Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese - the absolute comfort food

Mac and cheese is my favorite comfort food for the whole family at our house! Especially when the days are getting shorter and colder, we enjoy this delicacy with three types of cheese.

You know, my hubby is a big gas grill fan, and he wished for his last birthday a Dutch Oven. So now, we can prepare the most diverse delicacies on the grill to treat ourselves.

Be it with Mac and Cheese, duchess potatoes, Sourdough bread, or delicious baked goods. And the nice thing for us, he can grill, and I can write, photograph and film.  

So win-win! Something we can both enjoy together! Yey!

🥘 Ingredients

• 14.12 oz (400 g) Macaroni 
• 11.29 oz (320 g) Heavy Cream 
• 12.18 fl oz (360 ml) Milk 
• 12.18 fl oz (360 ml) Water 
• 2,5 teaspoon Mustard
• 2,5 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
• 2,5 teaspoon Magic Dust 
• 7.06 oz (200 g) Frozen Corn Kernels 
• 4.24 oz (120 g) Cheddar Cheese
• 7.06 oz (200 g) Gouda 
• 2.83 oz (80 g) Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2.12 oz (60 g) Parmesan 
• Half a bunch of Parsley

Can I use something else for flavoring?

Of course! You can use any seasoning that you usually use for your Mac & Cheese! 

🍽 Equipment

• Gas Grill - if you don't have a gas grill, you can easily make it in the oven too. 
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
  • We are using the Petromax Dutch Oven flat base with lid ft6-t (5,5-6 L)
• Lid Lifter
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowls
• Wooden Spoon
• Grater
• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife

What's a Dutch Oven? 

A Dutch oven (not to be confused with masonry oven) is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens are usually made of seasoned cast iron; however, some Dutch ovens are instead made of cast aluminum or ceramic. Some metal varieties are enameled rather than being seasoned, and these are sometimes called French ovens. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years. They are called casserole dishes in English-speaking countries other than the United States (casserole means "pan" in French), and cocottes in French. They are similar to both the Japanese tetsunabe and the sač, a traditional Balkan cast-iron oven, and are related to the South African potjiekos, the Australian Bedourie oven, and Spanish cazuela.

Source: wikipedia.com

🔪 Instructions

Preliminary Steps

Take a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix cream, water, milk, mustard, salt, and magic dust with a whisk.

If you didn't opt for pre-shredded cheese, grate the Gouda and Cheddar into a bowl and set it aside. Grate the Parmesan cheese into a separate bowl and mix it with Panko, and set aside as well. 

Mince the parsley and put it in the fridge - you will need it for garnishing at the time of serving. 

Cooking the Mac & Cheese 

Pour the prepared liquid mixture into your cast iron Dutch Oven and place the Dutch Oven in the center of your gas grill (to prevent the mac and cheese from burning on the bottom), and bring it to a boil. 

After bringing the liquid to a boil, operate only the burners to the left and right of the Dutch Oven. This way, it will heat up indirectly and give the heat evenly to the mac & cheese.

Once the liquid boils, add the macaroni and the frozen corn kernels, stir once, cover the pot with the lid, and cook for about 8 minutes. 

Close the gas grill to get the desired top-bottom heat effect. 

After about 10 minutes, your mac and cheese will be ready to serve. Sprinkle them with chopped parsley, and enjoy! Yum! 

And if you have any raw or cooked macaroni left at home, try making a macaroni salad!

Dutch Oven Mac & Cheese on the Campfire

This recipe is also fantastic when you are on a camping trip. Here you make your mac & cheese on the campfire and not with the gas grill. To do this, light a pile of wood and let it burn down. The resulting charcoal is ideal to use to heat the Dutch Oven. Enjoy!

To cook, first, place the Dutch Oven on the smoldering wood. After adding the Panko/Parmesan mixture, cover it with ember pieces of wood to add heat from above. 

Fancy delicious Christmas dinner recipes? Check out the following recipes: Caesar Salad with homemade dressing, Homemade Mini-Cheeseburger, or Tafelspitz - Austrian Prime Boiled Beef. Or snag your copy of my Christmas Dinner Cookbook!

📖 Recipe

⛑️ Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

For further information, check Safe Food Handling - FDA.