This is my favorite mac and cheese, and my friends and neighbors think the same as I do. And honestly, you can substitute any meat you want or just have left over. I've made it with lots of different stuff. I think the tri tip and bacon is the best...
* 3 pounds of elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
* 2-pound loaf of Velveeta cheese
* A few pounds leftover BBQ meat (tri tip, brisket, beef tenderloin, pork loin, whatever you like) or cooked bacon
* 4 cups chopped onion
* 8 ounces blue cheese
* 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
* 1 pound (or more, whatever you want) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 2 cups celery, sliced thin
* 1 cup plain yogurt
Directions
1. Cook macaroni al dente. Drain, then rinse with cold water. Cut meat into bite size pieces.
2. In large pot, melt butter. When foaming stops, add onions. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and browning, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not burn.
3. Add hot sauce, stirring until sauce evaporates into onions, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Add milk, yogurt and Velveeta torn in chunks. Stir steadily as Velveeta melts into liquid. (Do not allow to boil, or it will burn on the bottom of the pot.)
5. Set oven between 450 and 500 degrees. Spread cooked macaroni in standard half-sheet sized foil catering pan. Scatter celery and meat over the macaroni, add blue cheese. Add cheese sauce and stir to combine everything evenly. Smooth out the mixture.
6. Top with shredded cheddar and place pan in preheated oven. Bake until brown and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Can be covered with heavy foil and kept warm in a cooler, stuffed with crumpled newspaper as insulation, for up to four hours.
* 3 pounds of elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
* 2-pound loaf of Velveeta cheese
* A few pounds leftover BBQ meat (tri tip, brisket, beef tenderloin, pork loin, whatever you like) or cooked bacon
* 4 cups chopped onion
* 8 ounces blue cheese
* 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
* 1 pound (or more, whatever you want) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 2 cups celery, sliced thin
* 1 cup plain yogurt
Directions
1. Cook macaroni al dente. Drain, then rinse with cold water. Cut meat into bite size pieces.
2. In large pot, melt butter. When foaming stops, add onions. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and browning, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not burn.
3. Add hot sauce, stirring until sauce evaporates into onions, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Add milk, yogurt and Velveeta torn in chunks. Stir steadily as Velveeta melts into liquid. (Do not allow to boil, or it will burn on the bottom of the pot.)
5. Set oven between 450 and 500 degrees. Spread cooked macaroni in standard half-sheet sized foil catering pan. Scatter celery and meat over the macaroni, add blue cheese. Add cheese sauce and stir to combine everything evenly. Smooth out the mixture.
6. Top with shredded cheddar and place pan in preheated oven. Bake until brown and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Can be covered with heavy foil and kept warm in a cooler, stuffed with crumpled newspaper as insulation, for up to four hours.
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