Does macaroni-and-cheese with tomatoes and black beans in it make it healthier? I’m not sure. Probably not. I am sure that this Southwestern macaroni-and-cheese was fantastic. You take your pretty favorite standard recipe and add a few things. That’s it. It’s something totally different than the usual. Still creamy and still cheesy, just different.
Just A Kiss Of Heat
I use Cholula hot sauce in recipes like this southwestern macaroni-and-cheese because I find it to be a great, fairly mellow, hot sauce. It’s not in-your-face hot and it has a great peppery flavor. It’s perfect on just about anything. Don’t worry about adding hot sauce to your mac-and-cheese. You don’t have to add much. But I recommend that you don’t leave it out. It’s that subtle taste that makes a big difference!
Does macaroni-and-cheese with tomatoes and black beans in it make it healthier? I’m not sure. Probably not. I am sure that this Southwestern macaroni-and-cheese was fantastic.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, southwestern
I have a habit of copying recipes from restaurants or food trucks I hear about or see on TV. Here lately I’ve been on a major campaign to copy some of the crazy great dogs from Duke’s Gourmet Dogs in Minster, Ohio, which closed recently. Sadly. Warm chili. Crunchy potato straws (an ingredient I haven’t had in years). And my favorite, ooey gooey cheese sauce. Lots and lots of cheese sauce. Wiz hot dogs are crazy good.
Like I’ve said before, if it’s going to be messy to eat, it’s going to taste great and Wiz dogs are definitely messy and therefore, great to eat!
Crazy Good. And Kinda Fun.
I was tempted to add a few chopped jalapenos to these Wiz hot dogs. I like some kick to my dogs but I went another route and used spicy cheese sauce instead. Nothing beats cheese on a hot dog. Except for maybe macaroni-and-cheese. Yes, on a hot dog.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
Very few things are as addicting as chorizo-stuffed Fritos made on the Char-Broil Big Easy. These little bite-sized snacks disappear in no time. As an added bonus, they are incredibly easy to make. You can fit a whole bunch of stuffed Fritos on the Big Easy, making it perfect for cooking for a crowd, if you have the available cooking rack.
Spicy Chorizo
Just about anything you put in the Fritos is going to taste great. I used Mexican chorizo because I love the spiciness that is brings to dishes, but ground breakfast sausage would also be fantastic.
Caution! Hot!
Be careful when pulling these chorizo-stuffed Fritos off your Big Easy. In no time the chips get mighty hot, so use tongs or let them cool a bit first before handling and eating. You can also make these great Fritos on your grill.
Very few things are as addicting as chorizo-stuffed Fritos. These little bite-sized snacks disappear in no time. As an added bonus, they are incredibly easy to make.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Big Easy, Char-Broil, corn chips, sausage, stuffed
2bagsFritos Scoopsgrab 2 bags in case it’s hard to find the perfectly-shaped chips
1pound Mexican chorizocooked, finely crumbled (Note: If you cannot crumble the sausage well enough, toss the slightly-cooled cooked chorizo into a food processor and pulse a few times)
2cupsshredded cheeseextra sharp cheddar or pepperjack work great!
This is my take on the Trailer Park hot dog. It’s another great dog from the Dougie Dog food truck from Vancouver, Canada. I’ve been watching the show Eat Street on the Cooking Channel. They recently had an episode where they visited Dougie Dog. After seeing all the great dogs they have, I decided to make my own versions. Of course, if they had a truck here in Indianapolis, I’d be camped outside their door right now.
Simple. But Oh So Good.
Is there an easier hot dog recipe? Probably, but not a good one. Don’t laugh at the simplicity of these hot dogs. They’re actually quite tasty. You get a crunch from the chips and a nice creamy cheesiness from… well, the cheese.
I was going to serve these trailer park hot dogs on some fru-fru fancy hot dog rolls I picked up from Taylor’s Bakery, but that just didn’t seem right. Grab yourself a pack of the cheapest buns you can find and enjoy some good dogs.
I love a good hot dog. Easy to make, fun to eat. Stuff has to fall off while you’re eating it. That’s the sign of a great hot dog (actually, it’s the sign of good food, period). This Jersey City hot dog combines some of the best things you can have: spicy BBQ sauce, smoked bacon, onion, and of course… cheese. A little crunch and a little kick. Perfect!
Good Bacon Makes For Good Dogs
I used some of my homemade applewood-smoked maple bacon on my Jersey City hot dog. Wow, what a great combination of flavors. Don’t skimp on the bacon. Life’s too short for tasteless cheap bacon. I didn’t go wimpy on the BBQ sauce. Nope, I used my favorite Bayou BBQ Cajun sauce from Frog Bone. It’s a nice thin sauce with great spice and kick.
This Jersey City hot dog combines some of the best things you can have: spicy BBQ sauce, smoked bacon, onion, and of course… cheese. A little crunch and a little kick. Perfect!
Oh my goodness. There’s just about every taste I love in one bowl. I could eat this green chile mac and cheese stew all day long. Spicy Mexican chorizo. Beefy broth. Tomatoes with chiles. Beans. All with a lot of kick. This is not a wimpy savory bowl of stew here. Nope, it’s not for the faint of heart (or stomach). But it is the perfect dish for a cold day. It’s gonna warm you up for sure!
