Cheesy Meatloaf

• 1 lb beef
• 8 oz white cheddar (block not shredded)
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbs parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 eggs

Glaze

• 3/4 cup Ketchup
• 2 tbs mustard
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 6 dashes hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl add the beef, Worcestershire sauce,  parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.  Mix together. Add the eggs and mix.

Then add the beer and mix.  Finally add the breadcrumbs and mix, the final mixture should be moist but not soupy.

Dice the cheddar into 1/2 inch cubes.

Divide the meatloaf mixture into thirds.  Add 1/3rd of the mixture into a loaf pan.  Pat down and then add 1/2 of the cheese cubes.  Cover with another 1/3rd of the meatloaf mix.  Pat down and then add the other 1/2 of the cheese cubes. Finally top with the remaining 1/3rd of the meatloaf mixture.

In a small bowl combine the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.  Add the hot sauce if you like a little heat, but this is optional. Not necessary if you do not like the heat.  Mix the ingredients and then coat the top of the meatloaf with the glaze.

Place the meatloaf in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55-65 minutes.  This will vary depending on the size of your loaf pan.  The best way is to check the temperature of the meatloaf after 55 minutes.  You want the thermometer to read 155 degrees.

When the meat reaches 155 degrees, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.  You need to let this meatloaf rest or else the cheese will ooze out like molten lava.

Slice it and serve.

This was a delicious meatloaf.  Tasty, tender and full of flavor.

The cheese added an extra layer of flavor and texture that made this meatloaf over the top.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Bread (Adapted from Plain Chicken)

• 1 unsliced round sourdough bread
• 8 oz block of cheddar cheese, sliced into thin slices
• 1/4 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp dried chives
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp seasoning salt
• pinch black pepper

Using a sharp knife cut a cross-hatch pattern into the bread.  To do this slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices, making sure not to cut into the bottom crust.  After you make the cuts in one direction, it is easiest to get an extra set up hands to squeeze the loaf together to cut it in the other direction.

Place the bread onto a large piece of aluminum foil and curve up the edges to form a packet.  Then place the thin slices of cheddar cheese in between the cut slices.  Then sprinkle the top with the crumbled bacon.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.  Then add the dried herbs and spices. Mix everything together and let it sit for a minute.

Pour the butter/herb mixture all over the bread.

Wrap the foil all the way around the round of bread and place onto a baking sheet.

Slide the baking sheet into the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Then unwrap the bread and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Remove the bread from the oven and place onto a serving plate.

Have your guests tear pieces off to eat.  It is quite honestly the tastiest bread appetizer that I have ever eaten.

Wisconsin Mac and Cheese

• 1/2 lb macaroni
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar/jack or Colby/jack cheese

Boil the Noodles

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box. Make sure to cook it to al dente.

The Cheese Sauce

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the butter to the pan and melt.  Then add the flour. Start to whisk to make a roux.

Whisk until the butter mixture starts to boil and foam.  Then cook for another minute until it starts to lightly turn brown.

Slowly mix in the whole milk.  Continue to whisk and cook until it starts to thicken.

Then add the salt, pepper, paprika and Monterey Jack cheese. Whisk until the cheese is fully melted.

The sauce will not be too thick.  This is perfect.

To Serve

Pour 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce into the bottom of a bowl.  Then add 1 – 1 1/2 cups of cooked noodles to the bowl.

Then top with 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar/jack or Colby/jack cheese.

Serve.

To eat mix the cheese, macaroni and cheese sauce together.

The shredded Cheddar/jack or Colby/jack cheese will melt right into the mixture and make a perfect mac and cheese.

The pizza browned nicely and allowed the eggs to finish setting.  The best way to start the morning.

Breakfast Pizza

• 1 pizza dough – (recipe for Basic Pizza Dough)
• 3/4 cup salsa – or 3/4 diced tomatoes
  
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• 1/2 pound bacon – cooked
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

The first step is to make the pizza dough and let it rise till it doubles.  Here is a simple and easy pizza dough. If you are running short on time, almost all grocery stores have pre-made pizza dough in the deli section and/or freezer section, or you can always stop by a local pizzeria and purchase the pre-made dough.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  If you have a pizza stone have it preheat with the oven.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl.  Add the cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Whisk until light and fluffy.  The more air you get into the eggs now, the lighter the scrambled eggs.

