Beer Cheese Mac & Cheese with Fried Chicken and Hot Honey sauce

Everyone is finding ways to cope during this quarantine time. Mine has definitely consisted of writing, cooking, and gardening. My husband and I have been baking homemade bread, making yummy vegan and vegetable recipes, trying out new recipes in general. We have basically been experimenting in the kitchen. Sometimes together and sometimes individually. I come from a family full of “home chefs”. I was always in the kitchen with my grandma or mom watching them create something delish. My husband has fond memories of watching his mom cook. My family is from the south and his parents were both born and raised in the north. When we started dating our two worlds of foods collided. For example, I had never had a recipe called Tin Can Chicken. My mother-in-law makes this fantastic casserole dish. It is creamy and yummy and just makes you feel good. I remember asking my husband what 10 cans she put in the casserole. He laughed and said it was 10 different cans. It was a tin can...like soup cans. I felt silly, but nonetheless it is still one of my favorite things she makes. The same can be said about my husband, one time for dinner my mom made fried pork chops. I remember afterwards him saying that was so good. I told him it was just fried pork chops (something I had eaten my entire life). He sheepishly told me it was his first fried pork chop. Y’all...this man had never had a fried pork chop before me! I couldn’t believe it. Here we are 9 years later and still falling in love with new recipes and food on this journey together. The recipe I am sharing today is actually my husband's recipe. It is a delishly carb loaded meal that makes you feel like you need to take up pilates or something crazy like that lol. You must give it a try. Leave us a comment and tell us what you think! Don’t forget to subscribe for more fun blog posts and recipes. 

Beer Cheese Mac & Cheese with Fried Chicken and Hot Honey sauce 

Beer Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ small coarsely grated *Tip use a food process to help speed it up*
• ¼ cup all purpose flour 
• 1 and ½ cup whole milk *Tip add additional milk as needed for consistency* 
• 1 bottle pale ale- we used New Belgium shift 
• 4 ounce cream cheese @ room temp
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce 
• 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces of parm 
• 8 ounce monterey jack 
• ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika 
• 1 32 ounce box elbow noodles 

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan on medium, then add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 mins. Sprinkle flour on top and cook, stirring, about 2 mins. 
2. Whisk in milk, then beer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened, anywhere from 5-8 mins. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until melted and smooth. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350
4. Reduce heat to medium-low; add cheddar, parmesan, and monterey jack in sections, stirring each addition until melted before adding the next. 
5. Make the pasta according to the box. 
6. Butter your pan. We used a nonstick 5 qt square casserole pan.
7. Add the past to the pan in two additions. Pour ½ the cheese in between each addition. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed together. Top the pasta with a bit more cheese. We sprinkled 1 cup of cheddar and ¼ cup parm. 
8. Place in the oven and bake for about 20-30 mins until golden on top.  

Fried Chicken with Hot Honey Sauce  

• ½ cup flour
• ¾ cup whole milk 
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce 
• 6 slices of bacon 
• 3 chicken breasts sliced in half and pounded thin
• ½ teaspoon 
• 3 tablespoons honey 
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce 

1. Mix the egg, hot sauce, and milk in a bowl together. 
2. Put the flour in a separate bowl with the seasonings.
3. Fry the 6 slices of bacon and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the grease to help pan fry the chicken. 
4. Add about ¼ cup of veggie oil to the bacon grease. Make sure your oil is hot. You can test the oil by sprinkling in a bit of flour if it sizzles you are ready to go. 
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. 
6. Work in batches adding the pounded chicken breast to the milk, then flour, and then to the fry pan. 
7. Fry each chicken breast for about 3-4 mins on each side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. You can check the chicken breast by slicing in in the middle. No pink = all good. 
8. In a small bowl add honey, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. Heat honey in the microwave for 30 seconds.
9. Once the chicken is all fried you are ready to assemble your mac and cheese. Top the mac and cheese with some bacon, a fried chicken breast, and drizzle hot honey over the top. 

*Tip: You can also slice the chicken breast and toss them in the hot honey sauce. This has been a yummy way to eat it as leftovers.* 

*Tip: When reheating the mac and cheese add a little milk to help loosen up the cheesy gooey goodness.*

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Don’t forget to comment and tell us your thoughts! Until next time. 

Peace, Love, and Carbs