Meal 10 – Braised Pork and Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin Pie

I love cooking meat, and making Mac and Cheese.  Real homemade Mac and Cheese is so easy, and making it for 50 is as easy as making it for 2.  And!  I can make it in as much time as something with powder out of a box.

Also, there is squash everywhere this time of year.  I never cooked with it until about a month ago, but it is so very simple, makes a great bisque, and is awesome as part of a soup stock.

We served about 32 people, and I was told there were plenty of leftovers.

Below is the Menu and directions left for the serving team.  Recipes are at the bottom of the page.

Menu:

Salad

Braised Pork

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese

Winter Squash Bisque (Vegetarian)

Dinner Rolls

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie

Directions:

Braised Pork

• Pork will be in slow cooker and hot!
  • No onion
  • It will be fall apart tender. Use tongs to server, or serving spoon.

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese

• In trays
• Put in over until hot. 350 for 30 minutes should do it.

Kabocha Squash Bisque

• There is enough for a few servings.
• Two Tupperware are in the fridge.
• Warm up before serving.

 

Dinner Rolls

• Serve room temp.
• Toss in oven for 10 minutes if you like

 

Salad

• Lettuce, Cherry Tomato and Cucumber
• Everything is cut up and in the fridge
• Just toss

 

Dessert – Pumpkin Pie

• Whip Cream in fridge.

Recipes:

Squash Bisque

1 squash

3 – 4 carrots

1 Kabocha squash (any squash works) – Cut in half, sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and cloves on it, and drizzle some olive oil.

Place in oven at 350 for 30 – 40 minutes.  Its done when a spoon slides through with no resistance.  Crispy edges are good.  Let cool for easy and safe handling.

Heat up a cup of cream or whole milk, either works.  I love the cream, but it is expensive and heavy.  Heat it on low and stir often, it likes to scorch.

Cut the carrots up.  Big discs are fine, you are going to blend it.

Add squash and carrots to pot, and add enough liquid to barley cover, and simmer for an hour.  You will blend this, and you don’t want it watery.

Once everything is soft, hit it with an immersion blender (my favorite tool for big soup batches.

Once blended, slowly add the warm milk while stirring.  When it looks pretty, its right.  Add salt to taste.

Braised Pork Shoulder:

16 lbs Pork Shoulder

1 tbs pepper

1/2 tbs salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cardamon

Cut pork shoulder into 1 – 2 inch cubes.  Sprinkle with seasonings.  Working in batches, sear in hot skillet.

Place seared cubes in slow cooker

Top with stock (beef stock is my favorite for this, water and bullion is fine)

Turn on warm for 8+ hours.  I start it the night before to serve at lunch.

Mac and Cheese:

3 – 17 oz noodle packs – Whatever is handy

2 lbs cheddar cheese

1/2 lbs Velveeta (the secret ingredient to even the fanciest restaurant’s Mac and Cheese!)

1 gallon of mik

Cook noodles per package

Heat half a gallon of the milk, heat on low and stir often so it doesn’t scorch.

Slowly melt cheese (shredded) into milk.  Pour over noodles while they are still hot.