A Bit Of Everything In One Bowl
Just about any cheeses can be used in this green chile mac and cheese stew, but I kept the spicy theme going and topped it with a freshly shredded habanero jack cheese. There’s nothing wimpy about it. This dish has some serious kick in each every spoonful!
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this stew and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
What makes for a great mac-and-cheese? A nice crunchy outside and a creamy inside. Well, here it is. Crunchy and creamy, all in one, and a great way to use up leftover mac-and-cheese. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be leftover. Just make a batch of your favorite recipe and turn it into instant greatness!
You can use any mac-and-cheese recipe you want for mac-and-cheese waffles. Just make sure you let it set for a few hours (or best, overnight) before cutting it and putting it on the waffle iron. It needs to be nice and… well, solid. Good and firm and not runny. You don’t want to close your waffle maker only to watch all that cheese greatness run out the sides and onto your countertop.
Remember as you make these that non-stick spray is your friend. It definitely makes for easier clean-up.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet or the same pot you cooked the macaroni in.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly.
Slowly pour in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time, and whisk. Whisk steadily for about 10 minutes until any lumps are gone and the mixture is nice and creamy smooth.
Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted.
Line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with parchment or wax paper.
Pour in the macaroni and cheese and level out with a spatula.
Let cool before placing into the fridge for at least eight hours.
For the mac-and-cheese waffles
Heat your waffle iron and spray well with non-stick spray.
Working in batches, cut the macaroni and cheese into whatever sizes and shapes you want.
Sprinkle a bit of cheese on the waffle iron and add the macaroni and cheese. Top with a bit more cheese and close the waffle iron. Do not press down. Cook 5-6 minutes.
Turn off the waffle iron and let cool 5-10 minutes or until you can remove the mac-and-cheese without it sticking. Keep warm in the oven on low as you cook the remaining mac-and-cheese.
My wife told me that her sister was coming over to spend the night. No way was I gonna serve something out-of-a-box. Nope. I had to pull out the big guns. No shortcuts. This marinated cheese was it. And truth be told, it was easy.
A Big Party Hit
Everyone absolutely loved this marinated cheese. It’s hard to stop eating it. The combination of the soft, smooth cream cheese and sturdy, tangy extra sharp cheddar is great by itself. Add in some fresh herbs and a few spices and a wonderful vinegar and oil dressing and you have a great appetizer. The peppers in our garden were ripe. I grabbed one and used it in this cheese instead of opening a jar of pimentos.
My wife told me that her sister was coming over to spend the night. No way was I gonna serve some something out-of-a-box. Nope. I had to pull out the big guns. No shortcuts. This marinated cheese was it. And truth be told, it was easy.
I was so happy with how great these smoked cheeses tasted. I mean, they were fantastic. And definitely so much better than any so-called smoked cheese you buy in the store (which are usually flavored with a liquid smoke or chemical and not real wood smoke).
I made one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had with the smoked sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. I served it with some of my smoked potato chips.
The smoked buffalo mozzarella made for the best pizzas I’ve had. It takes pizza to a whole new happy place.
The Keys To Success
Cold smoking can be a tricky endeavor. The key is to not get above 90 F. The cheese can of course melt if you get your temperatures too high. You also want to not over-smoke the cheese as too much smoke flavor can be a bad thing. The first time attempting it you might want to sample one of the cheeses every 5 or so minutes to see how much smoke flavor you have.
My Setup
My cold smoke setup is easy: 4 lit charcoal briquettes topped with a piece of apple wood. Once the wood starts to smoke I put on the cheeses or whatever I am cold smoking. I monitor the temperature in the smoker closely, making any damper adjustments needed to maintain 90 F. It’s easier to do on a cloudy, cool day.
I was so happy with how great these smoked cheeses tasted. I mean, they were fantastic. And definitely so much better than any so-called smoked cheese you buy in the store.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, smoked
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 4blocks
Calories 4kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
For cold smoking
4lit charcoal briquettes
1small chunk apple wood
For the smoked cheeses
4blockscheeseuse your favorites. I used Tillamook sharp cheddar, Tillamook pepper jack, and a log of fresh buffalo mozzarella.
Instructions
For cold smoking
Place the 4 lit briquettes in the bottom of your smoker.
Add the wood chunk.
Once the wood is smoking, you can add the cheeses.
For the smoked cheeses
Place the cheeses onto a disposable grill topper or in a vegetable or fish basket.
Smoke 15 or so minutes until the desired smokiness is achieved. For us, 20 minutes was just perfect. Sample as you cook to find the amount of smoke you prefer.
Looking for a seriously big batch of rich, creamy, a-bit-spicy-but-not-too-spicy cheese dip for the big game? Well, this is it. Courtesy of my old favorite margarita spot in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Jose’s Restaurant. Jose’s party cheese dip satisfies any crowd. The flavor is fantastic. And although it might seem like there’s a good number of ingredients, it’s pretty easy to make.
Perfectly Spicy
This makes a really big batch of Jose’s party cheese dip. It’s not a super thick dip like the usual cheese dips you find (you could cut back on the cream and milk if you want a thicker dip, but I find this dip is perfect as it is). It’s very tasty, which just the right combination of spices. Perfect with warmed tortilla chips (I also thick this dip makes a great sauce for nachos, hot dogs, and just about anything).
