Monday, June 30, 2008

BBQ Chicken & Mom's Mac & Cheese

DH loves bbq chicken legs and I was watching Food Network's Mac & Cheese Challenge yesterday, so voila. Props to J next door for his recommendation on the bbq sauce - total cheat, but totally good. Oh, and boxed macaroni and cheese is not permitted in the RVA household, so I don't make this too often - but darn it's good.

Easy-Peasy BBQ Chicken


Marinate your favorite chicken pieces (I used drumsticks and a boneless, skinless breast for me) in Sonny's Sweet Sauce (I used about 8 packages for 6 pieces of chicken) for several hours. Grill pieces til cooked through, basting often. Serve with lots of napkins.






Mom's Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Guess what? No measurements! This is one of those recipes that you just sorta kinda feel your way through. It's got cheese - how can it be bad?

Cook your favorite pasta according to directions (I used mini penne and I make it very al dente). Drain and set aside.


In the same pot, make a roux out of equal parts butter and flour. I tend to make mine a little soft for a creamier sauce. Over low heat, add about 1-2 cups of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until roux is completely dissolved and milk has thickened. Add one block of shredded cheddar (1 3 cup bag of pre-shredded will work fine) and stir until all cheese has melted. Salt & pepper to taste.

Pour drained pasta into the cheese sauce and toss until pasta is well coated. Pour 1/2 mixture into a casserole dish and top with more shredded cheddar. Repeat with remaining mixture and more cheese.

In a small saucepan, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add breadcrumbs and combine until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and until crumbs are golden brown.

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