contest VOTE! Mac N Cheese Throwdown Official Thread

[JayT]

I too thought of adding bacon to mine, but I thought it might add too much salt with the saltiness of the asiago. Fine looking entries everyone.

Sorry about the interruption of your posts Quad. Maybe THP can somehow rearrange them?

 

[QuadShotz]

no worries, i type too slow ;P

 

[5oclocksomewhere]

I'm new to this throwdown thing, but I've got some good buddies who are salty veterans. They have put down the challenge, and I'm here to accept. Bring it, flamingos!

 

[5oclocksomewhere]

Sooo...I decided to go with my favorite chili pepper on this one...the jalapeno. Great flavor with just the right amount of heat. For cheesy goodness, I like a blend of different cheeses...cheddar, monterrey jack, colby, and american. I chopped up the veggies, mixed in a bit of the cheese, and they all waited for the cheese sauce...

And...right out of the oven! Can't wait to serve this to my friends and get a helping of it for myself.

Served up for everyone. Delicious! Subtle heat from the jalapenos against the sweetness of the red bell peppers. Best mac n' cheese I've ever had.

 

[texas blues]

Welcome 5. It's the Florida Posse +1 expanded. FD4 and SumBits put you up to this? I smell coconspirator....if so...you are in great company with those Florida suncats! They are at the top of the throwdown food chain!

In honor of FiveStar...I went and plugged in the LP and the Marshall and played some Lightnin' Hopkins. "Crawlin' Kingsnake" and "Lemme' Play with your Poodle". The mojo is flowin' hot blue and righteous now ya'll. Hosky's are now cracked, and mrs. blues is yawning and doing the head bob in preperation for nite nite. I'm cocked and locked to begin the mayhem and get down with the sickness in the Blues Kitchen.

Let the hotness begin..

Salute', TB.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

5o nice introduction!

 

[texas blues]

Badass 5! Cast iron is king around here! Mac looks like it'll make you harder than chinese arithmatic!

Salute', TB.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I'm thinking I like the artichoke one. A spoonful of mac n cheese with some heart would be the goodness! And you can still pull the outer leaves. I like the crust on top too. Me likes a little burnt goodness.

 

[FiveStar]

TB, Thanks for the mojo duder!


Alright... Here goes....

The ingredients. I know y'all are jealous of the ripe 'penos! Decided to go with the smoked swiss to pair up with the Japs...

Whipped up a roux, tossed in the japs, a splash or twelve of beer, and some milk. Dumped in the cheese and whooped till creamy and incorporated...

Tossed in the pasta and worked it all till nicely mixed. Topped with more Smoked Swiss and a bit of Parm and breadcrumbs to get a nice crust. With all the damn Foo Foo goin on with these breadbowls and protruding claws goin on, had to top with some Jap rings.

Prebake Shot....

Finished shots and plated forthcoming....

 

[FiveStar]

Comin outta the oven...

Made a fresh "Mammoth German Gold" tomato sammich to help the meal along...

And the money shot!!! Nice and smokey, the japs were nice and sweet, and the crust ROCKED! Had to munch a fresh peno to up the heat a bit, but all in all this is the best mac I've ever eaten!

 

[origamiRN]

SOMB, that Calzone rocked!
What's your recipe for the Pizza dough?

 

[QuadShotz]

very nice FS!!

And a nice entry from the newbie too, kudos on da Iron.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

ALL look good. We need to have one where we can taste them all

 

[FiveStar]

No kidding boss! We should have a THP Drunken Chef throwdown convention somewhere. How bout Asheville? Then I won't have to drink and drive!

 

[SumOfMyBits]

SOMB, that Calzone rocked!
What's your recipe for the Pizza dough?

Dough was straight out of the Publix fresh bread area. I'd have rather made it from scratch, but FD4 kitchen mess and timing were a factor in this decision. (In the process of remodeling SumBits kitchen. Next throwdown will, hopefully, have different background, but the same crushed Busch Light.)

Nice work on the mac 5o. I bet that looks as good as it tasted.

I say we hold the convention in FD's kitchen.

 

[SumOfMyBits]

5* - Nice forced perspective on the mac shot above the sammy-makin' pic. Good work on the ripe jalas. Corked so you know it's done. If those are from the 5* garden I'm green with jealous rage.

 

[frydad4]

Well played from the 5s...

5o coming out of the gates strong - Showin us how to mac-off the RIGHT way!

5* looks good and spicy! Diggin the color of those ripe penos. I'll bet the beer added great flavor!

 

[texas blues]

Hey ya'll...got it goin' on last night in the Blues Kitchen and got down with the hotness. Before we get started, I have taken the liberty of posting 2 introductory and obligatory booze piccy's.

Here's a pic of the party crashers....taken in honor of the Florida boys....

For the Florida Posse...

Standby for the goodness...

 

[texas blues]

Here 'tis ya'll. Let us begin with the ingredient list...for....

TB's Triple Mushroom Head Mac & Cheese

elbow macaroni
butter
garlic
shallot
green onion
sun dried tomato
pequin chile
habanero chile
fresno chile
cream
sharp cheddar
asiago
shitaki mushrooms
chantrelle mushrooms
portabella mushrooms
rosemary
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
marsala wine

Here's the piccy..

While the mac was coming to a boil, I had chantrelles and shitaki's and rosemary gettin' happy in the cast iron.

And then deglazed with the marsala...

While that was happenin' the sauce pan was getting down brown for making the roux for the cheese sauce..

More to come....

 

[texas blues]

Got the roux and sauce together along with the mac and stuffed it all into portabello mushrooms which had been lightly saute'd..

Topped with a little more cheese and finished under the broiler and plated up...behold!

One last money shot of the foo foo ........

This mac had it all ya'll...cheezey goodness, chile heat, the woody, earthy flavors of the mushrooms rounded out by the sweetness of the marsala and enhanced by the herbage of the fresh rosemary.
It was...como se dice'? Magnifique!

Get your Mac on ya'll...

Salute', TB.