Cooking with beer...Obsidian Stout Mac & Cheese

Gram, and all her great grand children (at the time)

OK, we all know I love Fish Tacos more then just about any other food, right? Well, if there is one food I
may love more then a good fish taco, its some good old home made mac and cheese. My grand mother use to make the most amazing Mac and Cheese, and once I moved out on my own, one of the first things I asked my mother for, was Gram's recipe for mac and cheese. I have no idea how many times in the last 20 or so years I've made it, but its a lot, each time, I tweak it so that at this point, its just about perfection. I am always looking for new ways to make it better, and, well, I am almost embarrassed to admit, I've never thought of using beer in it! Well, lucky for me (and now all of you) the fine folks at Deschutes Brewery in Bend OR have thought of it, and have come up with a pretty enticing recipe for a twist on Grandma's favorite. Using their Obsidian Stout, and some white cheddar, this recipe looks awesome, check it out!

Obsidian Stout Mac & Cheese

4 C cooked pasta
1 C Tillamook white cheddar cheese, grated (I would recommend a little more, maybe a lot more.....)

Can it get any better?

1 C bread crumbs, toasted
4 C heavy cream
1 tsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbs peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/4 C Obsidian Stout
1/2 Tbs salt

Lightly brown leeks and shallots in oil in medium stock pot, stirring occasionally. Add peppercorns and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add cream and stir and bring to a low boil allowing liquid to simmer until reduced by half (should be thickened slightly). Turn off heat and add beer and salt.

When ready to serve, toss cheese and fresh boiled pasta into sauce (above). Sprinkle bread crumbs on a cooking sheet and bake until crispy in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 min. Put mac & cheese in a casserole-like dish, add bread crumbs to the top and bake in the hot oven for 350 degrees until browned, about 20 min. Serve with a pint of Mirror Pond Pale Ale

You can check out the recipe on Deschutes website, and get others here....



You can't go wrong with beer, and cheese if you ask me!
Enjoy, and thanks to the fine folks a Deschutes for not only making Abyss, but for coming up with this recipe as well!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar