Got Beer?

 We are a house of mac and cheese lovers. From the blue box to homemade, if it's pasta covered in cheese you can count us in! And in our family, one of the reasons why we love macaroni and cheese so much is the versatility. It can go from side dish to main dish, depending on the type it is. I know there are strong feelings about if it's a side or main, and it depends on where you're from, or how you grew up, which side of the debate you land on. But one thing is for sure, no matter how you decide to eat it, macaroni and cheese is a beloved comfort food most of us can't get enough of. 

This macaroni and cheese has a little something that takes it over the top. BEER! Yep, as if a simple weeknight meal couldn't get any better, we find a way! This version is one I serve as a main dish with a salad on the side and it's a meal that disappears as quick as I can spoon it up. 

Oh, and this one comes with a homemade cheese sauce that is as creamy as it is delicious. If you read the directions and think it might be too complicated with the roux...don't stress! I promise if you follow it step by step, it's as easy as can be! If I can do it, so can you! 

If you enjoy the flavor of a darker beer, go ahead and try it. I used the light so it didn't overpower the cheese sauce, and if I'm being honest, I'm not a huge beer fan, so I didn't want a ton of that distinct flavor. Just a little in the background to enhance an already amazing recipe. 

With summer time cookout season upon us as well, this would be a great addition to any backyard spread. Serve it with some grilled burgers and dogs for a new twist on a classic meal. I guarantee it will make you a rock star at your next "bring a dish to share" party too! 

Pub style mac and cheese is now on our favorites list and not just because it has beer in it...but hey, it doesn't hurt either!  

 

Pub Mac and Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup light beer

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt and Pepper 

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Boil macaroni in salted water according to directions. In a medium pot melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until no lumps remain and a light brown roux has formed. Slowly whisk in milk and beer. Increase heat to medium and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat down to low and cook for 5-7 minutes until thickened, stirring often. Add both cheeses, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Cook 3-5 minutes until thick and incorporated. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. When macaroni is cooked, drain well. Add to cheese sauce and mix well. In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs and parsley. Transfer pasta to baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes until browned and bubbly. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Happy (Almost) 2021

 How was your Christmas? I hope it was a day surrounded by those you love most in the world, with magic, joy and peace. (Even if some had to join virtually!)

We had a wonderful holiday, with celebrations over a couple days. According to the mound of presents under our tree Christmas morning, our boys were VERY good this year. (But Mommy could have told Santa that!) 

Now that my most favorite time of year is behind us, I tend to get a little depressed. I won't even lie. December 26th is my least favorite day of the year. But I do have something to look forward to! Our annual New Year's Eve Buffet! 

If you've been following me for a good amount of time, you know our tradition. Every NYE, I make a huge appetizer buffet filled with yummy things. We stay in, my parents come over, we eat, we watch movies, we play games, we eat, we stay up for the ball drop, we eat....you get the picture. 

So while many will be doing an "at home New Year's Eve" for the first time this year, we are experts and it's one of our most fun traditions!

If you're planning some tasty food to welcome 2021, this slow cooker beer braised sausage could definitely be added to the menu! This is a versatile recipe that you can serve as an appetizer (just cut it into smaller pieces) or for a simple weeknight supper. It's delicious right out of the Crock Pot, but we also love putting it on some hoagie buns for a sandwich dripping in yum factor. 

I know many like to serve pork for good luck in the New Year, so this could be a fun twist on that tradition too! 

Without a doubt, 2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years ever, at least in most of our lifetimes. But I think there is a lot to be thankful for as we look back too. Sure, it might not always be the easiest to see, or focus on, but even in the darkest days this year, our family has been so incredibly lucky. So I am trying to focus on that as we say goodbye to another year, but am also ready to welcome 2021 with open arms. I wish you a happy, healthy and delicious New Year...only good things ahead!

 Slow Cooker Beer Braised Sausage

3 (9 oz.) packages smoked sausage

1 large white onion, thinly sliced

1/2 c. brown sugar

2/3 c. light beer

1/4 c. spicy brown mustard

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 TBS water

2 tsp. cornstarch

Slice sausage into 1-2 inch pieces. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Lay sliced onions in bottom. Lay sausage on top of onions. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, beer, mustard and vinegar. Pour over sausage. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, mix water and cornstarch. Add to slow cooker. Stir and cook on HIGH about 10 minutes until thickened. Serve as is or on hoagie buns with sauce drizzled over top.

