CHEDDAR & ASIAGO MACARONI & CHEESE

Serves: 8

1 lb       elbow macaroni
2 C       (8oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
2 C       (8oz) asiago cheese, shredded
1.5 C    milk
1.5 C    heavy cream
butter
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
 

Heat oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni. Return to boil and cook approx 5 minutes, or until pasta is el dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

Butter a 8x11” baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the macaroni over the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Combine cheeses in a bowl and sprinkle 1/3 of the mixture over the macaroni.

Continue with 2 additional layers of macaroni and cheeses.  Combine milk and cream and slowly pour over macaroni.  Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until top browns a bit (5-7 minutes). Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes. Serve hot.

BEER & CHEESE PRETZEL BITES

From: Tasty via Facebook

3 C          Shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp    Corn starch
½ C         Beer of your choice (plus 2 tbsp)
1 lb          Pizza dough
5 C          Water
¼ C         Baking soda
1    Egg
Coarse Salt

  Preheat oven to 425˚F and bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Meanwhile, toss the cheddar cheese with the corn starch until it is evenly distributed. In a medium saucepan, bring beer to a simmer. Add in the cheese corn starch mixture and whisk until it begins to thicken.

Slice pizza dough into small pieces, roll into a balls and flatten out. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of the dough. Bring top and bottom edges together to seal, do the same with the remaining edges until it all meets at the center and there are no holes for cheese to leak out. Do this for remaining dough pieces. Add baking soda to your boiling water when all dough is stuffed and ready. Immediately drop your dough balls into boiling baking soda water one at a time. Boil for 20-30 seconds then take out and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine egg and 2 Tbsp beer, beat with a fork. Brush the mixture onto tops of each ball then top with coarse salt. Bake 15-20 minutes or until all bites have browned.

CHEESY GARLIC CAULIFLOWER PUREE

Yield: 2 Cups

1               Head of cauliflower
2 Tbsp    Heavy cream
1 Tbsp     Butter
2 oz         Vintage Cheddar cheese
2               Cloves garlic
1                Bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste

Clean & trim the cauliflower, chop into medium sized pieces. Place cauliflower, bay leaf, and garlic in a pot and pour in enough water just to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower is tender, or about 20 minutes. Drain and discard bay leaf.

Transfer cauliflower and garlic to a blender, add cheddar, butter and cream. Blend mixture until desired consistency is reached and season to taste.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

Slow Cooker Recipe
Serves 6
 

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter, sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups small diced broccoli
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic, flour and season lightly with salt and pepper then cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in evaporated milk (whisk well to smooth). Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken then pour into a slow cooker along with chicken broth, diced broccoli and thyme. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or low heat for 6 hours. Turn heat to warm (or off) and stir in heavy cream, then add in shredded cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.