happy friday!
wanna know who is more excited about this friday than i am?
handfuls of high school students! it’s graduation night! and one of those high schoolers that is near + dear to my heart, is a smart little lady named, bryana.
bryana is AJ’s youngest sister + tonight we are back home in the chicago burbs, celebrating her well-earned walk across the stage to earn her high school diploma!
in preparation for tonight, i sat bryana down + passed along some wisdom that i happened to learn first-hand:
- don’t trip on stage.
- reference number one.
yuuuuuup. i tripped. tripped right over my big dumb silver bebe wedges. tripped just as my uncle screamed ‘KELLY MO!’ at the top of his lungs. tripped right IN to my future.
back to baby bryana.
we have a ton of things in common, but the three most important, in no specific order are:
- we’re both the ‘baby.’ each of us earned the nickname of ‘baby’ from our families. bryana is the youngest sibling of five. and me, well, i’m an only child who was named after her aunt + if you’ve met either kelly, you’d know there wasn’t room for both of us!
- we dig AJ.
- we love ourselves some mac-n-cheese. no explanation needed. you get us.
speaking of the cheesy delight, AJ + Bryana’s mom, mama lisa, makes a meeeeeean mac-n-cheese.
so today, in bryana’s honor + as a nod to mama lisa’s hospitality all weekend, i’m putting a boozy spin on the classic comfort food + baking them up bite-size for an appetizer spin!
the zippy addition of beer to the roux of the mac-n-cheese is a real flavor game changer + being able to hold mac-n-cheese is totally mindblowing.
in closing, remember that this recipe is a total twofer.. you can:
- make the mac
eat it straight from the potserve it in bowls - make the mac, spoon it into the muffin tins, bake away + share with people you obviously like very much
- 2½ cups uncooked whole wheat elbow noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 8oz milk
- 8oz beer {i used a 312 beer}
- 8oz freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 4oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, gently whisked
- preheat oven to 375 degrees
- prepare water for pasta + boil according to directions.
- spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- heat a pot over medium-high heat + add butter. once butter is melted, whisk in flour to create a roux + cook until golden in color.
- then, add milk + beer into the pot, whisking constantly until combined + lump free!
- next, add both cheeses + stir until melted.
- turn heat down to medium + continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while mixture thickens. once thickened, add paprika + eggs.
- drain your pasta + add the cooked noodles into the pot, stirring to combine.
- spoon your mac-n-cheese into the muffin tin + top with panko.
- bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly + golden on top.
- remove from oven + let cool for 10 minutes, then top remove to a serving tray! enjoy!
the key to the success of homemade mac-n-cheese sauce is getting the roux just right! never heard of a roux? the internet defines a roux as:
“..when a fat {the butter} is heated + melted in a pot or pan. then flour is added. the mixture is stirred until the flour is incorporated and then cooked until the point where a raw flour taste is no longer apparent and the desired colour has been reached. the end result is a thickening and flavoring agent.”
here is also a video to watch a roux happen.
one tip from my ambitious kitchen: don’t rush a roux! just keep whisking until the butter + flour is combined + the mixture has reached a golden color!
some dishes are tricky to reheat, in my opinon, mac-n-cheese is one of ’em! the best taste results i have found is when i add a bit of milk to the mac-n-cheese + reheat in the oven at 350º until bubbly! have you found a better way? i’d love to hear about it in the comments!
as mentioned, you can opt out of using the beer in this recipe by swapping with chicken broth! but i do suggest to give it a try if you are up for it – the alcohol cooks out + the added flavor is really great!
join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
Hi, I’m a little confused. You didn’t mention where or when to add the milk and beer. What do I do?
hi flurra!
thank you so much for bringing that to my attention, i had a brain freeze while typing up the directions! i have added it where it belongs – at step 5 {after the roux + before the cheeses are added}.
let me know how it goes! thanks! -k
I looked at another beer mac and cheese recipe and did that (:
I just ate two and they’re really yummy 😀
oh thank goodness – the internet to the rescue! so glad you enjoyed the bites! thank you for your feedback, i really appreciate it! -k