Grady Spears
Mac and Texas Cheeses
with Roasted Chiles
Chef Grady Spears is passionate about one-pot meals
as well as cookin’ without a lot of frills. He suggests
serving this baked bean dish with coleslaw and corn
pone, also known as johnnycake or cornbread, with
more beans in the batter for a real cowboy-style lunch.
The secret ingredient in his Mac and Texas Cheeses
recipe is the roasted green chiles. Roast, as you would
red peppers, remembering to remove and discard the
charred skins along with the seeds.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
8 tablespoons
unsalted butter
1/2cup flour
3 cups grated cacciota
or jack cheese
1 cup crumbled
goat cheese
Kosher salt
11/2pounds macaroni,
cooked
4 poblano chiles, roasted,
cleaned and cut in
thin strips
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups grated Asiago or
Parmesan cheese
Shiner Bock and
Molasses Baked Beans
2 tablespoons oil 1 bottle
2garliccloves,minced ShinerBock*beer
2redonions,diced 1cupbarbecuesauce
2poundsbacon,diced 1cupbrownsugar
6jalapeñopeppers, 1/2cupmolasses
seeded and diced 4 cups cooked and
2 red bell drained pinto beans
peppers, diced Kosher salt
1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large
skillet. Cook garlic and onions over medium
heat until they start to soften; add bacon,
jalapeños and bell peppers and cook, stirring
occasionally, until bacon is browned.
2.Combine beer, barbecue sauce, brown
sugar and molasses in a large bowl, stirring
until sugar is dissolved. Stir in beans and
the bacon mixture; season to taste with
salt. Transfer into a large casserole and
bake for 45-60 minutes, until very hot.
Makes 6-8 servings.
*Shiner Bock is a bock-style German beer made in
Texas and considered by many fans to be the best
American bock beer. If you must substitute, look for
a slightly sweet dark lager.
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat cream and milk
in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium
heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, over medium
heat for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heated cream,
whisking until the mixture thickens. Remove the
saucepan from the heat and stir in both cheeses.
Season to taste with salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream
mixture, macaroni and chiles, mixing gently
until well combined.
4. Pour into a buttered medium-size casserole.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Asiago. Bake
for 50 minutes, or until the top is browned.
Makes 6-8 servings.
