Smack 'n' Cheese Slinger
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 24 servings
- Total: 14 hr 25 min (includes marinating time)
- Active: 2 hr
Ingredients
a's1 jumbo link Delia's Chicken Sausage, recipe follows
Two 2-ounce slices Mac 'n' Cheese, cold, recipe follows
1 hoagie roll, toasted
4 ounces cooked collard greens, hot
1 to 2 tablespoons Comeback Sauce, recipe follows
Delia's Chicken Sausages:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 pounds chicken thighs, skin-on and deboned, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chicken stock, cold, optional
Vegetable oil, for coating, optional
Grilled Mac 'n' Cheese:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups 2-percent milk
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup sour cream
6 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Kosher salt
3 cups shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
12 cups cooked pasta
Comeback Sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups ketchup
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup yellow mustard
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces grape jelly
Directions
Special equipment:
meat grinder sausage stuffer sausage casings- Cook the Delia's Chicken Sausage on a very hot griddle until cooked through, about 10 minutes. On the same griddle cook the Mac 'n' Cheese until a cheesy crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place the sausage on the hoagie roll. Place the grilled Mac 'n' Cheese next to the sausage and top with the collard greens and a drizzle of the Comeback Sauce. Serve hot.
Delia's Chicken Sausages:
- In a large bowl mix together the paprika, salt, sugar, garlic, red pepper, white pepper, black pepper, sage, cayenne, savory and thyme. Sprinkle the spices over the chicken, making sure the spice mixture is evenly distributed throughout. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Prepare the meat grinder with the coarse die for a coarse grind. Grind the chicken and let it fall into a large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- To make sausage links, add the chicken stock to the ground chicken and combine thoroughly. Use a sausage stuffer to stuff the meat into the casings. Place the links on a sheet tray and bake until the sausages are cooked through and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes.
- To make ground sausage patties, portion out the chicken mixture to 2 1/2-inch disks. Heat a griddle or grill pan over high heat. Coat the pan with vegetable oil and cook the sausage patties until cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes on each side. Yield: 25 links
Grilled Mac 'n' Cheese:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the milk, half-and-half, sour cream and eggs, and mix together. Whisk in the flour, pepper and some salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the Cheddar and Parmesan. Add the pasta and gently stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Yield: 24 squares
Comeback Sauce:
- In a large saucepot set over medium heat, sweat the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, salt, Worcestershire and jelly. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer, stirring often until the sauce reduces by one-third, about 20 minutes.