Imagine a roomful of golfers chanting: “Mac and cheese! Mac and cheese! Mac and cheese!”
Executive chef Adele Gregory doesn’t have to envision it. She experienced it.
“People gave the macaroni and cheese a standing ovation. Not us. The macaroni and cheese got a standing ovation,” recalled the owner of Adele’s Creative Catering in Media, whose whopping 15-cheese version earns rave reviews.
“I have men wanting to leave their wives for it. I have so many wives who are so upset with me,”said Gregory, also known for her lobster mac and cheese. “I actually take the lobster and I cook it three different ways.”
“Who doesn’t like mac and cheese?” wondered Marti Lieberman of Mac Mart, a Philadelphia food truck featuring more than 50 riffs on the classic dish.
“There’s something for everyone,” she said. “The BBQ bacon bowl sells like wildfire.”
Lieberman especially likes the cowboy cup, “jalapeno-infused mac topped with crispy bacon, cornbread crumble and buttermilk ranch drizzle.”
“You get sweet. You get spicy, the salty of the bacon. It’s amazing!” she said.
Another favorite: jalapeno basil pesto.
“It’s incredible. We do a dollop on top, so it melts into the cheese sauce,” Lieberman said.
When it comes to culinary creativity, chef Colin Brett of Kimberton Whole Foods wowed judges at last year’s Chester County Mac & Cheese Cook-off with his award-winning grilled pear, brie and pecan mac n’ cheese.
“It’s something you don’t see,” he explained. “I think just the way it sounded, people were interested in trying it.”
“You can’t not like cheesy goodness,” added Brett, who’ll defend his title on June 7. “I’m excited to do it again.”
This year’s contest includes a traditional category for recipes like grandma makes.
“My wife’s grandmother makes one of the best macaroni and cheeses I’ve ever had in my life,” praised chef Scott Moore of Rams Head Bar & Grill in West Chester. “It’s always served at family functions, and it never disappoints.”
At the restaurant, “We have a five-cheese macaroni, which sounds excessively gluttonous, but it’s a nice combo of cheddar, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, smoked Gouda and blue cheese crumbles. It’s pretty delicious!” he continued.
Moore also whips up fried macaroni bites by adding gelatin to the cheese sauce.
“To hell with the gluten-free lifestyle,” he said with a laugh. “Enjoy yourself! It really is one of America’s comfort foods.”
Macaroni & CheeseIngredients8-ounce package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk1 cup cream1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbsInstructions
Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper; blend well. Add milk and cream gradually; stir constantly. Bring to boiling point for 2 minutes; stir constantly. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes; stir constantly. Add shredded cheddar. Simmer until cheese melts. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Place macaroni in baking dish (buttered). Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Recipe courtesy of Rising Sun Inn
Jalapeno Basil PestoIngredients
10 to 15 medium jalapenos 3 cups olive oil blend
2 cups Parmesan or pecorino6 shaved or large cloves of garlic
1 large bundle of basil 11/2 cups panko
InstructionsChop up jalapenos and pan fry in 2-to-3 inches of olive oil blend. Add freshly grated garlic. Combine in food processor with basil, pecorino or Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.
Recipe courtesy of Mac MartColin’s Award-Winning Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients1 pound (about 2 cups) of fresh pasta (we like to use Vera Pasta’s fresh ribbed penne)
3 cups of your favorite cheeses (we chose brie, cheddar and a little bit of smoked Gouda)
1 cup organic heavy cream (like Seven Stars Farm heavy cream)
Just a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg
Add your favorite addition (our favorite is grilled pear!)
InstructionsWhile waiting for water to boil, chop cheeses into small chunks. Pour heavy cream into a small bowl, before stirring in salt, pepper and nutmeg. If using fresh pasta, cook in boiling water for up to 1 minute. For dry pasta, cook for 3 to 4 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on package. Drain water from pot, and then place pasta back into pot. Add chopped cheeses and seasoned cream into large pot and stir in with pasta. Pour contents of pot into a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.
Baked nut topping ingredients11/2 cups of your favorite nut
2 tablespoons maple syrup2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extractInstructions
Place nuts in medium-sized pot of boiling water. Stir in maple syrup, chosen sweetener and vanilla extract. Allow mixture to boil down until water evaporates. Lay pecans out on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place baking sheet in a cool, dry place and allow nuts to dry for 24 hours. The next day, heat oven to 325 degrees and bake nuts until crispy (about 10 minutes). Chop nuts into fine pieces, then sprinkle over the top of your mac n’ cheese masterpiece!
* Always monitor nuts carefully to prevent burning.
Recipe courtesy of chef Colin Brett, Kimberton Whole Foods
Chester County Mac & Cheese Cook-off
Love macaroni and cheese? Then check out the fourth annual Chester County Mac & Cheese Cook-off on Sunday, June 7.
“I feel like my whole life starting in February revolves around mac and cheese,” said event coordinator Autumn Katzenmoyer. “Our goal is to break $10,000 this year.”
The money will support Rotary Club projects and also help Aidan’s Heart Foundation, which provides automated external defibrillators to schools and youth sports leagues.
“It’s great to have a community event to really, kind of, raise awareness of what’s available in your backyard,” said Katzenmoyer, who encourages competitors to use local ingredients.
The cook-off starts at noon in Downingtown’s Kerr Park at Park Lane and Pennsylvania Avenue. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 12.
