Smokey Mac and Cheese

I was at a country music festival and one of the food vendors that specialized in smoked tri-tip sandwiches served smokey mac and cheese as a side dish and I was blown away. I made this kind of as an experiment and everyone loved it. The key to this dish is liquid smoke. This is a new favorite for sure.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow pasta
3 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 cups 1% milk
2 teaspoons Stubbs liquid smoke
3 tablespoons corn starch
Salt and pepper

Preparation: Take a large stock pot and fill with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to boil. Cook the pasta according to directions which is usually 10 minutes.

To make the cheese sauce, take a 4 cup glass measuring cup and add 2 cups milk, 3 tablespoons corn starch and mix well with a whisk. Put in the microwave oven for up to 6 minutes, stirring every minute. When the milk heats up the corn starch will thicken the milk into a creamy sauce. Add the cheese and liquid smoke to the milk to finish the cheese sauce. 

When the pasta is done, drain and put into a large mixing bowl and stir in the cheese sauce. Transfer to an oven proof baking dish or individuals 1 cup ramekins like pictured above.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and you're ready to serve.

Try my barbequed cedar plank chicken thighs to go with the smokey mac:
Cedar Plank Barbequed Chicken