Southern Comfort Dinner

I’ll say it now- I’m not a big fan of cheese dishes. Now that’s out of the way I will admit to having cravings for them on occasion. Specifically one dish- Mac and Cheese. The stalwart comfort food that’s good enough to dissuade even a turophobe like me. One evening I took a fancy to make mac and cheese. Along with fried chicken. Along with Southern buttermilk biscuits!
Pairing the cheesy pasta dish with fried chicken and how could I not be on board? Whilst doing my research on fried chicken I came across “Comeback Sauce”. Originating in Mississippi this dipping sauce is a spicy condiment guaranteed to have you licking your fingers and indeed “coming back” for more.
When put together all of this dishes are for me the ultimate comfort food dinner and well worth the effort. After posting about it on my social media I was surprised by the interest in it and after much feedback from you- here it is! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

4 Cheese & Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Ingredients

2 cups diced bacon
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
4 cups dried macaroni elbow pasta
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 ground white pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Velveeta processed cheese product
2 cups freshly shredded Gouda (smoked can be used)
1 cup freshly shredded sharp red cheddar
1 cup fresh shredded Jarlesburg
1/2 cup grated Parmesean
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease/ butter a large casserole dish ( I used 11″x 11″x 2 1/2″)
In a frying pan or skillet fry the chopped bacon until lightly brown. Add the maple syrup and continue to fry until crispy. Remove from the heat, transfer to a plate and allow to cool. (When cool the bacon may stick together. Break up to smaller pieces if needed)
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and return to pasta pot to keep warm. Lightly toss in olive oil to prevent clumping
Combine the shredded cheeses and set aside until needed
In a separate small bowl stir together the Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs and melted butter. Set aside until needed
Prepare the cheese sauce base. In a large pot melt the butter. Add in the flour and stir to coat in butter. Cook over a medium heat until golden.
Gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly with a small whisk to prevent lumps
Once all the milk has been added cook the sauce over a medium heat until bubbling. Cook for 2 minutes, again stirring constantly, until thickened
Add in salt and pepper, and stir to mix
Reduce heat to low, add in the Velvetta and stir to melt
Once the Velveeta has melted, add in the shredded cheese mix in stages stirring between until each addition is melted. Once all the cheeses have been added continue to stir until smooth. Remove from the heat
Add the prepared macaroni pasta and crispy bacon pieces and stir well to combine ensuring all the pasta is covered in the cheese sauce. Transfer to your prepared casserole dish
Sprinkle the top of the pasta mix with the breadcrumb mix
Bake in the prepared oven for between 20-25mins or until the crumbs are golden.

Southern Biscuits

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cubed

1 cup cold buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and stir to well combined
Add the cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form
Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Pour the buttermilk on top. Stir everything together until just about combined– don’t overwork the dough. The dough will look like very crumbly
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently mould it into a rough looking rectangle using your hands. Next fold one side into the centre, then the other side. Turn the dough so it’s long horizontally. Gently flatten. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough so it’s long horizontally once more. Gently flatten. Repeat the folding one more time
Gently roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Re-roll any scraps until you have 9-12 biscuits
Arrange close together on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure they’re touching
Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and, if desired, brush with melted butter. Enjoy warm. When cool, cover tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Buttermilk fried chicken

Ingredients

12-16 chicken breast fillets

Canola oil for frying

Marinade

4 cups Buttermilk

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Flour seasoning

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Method

Whisk together the buttermilk and dry ingredients and place in a shallow casserole dish
Place the chicken pieces into the marinade and gently stir to coat. The pieces should at least be semi-covered in the liquid
Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge
In another shallow dish or plate mix together the seasoned flour ingredients
Remove the chicken pieces from the fridge, remove from buttermilk (do not remove any excess marinade) and dredge one at a time in the flour mixture. Press the mixture into the chicken whilst dredging. Again do not remove or shake off any excess. Leave the coated pieces to rest on a plate to one side whilst you heat your oil.
Pour canola oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or pan, so that oil only comes halfway up the pot. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 F (180 C). Add 4 pieces of chicken to the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Fry chicken for 4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so it hovers between 280 F (145 C) and 300 F (150 C)
Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain (and check for doneness by opening chicken or using a probe thermometer to read 175 F). Cover with foil to keep warm and continue frying other chicken pieces *if oil temperature drops due to frying process, simple reheat to original temperature
Keep chicken pieces warm until ready to serve