Place a skillet over medium heat.  Once the skillet is preheated, add a dab of butter or vegetable spray and pour in the egg mixture.  Using a spatula form the eggs into a partial scramble.  You do not want to fully cook the eggs, but you don’t want them too runny either.  When the eggs are scrambled but still a little runny remove them from the heat.

Roll out the pizza dough and cover with the salsa.  If you don’t have salsa add 3/4 cup of diced tomatoes seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Next place dollops of scrambled eggs over the entire pizza.

Cover the mixture with Parmesan cheese and then top with the bacon broken into bite sized pieces.

Finally top with the cheddar cheese.

Place the pizza in the oven and have it cook for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese and crust are browned.

Let it cool for 1 minute before slicing.

This was the perfect start to a snowed-in morning.  It helped me get the energy that I needed to shovel my car out.

Doesn't look that bad, but the car to the right is camry not a SUV.

With Dana helping it only took 2 hours.  Supposed to get another storm tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

So creamy and delicious. Makes you wonder why you ever buy the box stuff.

This recipe is quick and easy. Only took about 10 minutes to make, not counting the 5 minutes to heat up the water. Heating up water isn’t really cooking and thus does not count towards cooking time.

One Pan Macaroni and Cheese

• 2 cups pasta – preferably macaroni, rotini, farfalle or  fusilli
• 1 cup shredded cheese – preferably low moisture cheese (cheddar or even mozzarella)
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tbs hot sauce
• Salt and Pepper

The first step is to boil the pasta.  Make sure to cook it so that it is al dente otherwise known as a bit chewy.  The noodles will finish cooking in the cheese sauce.  Plus, if you over cook the noodles the pasta will fall apart when you mix it.

After you drain the pasta into a strainer, place the pot back on the stove over medium heat.  Add the butter and let it melt.

Mmm, wish I had some crab legs right now.

Once the butter is almost all melted, add the flour.  Make sure to stir the mixture constantly.  You want the butter and flour to start to brown to make a light roux.

A whisk is the perfect instrument to make sure that the flour gets incorporated with the butter.

After about two minutes the butter and flour should have turned a light golden brown color.  At this point it is time to add the hot sauce.  This step is optional if you do not like spicy stuff.  However, at my house it is necessary.

Not necessary at your house, but at mine it is.

Then add the milk, salt and pepper.  Make sure to keep on stirring.  Once the mixture starts to boil, it will start to thicken up.  At this point it is time to remove it from the stovetop.

You want to be able to move the whisk through the sauce and be able to see the bottom of the pan for 3 seconds.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the noodles to the pan.  Gently fold the noodles into the sauce.

Try to be gentle as you don't want the noodles to turn to mush.

Now add the cheese to the pot.  Gently stir the mixture until all of the cheese has melted and is covering the noodles.  If you like cheese, you can add more than the cup that is necessary.  Actually you can add up to 2 full cups of cheese.  Some would call it excessive, I would call it Wednesday.

I used mozzarella as that was all I had, I really like to make this with sharp cheddar.

Now it is done.  10 minutes that is it.  Only about a minute longer than making the box stuff.    Look at how awesome this macaroni and cheese looks.

One pan, 10 minutes and pure awesomeness.

Look at how creamy and cheesy this is.

So cheesy!!! If I only had some bacon.

This is probably my favorite meal that I make.  Usually, because I usually only make at 2am after the bar.  But, it is also because it is comforting and extremely tasty.

Tips – If you like your Mac and Cheese to be a little thinner.  Add a 1/4 cup more milk.  If you like it a bit thicker add another 2tsp of butter and flour at the beginning.  It will thicken up nicely.

What came first the mac or the cheese.

I hope you guys enjoy.

The key to a good bratwust is to make sure that it is juicy yet not so juicy that it explodes in your face. I have had many cheddar brats that as soon as you bite into them you hit the person next to you in the face with molten cheese. That is never good. This recipe is a perfect balance of meat and cheese. No need to wear goggles when the person next to you is biting into one.

Jalapeno Cheddar Bratwurst – (adapted from The Barons Bratwurst in Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue)

• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 tbs fine sea salt
• 1.5 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp granulated onion
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1/2 tsp caraway
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 5 lbs pork butt trim off fat (roughtly 4lbs pork and 1 lbs pork fat remaining to be used for the pork fat)
• 1 lb cubed pork fat
• 1 lb veal
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 1/2 cup jalapenos
• 4-6 ozs sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 Pack of your favorite beer

Step 1: Open a beer. The process is going to take time, but remember to reserve two beers for boiling the brats. I opened a Yuengling Lager. It is a great lager from Pennsylvania. I recommend that you try one. While you are in the refrigerator, grab about 12 feet of casings and soak them. Casings come salt cured so they need a good soaking to remove the salt.

