Smokin’ Betties BBQ Sauce
Gearing up for grilling season! Learn more about Smokin’ Betties BBQ Sauce here.
MAC AND CHEESE
1 lb rotelle, fusilli, shell, or elbow pasta
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 lb gruyere or gouda (not smoked!) cheese, shredded
3/4 cup asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Fontina or provolone cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour works for GF folk)
3 cup milk (either whole or reduced fat)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon citric acid (found in canning supplies; optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Makes 4 – 6 servings as a main dish or 8 – 10 servings as a side dish.
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 6-qt baking dish with non-stick spray. (It’s better to have a large shallow pan than a deep narrow one, as cook time will be less.)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Boil pasta until al dente according to instructions. Drain and put in a large mixing bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, toss all the shredded cheeses together in a large bowl, set aside.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and slightly bubbly. Slowly whisk in the milk. Stir in the onion powder, salt, nutmeg, dried mustard, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.
Lower heat to minimum and whisk in the cheese mixture. If using, stir in the citric acid, which helps make the sauce smoother. Stir until smooth, being careful not to scorch the mixture – be patient, as this may take time! If it seems too thick, add additional milk, ¼ of a cup at a time. Pour the mixture into the bowl of pasta, adding enough sauce to your personal taste. (Chef’s note: It’s better to add too much rather than too little, because the pasta will absorb some of the liquid as it bakes.) Pour mixture into baking dish(es).
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly on the edges. Remove the cover, increase heat to 425, and bake until top starts browning. Cool a bit before serving – it comes out dangerously hot! Enjoy!
(Adapted from The Swedish Chef, https://www.food.com/recipe/gourmet-four-cheese-macaroni-and-cheese-392409.)
Maui Chicken Soft Tacos with Mustard Slaw
Makes about 20 – 24 street tacos or 8 – 10 fajita-sized tacos
For the filling:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (mix of breast and thigh is best)
1 jar Smokin’ Bettie’s® Maui Sauce
For the slaw:
1/4 head green cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled
1/2 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
flour tortillas (the number depends on the size; see below)
cilantro for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard, and celery seeds (if using) in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Heat until sugar dissolves, whisking to combine the dry mustard. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper as needed, and let cool completely in refrigerator (can be done ahead).
Slice the chicken thinly against the grain. In a frying pan, cook the chicken over medium heat, stirring often. When the water has almost completely evaporated, add the Maui Sauce. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, adding water if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
For the slaw, grate the cabbage and carrot and blend together in a large bowl. Add the dressing, whose oil may have congealed slightly in the refrigerator. Do not worry if there is extra dressing in the bottom of the bowl – that’s extra anyway!
Assemble: Depending on tortilla size, spoon an appropriate amount of the cooled chicken mixture on the flour tortilla. With a pair of tongs, grab an appropriate amount of slaw from the bowl, let any excess dressing drain, and place on top of chicken mixture. Garnish with cilantro (optional) and serve.
– Pepper’s Market in Northridge (near the MGM Racetrack) is putting all Smokin’ Bettie’s products on sale in honor of today’s “New Day Cleveland” appearance – but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only!
– We’ll be tasting some of our products tomorrow, Saturday May 13, at the Market District in Portage Crossing, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. We want to get into more Akron stores, so Akron NDC fans, ask for us at your local markets!
– We’ll be tasting some of our products on Sunday, May 14, at Miles Farmers Market from 12 noon – 2 p.m. Come get your BBQ sauce for your Mother’s Day cookout!
