It is not many times in life that the simplest route turns out to be the best, but when it comes to the best jerky macaroni and cheese, this is one time that it pays to be a bit lazy. We have teamed up with Old Trapper to bring you the best damn beef jerky Macaroni and Cheese recipe that we have ever tasted, and all it takes is six ingredients and a pot.
The secret to this recipe is in its simplicity, which includes macaroni, milk, egg, cheddar cheese, beef jerky, and butter. But when you have few ingredients it means that you have no room for blunders. Make sure that your milk, butter, and egg are all fresh. These tend to sour as the expiration date gets close, and this is not the recipe to unload any of those iffy milk products on. The rest of these ingredients are tried and true, considering that high-quality beef matched with a high-quality cheddar has always been fundamental in down-home cooking 101 (that’s the comfort foods that mom used to make, or at least should have).
Choose your favorite cheddar, but if you don’t have one, our favorite brand is Emmi, which has become our go-to for grilled cheese. Well-marinated beef jerky with the perfect mix of spices is a rare thing to get correct in the modern era, which is why Old Trapper Old Fashioned Beef Jerky is the perfect choice for this recipe. These are tender chunks with a nice kick and balance of flavor. This is the kind of partnership that will really allow your favorite cheese to shine. Quite honestly, other than for the freshness, the macaroni, butter, milk, and egg are really just there to spread out all this awesomeness so that everyone gets a heaping plateful of gooey cheese and tender beef.
And since we are not fans of reading a novel just to get to the ingredient list (we probably already over-blabbed our welcome), it’s time to take care of business…
The Recipe: Kicked Up Old Trapper Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
1 (12 ounces) package of macaroni
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 ounces Old Trapper Beef Jerky (chopped into bits)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Boil macaroni in a large pot of salted water until barely done, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Whisk milk and egg together in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, butter, and chopped beef jerky.
Place macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour milk mixture over macaroni.
Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.
Put mixture into baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the top is browned.
Enjoy!
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About Dr. Eric J. Leech
Eric has written for over a decade. Then one day he created Urbasm.com, a site for every guy.
About Dr. Eric J. Leech