 Shared at Weekend Potluck

Soul Food Saturday

There is something I can't quite put my finger on about beer bread. It tastes so good I want to have it all the time. So what do you do on the days "your favorite mix" is out of stock? I found a candidate, that worked out great!
Grab a napkin, you've gotta taste this!

 Beer Bread
3 c. All purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. Brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (12 oz.) can beer
1/4 c. butter, melted


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x5 lightly with non stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add beer and mix until just moistened. Add to prepared pan. Top with melted butter. Bake 45-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Serve hot or room temperature.

Whether you serve this with a bowl of chili or a pot of soup, this one is sure to be a winner!

Soul Food Saturday

There is something about having amusement park themed food that always brings back the memory of being there. On one of our trips to Six Flags Magic Mountain we had the most delicious fried fish we’d ever had. Jalapeno was hidden in the batter, how could you possibly go wrong with that? Not one way we could think of. So after some time of thinking it over I had to recreate it at home. This recipe feeds a crowd, so grab some friends this one will be a ride to remember!

Jalapeno Beer Battered Tilapia
3 lbs Tilapia fillets
½ c. dark beer
½ c. pickled jalapeno juice
½ c. water
½ c. diced pickled jalapenos
1 box beer batter fish fry 
Flour for dusting
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

In a large pan add approx 1 inch of oil to 370 degrees. In a medium sized bowl mix beer batter, beer, jalapeno juice, and water. Stir to combine. Add chopped jalapenos and mix. Add flour to shallow dish approx 1 cup will work fine, add salt and pepper. Then stir gently to combine. Coat each fillet with a light layer of flour. Tap gently to remove excess, and then dip into batter, coating both sides evenly.
Add each piece slowly to the heated oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown and cooked through. About 8-10 minutes. Serve hot, with more jalapenos or your favorite dipping sauce.

Another Hooiser Blogger

This blogging community I belong to is so wide, so varied, and so big I never have to look far to find something new I want to try in my kitchen. I love introducing ya'll to bloggers I love to read, and maybe ones you aren't familiar with yet, especially when it's a fellow Hooiser!

That's right, my good buddy Cris over at Goodeness Gracious, lives right here in Indiana, and blogs about her life, food, her family...her site really is a one stop shop for all things GOODe! 

A couple weeks ago her and I were talking about the "good ole' days" of blogging, before we really knew what we were doing, and how we wished we could go back and fix some of the photos are young blogger selves took. (I've actually been doing this all year long. You know, those recipes I've re-blogged from the days when only Adam and my mom read EMM!) What can I say? You live and learn, and in the early days of food photography, you're just happy to get a shot, and not really worried about what it looks like. She shared this recipe with me as an example of her early days, and honestly, I wasn't even looking at the photo after seeing the food! Oh my blog! It sounded fan-freakin-tastic, and she actually described it as the BEST chicken EVER. With a description like that, and how much I love chicken on the grill, you know I had to try it. (Oh, and if you click on the link above, you can see Cris's original post she was telling me about, but don't be critical, remember she was a young food blogger!) 

We grill year round, but if you're grilling season is winding down, do NOT let it close without making this! The marinade is so flavorful, and the chicken itself is juicy, tender and exactly what you want from grilled meat! And for those looking at it thinking "Oh, can I take the skin off?" You can, I'm not going to know, but I'm going to warn you, the skin is what absorbs the huge flavor of the marinade, gets crispy on the grill and makes this extra finger lickin'. But I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, and I'm sure it would be delicious either way! 

If you aren't a reader of Cris's blog yet, I highly encourage you to become one. She always has something yummy cooking in her kitchen. We Hoosiers gotta stick together, and share some chicken when we can!

Grilled Beer and Mustard Chicken Inspired by Goodeness Gracious

10 chicken drumsticks, skin trimmed, but left on

1 (16 oz.) bottle beer (I used Bud Light)

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 c. spicy brown mustard

1 TBS hot sauce

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 TBS grill seasoning

4 cloves garlic, minced 

Cooking Spray for grilling

In a large bowl combine beer, onions, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, garlic and grill seasoning. Mix well. Add chicken. Toss to coat. Cover and marinade in fridge or 6 hours. When ready preheat grill to high. Spray with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill to sear, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, turning every 5 minutes for 25-30 minutes until juices run clear. 

Shared on The Counry Cook Sept. 13, 2013