes). Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot. Stir sauce and mozzarella into pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
• Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes (15 for individual). Let stand 10 minutes.

PIMENTO MAC & CHEESE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Fill a large pot with the water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the macaroni, and cook for about 5 minutes, until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the white and aged Cheddars and the Parmesan. Remove and reserve one-fourth of the cheese mix for the top. To the bowl with the rest of the cheese mix, add the macaroni, pimentos, and flour and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the hot sauce, evaporated milk, half-and-half, and 2 teaspoons salt, mixing well. While whisking constantly, slowly add the béchamel to create a custard. Pour the custard evenly over the noodle mixture.
• Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through baking. Uncover the dish. If you plan to eat the mac and cheese right away, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. If you plan to freeze the dish, do not add the cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until set, golden, and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• TO FREEZE: Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until well chilled. Wrap the baking dish in two layers of plastic wrap, label and date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
• TO THAW: You can reheat this dish from frozen, or you can pull it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours.
• TO REHEAT: If reheating from frozen, unwrap the dish, place in a cold oven, and set the oven to 350°F. When the oven reaches temperature, bake for 1½ hours, then sprinkle the surface with the remaining cheese mix and bake for 15 minutes longer, until bubbling. If reheating after thawing, cut the cook time to 30 to 45 minutes.