Smoked mac & cheese and prime rib was a hit this Christmas!

[hallsofmontezuma]

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Ours was a small gathering since nobody is traveling to us this year;

it was just me, the wife, the baby, and another couple.

Smoked USDA Prime prime rib, Berkshire ham, smoked mac and cheese (6 cheeses + kurobuta bacon + truffles), loaded mashed potatoes, asparagus.
The smoked cheezeits and chex mix were a huge hit as well. A big THANK YOU to everyone on this forum who recommended them to me.

 

[ndfan6464]

Looks like one heck of a spread. Congrats on the successful cook!

 

[Greg Jones]

Looks very nice indeed!

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Looks like one heck of a spread. Congrats on the successful cook!

Thank you! I was pleased with how everything turned out. The RecTeq certainly played a major role.

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Looks very nice indeed!

Thanks.

 

[C. Keeper]

Yum!

 

[Nikeguy53]

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Ours was a small gathering since nobody is traveling to us this year; View attachment 7967it was just me, the wife, the baby, and another couple.

Smoked USDA Prime prime rib, Berkshire ham, smoked mac and cheese (6 cheeses + kurobuta bacon + truffles), loaded mashed potatoes, asparagus.
The smoked cheezeits and chex mix were a huge hit as well. A big THANK YOU to everyone on this forum who recommended them to me.

How did it take to smoke the ham ?

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

How did it take to smoke the ham ?

I'm not sure. It was pre-cooked so I was just heating it up.

 

[Mlmurrah]

Smoked mac and cheese recipe?

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
5 slices bacon
2 tbsp butter w/ white truffles
2 tbsp butter w/ black truffles
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (only if needed)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
OR
1/2 tbsp mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

Cheeses:
3oz cream cheese
1.5 cups gouda
1.5 cups gruyere
1.5 cups sharp cheddar
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup pecorino Romano
1/2 cup

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter , melted
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions, just until al dente. Don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Preheat smoker to 225. Lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish or use a cast iron pan.
Cook bacon until crispy.
Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add truffle butter to the pan and then whisk in flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in 1 cup heavy cream.
Add the cornstarch (only if needed for thickening) to other cup of heavy cream and cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Gradually add it to skillet followed by mustard, salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powder.

Cook sauce for a few more minutes, just until it begins to slightly thicken. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar, gouda, and gruyere.
Crumble/chop the bacon and add most of it to the pan, reserving a little for topping later. Add cooked pasta and toss to evenly combine.
Pour mixture into baking dish or cast iron pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
Add panko, melted butter and olive oil to a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until crumbs are golden brown.
Evenly sprinkle them over mac cheese. Add remaining bacon crumbles on top.
Bake for 1-2 hours.
Put in 350 oven to crisp top if desired.

 

[sdynak]

Awesome.. all looks great. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Do you think it would come out ok leaving the truffle butter out and just use regular?

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Awesome.. all looks great. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Do you think it would come out ok leaving the truffle butter out and just use regular?

Yep. Truffle butter isn't for everyone.
Also, I think I used more cheeses than those listed, but unfortunately I may not have written them down. This is meant to be more of a guide. I think in total there were about 8 or 9 cheeses.