Last Updated on 08/19/2021 by Inside Tailgating
You have to pity the men and women who are surviving on this planet with a significant cheese allergy or serious lactose intolerance. A life without pizza, cheeseburgers, lasagna and nacho dip is a life that many of us simply cannot imagine.
For those of us lucky enough to be able to digest large quantities of cheese, the following recipe borrowed from Buffalo News celebrates the cheese lover in all of us. Cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and yes, even Velveeta “cheese” are all incorporated in this simple recipe that promises to be a hit at any tailgating event. Behold the Ultimate Tailgating Mac and Cheese!
Primary Ingredients
* 3 pounds of elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
* 2-pound loaf of Velveeta cheese
* Meat from 1 chicken, in bite-sized pieces
* 4 cups chopped onion
* 8 ounces blue cheese
* 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
* 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 2 cups celery, sliced thin
* 1 cup plain yogurt
Directions
1. Cook macaroni al dente. Drain, then rinse with cold water. Skin chicken and strip meat, slicing it into bite-sized chunks.
2. In large pot, melt butter. When foaming stops, add onions. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and browning, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not burn.
3. Add hot sauce, stirring until sauce evaporates into onions, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
4. Add milk, yogurt and Velveeta torn in chunks. Stir steadily as Velveeta melts into liquid. (Do not allow to boil, or it will burn on the bottom of the pot.)
5. Set oven between 450 and 500 degrees. Spread cooked macaroni in standard half-sheet sized foil catering pan. Scatter celery and chicken over the macaroni, and crush blue cheese to spread across the mixture. Add cheese sauce and stir to combine everything evenly. Smooth out the mixture.
6. Top with shredded cheddar and place pan in preheated oven. Bake until brown and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Can be covered with heavy foil and kept warm in a cooler, stuffed with crumpled newspaper as insulation, for up to four hours.
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