Cooking with beer - Pumpkin Beer Mac and Cheese

 

OK, I found this recipe on Pintreast a while back, and thought it looked pretty good, so I posted it on my Facebook page. Well, a bit has changed since them. For one, it proved to be a very popular post, and I had a lot of people asking for more info about it (mostly people that weren't on pintreast and couldn't see the whole recipe), so I figured with all the demand, I should post it on the blog. The main reason however I wanted to post it here, well, I actually made this over the weekend! I served it at my 2nd Annual Pumpkin Beer Tasting, and let me tell you, it was Fan-freakin-tastic! One of the better beer recipe's I've made. If you like pumpkin, and you like mac and cheese, you MUST give this recipe a try. Just ask anyone that was there, and they can back me up on it.

One tip, this recipe makes A TON of it, so, it may be best to at least half the recipe, unless you planning on serving a dozen people or more (seriously, it makes a lot)




To view the original post, with author notes click here.... (photo credits go to them as well)

So, here goes....

Ingredients

• 8 cups dry elbows
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 4 cups milk
• 24 ounces pumpkin flavored beer (nothing fancy, I just used Blue Moon Pumpkin)
• 24 ounces (10 cups) Freshly grated Extra Sharp Cheddar
• 2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 15 ounce can pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and cook pasta according to instructions on the box. Only cook until al dente, you don't want to overcook it, because the beer cheese sauce will cook them further.
2. In a separate large pot, over medium-high heat, add the butter. Cook until melted and bubbling.
3. Whisk in the flour, creating a roux, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the beer and milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, continue stirring 4-5 minutes until cheese is fully melted and the sauce begins to thicken.
6. Stir in the cayenne and pumpkin pie spice.
7. Mix in the pumpkin puree and cook 3-4 minutes longer.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
9. Strain your pasta, and pour it into a large pan. Pour the beer cheese sauce on top and mix into the pasta.
10. Optional--you can add some panko bread crumbs on top if you like some crunch. We prefer it creamy!
11. Cover the pan with tin foil and Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes.
12. Remove and allow to cool. If the sauce still seems soupy, don't fret! As it sits, it thickens and absorbs into the pasta. Enjoy!

 

Seriously, if you are heading to any sort of fall, autumn or "harvest" potluck, or just having friends and family over for some food, this just a great fall dish. Even if you aren't into beer.

 

So, let me know what you think, enjoy!

 

Until next time

Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar