Directions

1. Preheat your grill to about 400°F, set up for direct grilling with GrillGrates.

2. To make the Mac 'n cheese, start with cooking the pasta. Toss the cooked pasta in a little oil to keep it from sticking, then make the cheese sauce. You can do this on the main cooking grate of your grill, though it will take longer. I’d recommend using a side burner, stove top or other direct heat source. Start by heating a Lodge Logic 10” cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 505 Southwestern Diced Flame Roasted Medium Green Chiles and cook for one minute. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium. Combine the shredded cheddar and cornstarch and toss to coat the cheese. Add a handful at a time while whisking. When one handful has melted, add another. Set aside 6 slices of cheddar. Tear the remaining 6 slices into pieces and slowly whisk them into the cheese sauce. Combine the cheese sauce with the macaroni and season with Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria Seasoning. Hold warm.

3. Grill or fry your bacon. Set aside.
4. Season your burger patties with Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria Seasoning. Grill the burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 155°F. While still on the grill, top each patty with a slice of American cheese. Grill another minute longer to melt the cheese. Remove from grill, cover with foil and set aside.
5. Grill your buns, briefly, until browned.

6. Build your burgers. Spread the Big Rick’s Chipotle Ketchup on the bottom bun. Top with the burger patty, then two slices of bacon, a scoop of Mac 'n cheese, and then the top bun.

7. I’ve been making cheese sauces with a roux (butter & flour) for a long time, but have more recently been exploring cornstarch as a thickener. Typically, you want to make a slurry (cornstarch & liquid) to prevent clumping, but this technique works just as well.

   

8. By coating the cheese in cornstarch, and whisking in a handful at a time, the cornstarch is slowly incorporated into the cream without clumping.

   

9. So creamy. You’ll be glad to have left-overs.

   

10. Who says you can’t cook bacon on GrillGrates? Don’t listen to them.

    

11. Beautiful grill marks from the GrillGrates!