Beer, Brat and Cheese Mac
Get a taste of Wisconsin with beer, brats and creamy cheddar cheese.
Dovetailing Tip: Use the grilled brats from Meal 2. Slice into 1/2" slices. Chop the onion instead of slicing it. Saute the onion and brat slices in 1 tablespoon of butter until onion is transparent and brats are browned. Continue with Step 2. Reduce the amount of beer to 1 cup and add in Step 3.
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 1 | yellow onion |
| 4 | bratwursts |
| 24 ounces | beer, your favorite variety |
| 1 pound | elbow pasta |
| 4 tablespoons | butter |
| 4 tablespoons | flour |
| 1 cup | milk |
| 1 teaspoon | dry powdered mustard |
| 1 teaspoon | hot sauce, more to taste |
| 1/8 teaspoon | nutmeg, freshly grated preferred |
| salt and black pepper to taste | |
| 2 cups | (8 ounces) wisconsin cheddar cheese, shredded |
| 2 cups | (8 ounces) wisconsin monterey jack cheese, shredded |
Directions:
(If you have leftover brats, see the description above.)
Otherwise:
Step 1: Slice onion thinly and place in medium saucepan. Place brats on top of onion. Pour beer over onions and brats and cook covered at low heat for 1 hour. Remove brats from mixture and thinly slice. Reserve 1 cup beer and set aside. (Note: You can also save about 1/4 cup of onions if desired; just chop into small pieces.)
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat large pot of water for macaroni. Meanwhile, brown brat slices in skillet over medium-high heat. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside. Add macaroni to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain.
Step 3: While macaroni is cooking, add butter to saucepan and cook over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Add reserved beer, milk, mustard, hot sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk this mixture until flour is blended in, then cook for roughly 5-6 minutes, until mixture starts to thicken a bit.
Once mixture starts to thicken, add in brats and onions (if using), then cheese. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir until cheese has melted.
Combine pasta with cheese mixture and pour into lightly buttered baking dish (2-quart round or 9×9-inch dish). Bake 20 minutes. Cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
Source: allthingsmacandcheese.com