Step 2: Remove the pork fat from the meat. Once you have removed the fat, cube all of the meat and fat. Keep in separate containers and freeze for 20 minutes. This is a good time to have another beer. Remember to drain the casings and replenish the water. Don’t want salty casings.

Step 3: Grind the fat and meat using a large die. Start with the fat as it will help lube the grinder and make everything easier on you. After you grind each type of meat, put it back in the freezer. Cold meat grinds better. Plus the act of grinding cause a lot of heat to build up and you do not want the fat to start melting. Trust me, it is not a good thing.

Step 4: Get another beer. Social lubrication makes the process a whole lot easier.

Step 5: Clean out the grinder and insert your smaller die. Regrind the fat, pork and veal again. Remember start with the fat. As always as soon as you are done put the mean back into the refrigerator/freezer. Once you have grinded all of the meat, grind the cheddar cheese and jalapenos.

Step 6: Mix the spices together. Add the Milk powder, bread crumbs, sea salt, ground white pepper, granulated onion, mace, cloves, caraway and marjoram and mix well.

Step 7: Combine the pork fat, pork, veal, cheese and jalapenos and mix well with your hands. Then add 1/3 of the spices and a 1/8 cup of the ice cold water. Mix until combined. At this point I realized that I could have used ice cold beer instead of water, giving the brats another layer of flavor. But, I forgot. I would recommend that you try it though. Then add another 1/3 of the spice mixture and add another 1/8th cup of water. Mix and then add the rest of the spices and however much water is needed to allow the spices and the meat to combine. Then place the mixture in the refrigerator/freezer for another 20 mins to let the flavors meld and the mixture to chill. Wash your hands and grab another beer. You deserve it.

Step 8: Clean the grinder and add the sausage horn. Once you have the stuffer assembled, put the casings on the horn. I used 32mm pork casings from The Syracuse Casing Company, these come salted on tubes for easy placement on the sausage horn. After putting the casings on the horn do not tie off the end. Let the casing hang off the horn by about 2 inches giving you space to tie it off later. You need to leave it open so that air can escape. You definately do not want to make balloon animals with sausage casings. They kind of smell when you leave them out for a while. Don’t forget to grab another beer.

Step 9: Stuff the sausages. Once the meat starts to come out of the horn, you can twist off the end of the casing. Then form 5-6 inch brats. When the link gets to be 5-6 inches long twist it 8 turns in either direction. But remember what direction you started with. As you need to twist the next link 8 times in the opposite direction. This will make it so the twisting of the next link will not untwist your previous link. Then repeat twisting in opposite directions until the meat is all in the casing.

Step 10: Store or freeze the brats. I have found that the best method to freeze brats is to cut them apart, and place them on a cooking sheet. Freeze them individually, and then group them into bags. This way you can remove only the amount that you need from the freezer.

In all the Kitchen Aid did a great job. If I were to make sausage more than 4 times a year I might get a dedicated sausage stuffer. The Kitchen Aid took a long time to stuff the sausage. Plus the stock plunger that came with the grinder attachment was not solid so meat kept on moving around it and failed to go through the stuffer.

Overall the brats were delicious, the spices blended well with the cheese and jalapeno. The recipe was supposed to make four feet of brats, but Nick and I were blessed with 12 feet of brats. Yep the total yield was 25 brats. Bringing the cost to a measly $0.75 a brat. Not too Shabby. The kicker was that I wanted to make enough brats for Nick to take home so we doubled the batch. Yep, we had 50 brats on our hands. So the 2 hour brat spectacular turned into a 4.5 hour brat endurance race. It was worth it though as the brats were awesome.

My recommended method of cooking would be to add the brats to a pan. Cover in two – three beers along with one chopped onion and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 mins and remove from the heat. Place them on a medium/hot grill and cook till golden. Eat on a bun covered in spicy mustard, beer onion from the boiling step, and some sauerkraut. Also don’t forget to pop open another beer. Beer and brats are a perfect combination.

If you are looking for some good homemade buns check out my hot dog bun recipe.

I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to visit Nick over at Macheesmo.