Bacon Buffalo Mac and Cheese

     This recipe for Bacon Buffalo Mac and Cheese from Mr. Food is not for the faint of heart, the cup of wing sauce adds a powerful punch. The original recipe suggests mixing the sauce, dressing and cream cheese in your food processor but if the cream cheese is softened to room temperature and cut into small pieces you can easily combine it with a whisk. If you like a little crunch use a fresh bell pepper, for convenience as well as the smokey flavor, I substituted jarred roasted red peppers.  In my 10 inch dutch oven this baked for 30 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 15 briquettes in a ring around the outside of the lid and 4 spaced evenly in the center.  If you like it a bit on the milder side cut back on the sauce and add a bit more dressing, this might also be good with blue cheese dressing in place of the ranch.  It's creamy, cheesy, made for Buffalo wing lovers and will definitely wake up your taste buds.

Bacon Buffalo Mac and Cheese
1/2 pound medium shell pasta
4-5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1/3 cup jarred roasted red pepper OR 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
1 cup wing sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups Cheddar Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup panko bread crumbs

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Cook pasta until al dente, then drain.
     If making pasta ahead of time, toss with a little olive oil before storing in zip lock bag or container.
     In large bowl, mix cream cheese, garlic, wing sauce and ranch dressing, there may be a few small lumps.
     Add cooked pasta, shredded cheese, roasted red pepper and crumbled bacon.
     Toss until well combined.
     Spread in prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
     Makes 4-6 servings.

Sprinkle pasta mixture with panko crumbs

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling and lightly brown

Zippy, creamy and crunchy
 

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

     The beauty of this Creamy Macaroni and Cheese recipe from a 2006 article in the New York Times is that you do not have to take the time to make a white sauce or precook the macaroni.  Puree the liquid ingredients together, add a pound of grated Cheddar, a half a box of macaroni and wait for a wonderfully cheesy and rich version of this classic dish.  You need to butter your dutch oven well and give it a good stir halfway through cooking time.  I baked mine in a 10 inch oven with 8 coals in a ring around the bottom and completely covered the lid with roughly 20 coals.  I did not have to replenish any coals, the Macaroni and Cheese stayed at a steady simmer for the whole hour.  If you were camping and did not have access to a blender, you could probably get away with not pureeing the cottage cheese, it would definitely be worth a try.  This one pot wonder is velvety, convenient and could easily become one of your favorite dutch oven dinners.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
2-3 Tblsp butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not low fat)
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pound grated extra-sharp grated cheese
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked

     Butter the inside of a 10 inch dutch oven with softened butter.
     In a blender, puree cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. 
     Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese for topping.
     In a large bowl combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta.  Pour into buttered dutch oven.
     Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees then stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. 
     Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until macaroni is tender and top is brown. 
     Let cool for in dutch oven for 15 minutes before serving.  Serves 4-6.

Stir macaroni right out the box with cheese and blended milk and cottage cheese

After 30 minutes, stir well and top with remaining Cheddar and butter

Ready in 55 minutes, let sit before serving

Buttery, creamy and loaded with cheese