Chasing the perfect Mac and Cheese

[lowcountrygamecock]

I'm chasing the perfect smoked mac and cheese recipe and don't know where to start. For comparison sake, Heim bbq in Ft Worth has a green chilli mac and cheese that's fantastic. Texture and flavor are off the chart and what I'm looking for. I could modify without the green chilli's and be fine but that's the texture and cheesyness that I'm after.

Most people's baked mac and cheese comes out with soft noodles. I want some chew to my noodles and don't know how to get that.

Cheese is the other big one. My wife's baked mac and cheese is good but the cheesy part comes out curdled if that makes any sense. Almost looks like cottage cheese and I don't like it.

Any suggestions for where to start? Recipes are all over the place and that's a time consuming and slightly expensive thing(depending on the cheese) to test a bunch of different recipes.

 

[Brokenhandle]

As far as noodles go I'd say don't cook them as long to boil them at first. I've seen as short as like 4 minutes compared to the approximate almost 8 minutes for aldente.
Cheese mixture comes out almost curdled... could also be grainy? That's what used to happen to mine. Not sure I can explain it as good as others but your roux is breaking. This last batch I made came out really good... just left the milk sit out on counter to warm... never heated it.
As far as cheeses go... it's all over the place. Try making as small batches as you can to keep costs down and prevent as much waste as possible.

Ryan

 

[dazdnaz]

Look into sodium citrate it smooths out the texture of the cheese by preventing the oils from separating.

 

[voyager 663rd]

Curdled-->heat was too high when melting the cheese.

Want some chew? Your mac noodles have been cooked too long.

Want 'stringy' so to speak? Add provolone to it.

Use 10% cream instead of milk for creamier.

Best tip though is to use a lower heat.

 

[gmc2003]

Here's one I make. Cook the noodles just before they hit aldente, I like cheddar cheese but you'll need to mix in either a Jack or something like a Gruyere to give it smoothness. Also always use freshly grated cheese. The pregrated has anti-clumping stuff added to it.

End of Summer Seafood Mac-n-Cheese

Well the end of summer is fast approaching, and we had a hankering for some seafood Mac. The dish starts off with two lobsters. Both are just under 1.5 pounds. I had the store steam these for me. One less pot for me to wash. Next its grating time. An 8oz block of smoked Gruyere Cheese, and...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[BigW.]

I like this one:

Smoked Mac and Cheese - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

Here's my version of smoked mac and cheese and if you are a mac and cheese lover like I am, then you will appreciate this recipe beyond words!

www.Smoking-Meat.com

I won't tell your wife what you said about her mac

 

[kilo charlie]

I'm chasing the perfect smoked mac and cheese recipe and don't know where to start. For comparison sake, Heim bbq in Ft Worth has a green chilli mac and cheese that's fantastic. Texture and flavor are off the chart and what I'm looking for. I could modify without the green chilli's and be fine but that's the texture and cheesyness that I'm after.

Most people's baked mac and cheese comes out with soft noodles. I want some chew to my noodles and don't know how to get that.

Cheese is the other big one. My wife's baked mac and cheese is good but the cheesy part comes out curdled if that makes any sense. Almost looks like cottage cheese and I don't like it.

Any suggestions for where to start? Recipes are all over the place and that's a time consuming and slightly expensive thing(depending on the cheese) to test a bunch of different recipes.

No Boil Smoked Mac n Cheese by Cold Iron

2 1/2 cups of uncooked elbow noodles
3/4 stick butter
12 ounces yellow cheddar cheese, shred a brick it melts better and less oil
4 oz. Velveeta cheese to make it creamier
5 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

2.5 hours at 240. Careful not to over cook. Stir 3 times toward the end.

 

[Jim_C]

I like this one:

Smoked Mac and Cheese - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

Here's my version of smoked mac and cheese and if you are a mac and cheese lover like I am, then you will appreciate this recipe beyond words!

www.Smoking-Meat.com

I won't tell your wife what you said about her mac

Just what I needed...another rabbit hole to go down. So now the game plan is to get a pork butt, some Dr Pepper, and make the No Boil Smoked Mac n Cheese. That should take care of tomorrows duties.

 

[radioguy]

Here is one that will impress. Not sure where Sqwibs is now but his recipe is still here. Try version #3.
RG

SQWIBS Macaroni and Cheese

Fixed Links February 28, 2013 This post had to be changed due to missing images and formatting, however all the information is accurate SQWIBS Macaroni and Cheese OK here was the dilemma, some of my family like “Oven Baked Mac n’ Cheese”, while others like the smoother creamier type like...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[lowcountrygamecock]

Looks like I have some new recipes to test!