M&C Wednesday: Cheddar Beer Mac and Cheese with Brats and Pretzel Topping

I think I'm still full.  I am not kidding, this concoction that I made last night is still making me groan (albeit quietly, I am at work people) in a completely satisfied way.

As September speeds towards it's end, I decided I could wait no longer to pay tribute to my favorite fall month of October and wanted to create an Oktoberfest-ish mac and cheese.

My vision was to combine a hearty cheddar beer sauce with salty, crispy sliced bratwurst and top it all with a crunchy pretzel topping.  I used this as a base recipe and I think I was able to achieve this, although the sauce was not as beery as I envisioned.  I think everything worked well together; especially the pretzel topping. 

The four mac and cheese components were as follows:

         Pasta shape:  Cellentani (probably my most favorite pasta shape for mac and cheese)
         Cheese:  A combination of Wisconsin sharp cheddar and extra sharp cheddar
         Mix-in:  Bratwurst
         Topping:  Pretzel crumbs

I had planned to just use store bought soft pretzels and create chunky bread crumbs out of them; however, when I expressing my wish that I had time to make my own pretzels to Daum, but lamenting that if I did so we wouldn't be eating mac and cheese until midnight, he graciously offered to make the dough.  He did and then shoved it in his backpack to bring to my place.  He may just like me a little bit!  I'm hoping to pull together a homemade pretzel post in the near future, but first:

Cheddar-Beer Mac and Cheese with Bratwurst and Pretzel Topping

Recipe-Makes so much it's gross (or serves 8)

Ingredients

1 lb Cellentani pasta, or whatever pasta strikes your fancy
4 links bratwurst
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
8 ounces beer,  I used Samuel Adams Octoberfest
3 cups 2% Milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 soft pretzels
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 to 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.  Pour into a buttered two quart casserole dish or 9x13 inch baking pan.

While pasta is cooking, slice the bratwurst in half vertically and slice into a half-moon shapes.  Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat and cook the bratwurst until browned on both sides.  Remove from the pan.

To the same pan add 6 tablespoon of butter until melted and then add in the flour.  Whisk together butter and flour until it forms a loose paste or roux.  Season with salt, pepper and dry mustard.  Allow the roux to cook to alleviate the raw flour taste, about 2 minutes. 

Add in the beer stirring with a whisk until completely combine and the mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes.  Slowly add in the milk about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time.  Let the beer, milk and roux mixture thicken before adding more.
When all the milk has been added and the sauce coats the spoon, add the cheese a few hand fulls at a time until it is all melted.

Scatter the bratwurst among the pasta and pour the cheese sauce over the top.  Stir in the pan to make sure the sauce is evenly distributed. 

Tear the soft pretzels into small chucks, about an inch big and place them in the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper.  I have this amazing mini-chopper that came with my immersion blender that is perfect for making bread crumbs!  Pulse the pretzels until they form chunky bread crumbs.  Remove to a bowl.  In a microwave safe bowl (I used a coffee mug) melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  When melted add in the garlic powder and dried parsley.  This can be done to taste.  I like the parsley for the tiny bit of color it adds.  Combine the butter mixture with the pretzel crumbs and sprinkle over the mac and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and don't forget to broil for awesome crunchy topping!  That always manages to be my favorite part.  More than once have my hands been slapped away from the crunchy topping!

There was definitely a hearty taste to this dish that wasn't as apparent in my basic recipe.  The beer added a slight depth to the flavor, an almost bitterness that complimented the sharpness of the cheddar and the sweetness of the pretzel topping.  I feel that it still may need some tweaks here and there.  Maybe a little more beer and a little less milk, but all and all my fellow guinea pigs and I were very satisfied.  So satisfied I my be forgoing dinner this evening.

But who am I kidding!

More pics to follow.....technical difficulties... and by that I mean I'm kind of an idiot with my camera.