The Lush Chef

Libations used: 1/2 cup beer
Libations left over: 1/2 a bottle of beer
It was pouring buckets out on Sunday, and there's nothing like holing up in the kitchen and making some creamy mac 'n cheese.  Keeping up with this month's beer theme, this recipe I found on the LA Times' Culinary SOS blog, adapted from Denver's Rackhouse Pub, seemed appropriate.  I had a ton of pretzels left over from those Chocolate & Pretzel-Covered Beer Marshmallows, so I mixed crushed pretzels in with the bread crumbs - it gives it a really nice crunch and goes well with beer.  I've also had a lonely bottle of Dos Equis sitting in my fridge since New Year's Eve - I like the xx, but not Dos Equis.  So what better way to use up this beer than douse it in loads of cheese?  Dos Equis - prepare to meet your cheesy demise!


Beer-Baked Mac 'n Cheese - serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup amber beer - or whatever you've got
• 2 cups half and half
• 1/2 lb Brie
• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 box (16 oz) penne pasta, cooked and drained
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs - I did just enough to cover the top and used about 1/2 cup crushed pretzels

- Heat the oven to 350.
- In a soup pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour to make a light roux.  Slowly whisk in the beer and half and half.
- Add the Brie and cream cheese to the sauce, stirring until the cheeses are melted and incorporated.
- Stir in the Gorgonzola, cheddar and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  I didn't have to add any salt because of the saltiness of the cheeses.

- Pour the mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish - I just kept mine in the dutch oven.  Top the mixture with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 1 hour until the sauce is bubbly and the toppings are crisp and golden.
- Finish bottle of beer.
- Add crushed pretzels on top of dish about 5 minutes before you're ready to take out of the oven so they don't burn.
- Cool slightly before serving.