Southwestern Mac & Cheese
Southwestern Mac & Cheese, we have to laugh, of all the recipes we get asked for from gourmet to down home, what we get the most requests for is macaroni and cheese. Our date night was coming up so I asked Ken what he was in the mood for thinking he would say steak or ribs. Nope, he wanted a creamy mac & cheese with a little flavor kick. Using Chef of the Future Southwestern seasoning/rub and Mexican cheeses was just right for cheesy, spicy goodness. With a crunchy topping made with your favorite flavor corn chips. We used Doritos Salsa Verde.
Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Louisiana Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rainforest theme. Wood pellet patio heater, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…
Southwestern Mac & Cheese
A Pellet Grill Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes at 350 degrees (177c)
Grill: Louisiana Wood Pellet Grill
Pellets: Pacific Pellet Gourmet BBQ Pellet Southern Pecan
Ingredients: Southwestern Mac & Cheese
- 1lb. cut pasta; we used rigatoni, cooked and drained
- 4 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
- ¼ lb. Mexican style Velveeta or American cheese, cubed
- 5 slices pepper-jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups low fat milk
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 2 teaspoons Chef of the Future Southwestern seasoning/rub
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 3 cups Doritos (your favorite flavor) crushed
- 1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
Southwestern Mac & Cheese
A Pellet Grill Recipe
Directions: Southwestern Mac & Cheese
In a large bowl mix shredded cheeses, milk, diced tomatoes and seasoning. Blend in pasta until well coated. Place pasta mixture in large, well greased Dutch oven. Top with pepper jack slices. In small bowl mix melted butter, crushed chips and cilantro. Sprinkle on top.
So, after the grill comes up to temp and burns clean turn it back down to 350 degrees (177c). Place your mac directly onto the grill and just let it hang out and get happy for 45 minutes or so. Until it is nice and bubbly…
I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking temps.
Place Pasta Mixture in Large, Well Greased Dutch Oven
Top with Pepper Jack Slices
Southwestern Mac & Cheese
A Pellet Grill Recipe
Mix Melted Butter, Crushed Chips and Cilantro
Add Topping and You’re Ready for The Grill
Cooking Directions: Louisiana Wood Pellet Grill
To prepare the grill for cooking, check your pellet supply – top off or change flavors as needed. Scrape grill grates off. Set the temperature to 450 degrees and press the “Start” button. Give the grill about 15 minutes to reach temperature and the grates to burn clean.
Note: You can set the start temperature anywhere you want. I do 450 (230c) for a quick cleaning burn.
So, after the grill comes up to temp and burns clean turn it back down to 350 degrees (177c). Place your mac directly onto the grill and just let it hang out and get happy for 45 minutes or so. Until it is nice and bubbly…
I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking temps.
Note: I get a lot of questions about the kind of pellets you can use with a recipe. Keep in mind that a recipe is just an outline. Some you need to follow closely like when you are making bread, but most you can do anything you can dream, our favorite way to cook. Feel free to mix and match the pellets until you find a combination you really like. Also you are only smoking at temps less than 250 degrees (122c), anything higher is cooking and there will not be much if any smoke so it does not matter what kind of pellet you are using.
On The Grill and Lookin’ Good
Southwestern Mac & Cheese
A Pellet Grill Recipe
Cooking In the Oven:
We have been getting requests for recipe conversions for the Pacific Living Outdoor Oven. I tell folks all the time that cooking on a Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker is just as easy as cooking in your oven. Just about anyone can do it and do it well. Think about it. You set your control knob to the temp you want, put your meat in and leave it for a set time. It is the same thing, time and temperature is what it is all about. The Louisiana Grill is just like your oven except it uses wood pellets and has wheels. Do 45 minutes here at 350 (177c).
Note: The Pacific Living Outdoor Oven also has a smoke box.
Let’s Eat!!!
Southwestern Mac & Cheese
A Pellet Grill Recipe
About our Recipes
We do our recipes on our patio where we have a lineup of grills, including Green Mountain, Sawtooth, Louisiana, Memphis, Royall, Traeger pellet grills, Char-Griller, Saber, Charmglow, Char-Broil, The Big Easy, Pacific Living Pizza Oven, Lodge Sportsman’s, Brinkman and Weber. I call it our “Wall of Grill”. Our grilling styles are healthy and low fat and will fit pelletheads, gas, natural wood and even charcoal purists. Almost any of our recipes can be done on any kind of good BBQ.
The important thing to keep in mind is TIME & TEMPERATURE. You can even do some of them in the oven or crock pot, but, then you lose all the flavors you get from cooking outdoors. But sometimes it does rain.
Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. Take it and run with it….
Live your Passion and Do What You Love
Ken & Patti
http://datenightdoins.com
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And Checking Out Our New Date Night Seasoning
“Date Night Butt Rub“
“Date Night Heat”, Add a Little Heat To Your Meat“
“Date Night Gourmet Steak Seasoning“.
Our Thanks To:
Our new “Date Night Doins Seasoning”
http://datenightdoins.com/date-night-rub/
Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
www.countrybobs.com
Maverick Industries, Inc.
1-800-526-0954
help@maverickhousewares.com
http://www.maverickhousewares.com/
Grill Grates
http://www.grillgrate.com/
Chef Of The Future Brand Seasoning
https://www.chef-ofthefuture.com/
973 780 5895
info@chef-ofthefuture.com
Pacific Pellet Gourmet BBQ Pellet
http://www.pacificpelletbbq.com/
Lodge Cast Iron
www.lodgemfg.com
The Smoking Wedgie
https://bbqpelletsonline.com/
Our Cutlery Provided By:
- 1lb. cut pasta; we used rigatoni, cooked and drained
- 4 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
- ¼ lb. Mexican style Velveeta or American cheese, cubed
- 5 slices pepper-jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups low fat milk
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 2 teaspoons Chef of the Future Southwestern seasoning/rub
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 3 cups Doritos (your favorite flavor) crushed
- 1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
- In a large bowl mix shredded cheeses, milk, diced tomatoes and seasoning. Blend in pasta until well coated. Place pasta mixture in large, well greased Dutch oven. Top with pepper jack slices. In small bowl mix melted butter, crushed chips and cilantro. Sprinkle on top.
- So, after the grill comes up to temp and burns clean turn it back down to 350 degrees (177c). Place your mac directly onto the grill and just let it hang out and get happy for 45 minutes or so. Until it is nice and bubbly…
- I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking temps.
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written much
better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous
roommate! He always kept talking about this. I am going to
send this information to him. Pretty sure he will have
a good read. Thanks for sharing!