Maraconi and Cheese wasn't that great

BigGreenDave

I made some macaroni and cheese for the snowstorm we had. The snow was cool but the macaroni did not turn out to good.

I made it from a box and tried to do it different. I boiled it first and it stuck. That was my fault. Then I scrapped off what I could and put it into the dish with the cheese mix that comes with it. You are supposed to eat it after adding the cheese but I wanted to do it on the egg.




I put it on low at 250 and the bottom still burned. the picture looks good but it tasted smoky. The smoke taste was bad not like with ribs. I put it on right away after lighting the grill and think that was not a good idea. I didn't want to get it to hot so I put it on right away. I know I am supposed to wait for the fire to not smell. Now I know why. :(
I did the brownies in the oven. That is my home made pan! :laugh:

The snow was cool. Here is some pics!



We can get yingling beer here now. Oh yeah!

reelgem

Wow Dave, that's a bit of a disaster. :(
That pan is going to be a nightmare to clean. Personally, I wouldn't do mac n' cheese on the egg. It's such a delicate dish and it's really going to absorb any smoke.
Where abouts do you live? Sounds like you don't get snow that often.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

hahaha

fishlessman

sometimes the plan doesnt go as well. i did some pretty descent smoked macaroni once, it had cheese, hamburger, and some chopped stewed tomatoes. what worked for me was boiling the noodles, placing them in a colandar, and smoking them til they just started to dry, then made the baked dish in the oven. this kept the smoke out of the cheese

cdnewman

I've made mac/cheese a few times on the egg. If you want to try again, I offer the following suggestions:
1. Use a recipe for baked mac and cheese (I like the Cook's Illustrated with some substitutions, but Epicurious has a bunch as well). If you are going to put in the effort to egg it, use real cheese, not powder.
2. Go indirect: I do placesetter legs up, grid on upturned legs, Emile Henry clay baking dish on grid.
3. Because my Egg sometimes runs away with the heat, I put the baking dish in along with the platesetter and let it heat.
4. Make your own breadcrumbs: Fresh breadcrumbs will pick up the smoke in a pleasant way, not acrid like the pasta will.
5. You can boil the pasta, make your cheese/roux and mix the two together on the stovetop, then head outside and pour into preheated baking dish.
6. Because you are really just crusting the surface, 5 or 6 minutes on the egg at 350 is plenty to get your smoky flavor, crisp surface and even heat.
7. Or maybe the problem was the aluminum foil gasket (just kidding).
Enjoy,
Chris

BigGreenDave

Thanks everybody.
I didn't know there was a real recipe for macaroni and cheese. I have always used the box stuff. :(
I will try a recipe, what is epicurous?Reelgem, I live in Wheeling. We get snow a lot sometimes.

gdenby

Some Mac 'n Cheese I finished in the Egg. The pot is a Lodge pre-seasoned CI. It was a from scratch recipe. Macaroni boiled till tender. A roux of butter and flour, with a mix of cheeses added. Heated indirect, dome about 350, took a bit over 30 min.

Smoke can be good if added the right way. I often mix in a bit of smoked gouda, about 1/4 of the total cheese.

cdnewman

Epicurious.com is a recipe web site run by conde Nast. It has recipes from bon appetit, gourmet, self, etc. I used to have a whole bookshelf of old cooking mags. Now, I keep Ed behr's art of eating and everything else I can get from archives on line.
If you have never had real mac and cheese, you are in for a treat.

BigGreenDave

I tried www.epicurous.com but some stupid thing called net nanny keeps saying I cannot log on to it. What the heck is that? I need a password? I am on my mom's computer because she took mine away for a week. She's at work. I can't ask her or she'll get mad :laugh: :woohoo:

I will check later on my computer when I get it back Saturday. She does not like some of my websites! :laugh: :woohoo: :evil:

gdenbg that looks real good. wow!

Thanks
Dave M.

BigGreenDave

That looks a lot better than mine ever did!
What is roux is there a link to what roux is?

Dave

eenie meenie

BigGreenDave, Where have you been? I've been worried about you......now I'm a bit worried about your egging. Really appreciate the pics.

Did you notice that Wokomedium has crocs just like yours.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=816026&catid=1

Maybe if you put the pan in your hottub to soak it would make it easier to clean.

Fidel

Here is a link to a site that offers some information:

http://www.celticspiritbbq.com/wordpress/?p=84

BigGreenDave

I hate that hot tub. It needs to get filled up with a hose from the water heater because it is n't a real hot tub. I don't ever use it except for when its warm out but mom does. Makes me fill it up and everything and I am starting to hate that thing.
It's only a one person one and she said we can only get a real one if the tax check is big.

BigGreenDave

Hi fidel. Thanks

Is that lady is talking about making gravy though?I guess I don't understand it but will read it again.
I did some great cooks lately. The macaroni and cheese was my first mess up in a while I am getting better thanks to following recipe's I see here.

nolaegghead

Velveeta is way better than the powered cheese that comes with it.