Mother of four Kim Cooper of Carolina Beach earned a blue ribbon and a $500 prize in the Let's Get Cheesy: Mac-n-Cheese Challenge with her family recipe for Mema’s Mac & Cheese.
Jessica Williams of Raleigh took second place and won $300 for her loaded seafood mac and
cheese. Allison Wylie of Garner took third place and won $200 for her Korean fried chicken mac
and cheese.
The winning recipe follows:
Mema’s Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
• 1 Boston butt
• 1 box large elbow macaroni (16 ounces)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
• 3 cups shredded cheese, 1 cup divided and set aside
• 12 ounces white American cheese slices cut into smaller pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• paprika
• crumbled blue cheese (optional)
• cooked bacon (optional)
Boston butt instructions:
Rub entire Boston butt with oil, salt and pepper. Place in crock pot.
Cook on low 8-9 hours until tender.
Remove and shred with fork and add one bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Original barbecue sauce.
Crock pot macaroni and cheese instructions:
Boil water with salt and cook macaroni al dente. Cool.
Pour macaroni into crock pot. Add butter and stir until melted.
Add evaporated milk, cream, two cups cheddar cheese, American cheese, salt and pepper. Stir.
Cook on low 1 1/2-2 hours. Gently stir a couple of times while cooking.
In last 10 minutes, sprinkle on remaining cheddar and lightly sprinkle paprika. Allow cheese to
melt.
Put mac and cheese on bottom of baking dish. Completely cover with BBQ Boston butt. Sprinkle
with blue cheese crumbles and cooked bacon if desired.
-mfm-