Zimmy's Nook

@zimmysnook

Pellet Smoker

Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese

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A cast iron dish with macaroni and cheese.

Easy, creamy and oh so flavourful, this Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese is delicious on its own or perfect as a side to your favourite grilled or smoked meals.

Ingredients
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 cups elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3.5 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
  • 3.5 ounces of Provolone cheese, grated (substitute Gruyere or Fontina)
  • 2.5 ounces smoked Habanero cheese, grated (substitute smoked Cheddar or smoked Gouda)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Preparation

Preheat the pellet smoker to 375°F (or oven or grill – indirect heat)

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

While the pasta cooks, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Now grab a whisk, and while whisking, add the hot milk (a ladle at a time) cooking for 20-30 seconds between ladles, until all the milk is incorporated and mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat, add the cheeses, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Mix until cheese has mostly melted then add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a lightly oiled skillet or individual size baking dishes.

Sprinkle the panko breads and thyme over the top of the pasta. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is lightly browned on the top.

A cast iron dish with macaroni and cheese.
Optional

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan from the smoker. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle. Add the bacon to the cheese mixture with the macaroni prior to baking.

Total: 50 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30-35 minutes
Yield: 2 servings as a meal or 4 servings as a side

A cast iron dish with macaroni and cheese, a cutting board with chicken, a dish of roasted peppers, pickles and s&p.

Hope you enjoy my Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese recipe! We would love to hear from you, please leave us your feedback in the comment box below.

Have a delicious day! James (aka Zimmy) & Elaine

Christmas Turkey Roasted in a Pellet Smoker or Grill

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Roasted Turkey on a rectangular platter. Garnished with grapes, oranges and pomegranates.
Smoked turkey

With near 30 people for Christmas dinner, we didn’t get a lot of opportunities to take pictures. Here is a quick snap of the roasted turkey. To sum up, it was flavourful and really juicy!

Ingredients

Dry Brine Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp coarse kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground course black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp paprika

Roasting Turkey

  • 2 large carrots rough cut
  • 2 onion cut into quarters
  • 4 stalks celery rough cut
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 16-pound fresh local turkey

Turkey Broth

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Reserved turkey neck and giblets
  • 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 3 ½ cups no salt chicken broth
  • 3 ½ cups water
Preparation:
Prep and Dry Brining (prep 24-32 hours in advance of cooking)

Mix the dry brine ingredients together in a small bowl.

Remove the turkey from the wrapping and remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity and save for broth. Remove or discard any plastic or metal cages or pop-up thermometers.

Pat the turkey dry using paper towels, inside and out.  

Using your hands, gently loosen the skin over the breast and separate it from the meat, making sure to break through the thin membrane between the skin and breast while leaving the skin itself intact.

Seasoning the Turkeys

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey and rub it into the cavity.

Rub 4 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the breasts (under the skin).  Then sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts, legs and wings

Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack, in a roasting pan.  Cover the turkey securely using plastic wrap or place it into a small plastic bag and seal it, removing as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Then, uncover the turkey and allow it to remain uncovered and refrigerated for 8-12 hours. 

For the turkey broth (make broth the night before)

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Pour the broth and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 5 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup and reserve.

Roasting the turkey

Remove the turkey from the fridge one hour before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature.

Preheat the pellet smoker or grill to 325°F. (If using the grill, only light half the grill, leaving half for indirect cooking of the turkey)

In the bottom of your roasting pan add roughly cut celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Fold the wings carefully under the back of the bird and loosely tie the legs together with twine. Place the turkey breast side down on the vegetables.  Add 1 cup of turkey stock to the pan.

Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn so the breast side is up, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 ¾ to 3 ¼ hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 cup turkey stock.

Remove the roasted turkey from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with foil and allow the turkey to rest 30-60 minutes before slicing.  This will ensure that the juices stay in the turkey and don’t all run out as you slice it. 

**Use the pan juices and leftover turkey broth to make your gravy.

Here’s another grilled turkey recipe – Whole Turkey on the Grill

*Weber Grills Canada Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own

Smoked Parmesan Herb Popcorn

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Paper boat with a serving of popcorn.

Take your popcorn to the next level just by adding herbs, Parmesan and a hint of smoke! Trust me, this smoked popcorn recipe is worth the extra steps!  

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation

Start the Traeger grill on smoke with lid open until fire is established, then set the temperature to 250°F and preheat.

Traeger grill with a sheetpan of popcorn.

In a ramekin, mix together Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Set aside.

Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat until oil gets hot. Test with one kernel to ensure oil is hot, if it pops, add the balance of the kernels. Cover the pot and shake it gently over the heat until the popping of the kernels slows (2-3 minutes), then remove from heat.

Drizzle the melted butter over the popcorn and toss to coat evenly.

Pour the popcorn onto a sheet pan, then sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture, then the parmesan cheese.

Place pan into Traeger and smoke for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from grill and enjoy!

In addition to this Smoked Parmesan Herb Popcorn recipe, you can find more of my favourite appetizer recipes here.