Cider Mac & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food!
The flavor is strong, sort of like cheese fondue, and goes really well with smoky ham or sausage.


13oz box macaroni of choice - cook as directed on package.



In medium pan on medium heat:


Melt: 3 TB butter.

Saute: 1 diced Granny Smith apple, 3 minutes

Sprinkle with 3 TB flour, mixing constantly.  The flour should make a pasty coating.

Slowly stir in 1 c. hard cider and 1 c. light cream.

Stir constantly over med-low heat until smooth.

Bring to boil, then stir in 12oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Mix until smooth.

Stir in pasta.

Pour into greased large roasting pan or casserole dish.  Top with more shredded cheese.

At this point you can refrigerate and bake later, but the flavor and texture will be better if you bake right away at 350 for about 20 minutes. If you refrigerate and bake later, increase baking time to 30 minutes.

Serve with the second half of the cider, if you haven't already finished it :)

Be sure to use hard distilled cider, such as Angry Orchard Crisp Apple (the alcohol evaporates during cooking and just leaves the cider flavor).  Sweet cider doesn't work for this. 

Keep On Brining - Cider Pork Roast

Since the brine worked out so well on the chicken, I had to consider other meats to experiment on... mwah ha ha!



This is a pork shoulder with the fat rind still on.

Boil 2 c water with 1/2 c kosher salt and 1 tsp mustard seeds. Stir until salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool and add 4 c apple cider.

Soak meat with brine and black peppercorns in refrigerator at least 5 hours; overnight is best for thick cuts like this.  You will want to start the brining early because the roasting stage takes about 5 hours.

Remove from brine, transfer to foil sheet on grill.

Cook with fat side up on low heat (I only turned on the two burners at the far sides and left the two middle ones off so the heat would be indirect).  This takes about 3 hours before the temp is about 140F.

Flip roast over so fat side is down.  Spread top with a mixture of brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Keep heat low for another 2 hours or so, until temp at bone is 160F.

Allow roast to rest on platter for 10 minutes, then hack off some slabs and enjoy!