Grown-Up Mac & Cheese

I always see recipes for foods and sauces made with beer, and I thought ‘Hey, I love beer! I want to try that!” So I did. The dish I created mixed ziti with a beer cheese sauce, pan-fried tofu, and broccoli. Recipe below! (Also, this will likely be the last ever non gluten-free recipe I post…but more later.)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound uncooked Ziti
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup beer (I used Blue Moon)
dash of pepper
dash of salt
2 dashes garlic powder
2 dashes paprika
1 block drained tofu
2 cups frozen broccoli
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBS canola oil
2 TBS breadcrumbs, if desired

Instructions:

Cook Ziti as directed on package, drain and set aside.

Cook frozen broccoli according to directions on package and set aside

Mix cream, beer, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and paprika in a medium saucepan over low heat.

Stir regularly, do not let boil.

Once the sauce is hot, add cheese a small amount at a time and stir until melted.

Add desired amount of sauce to the cooked ziti and stir.

        
For the tofu, heat the oil in a wok or large skillet to medium-high eat. While the oil is heating, cube the tofu and sprinkle with pepper, salt, and garlic powder.

Once the oil is hot, add the tofu. Stir the tofu frequently so that each cube browns on all sides without burning.

The most important part of this recipe is that you have to enjoy the rest of the beer while you cook. I mean you opened it, why not finish it?

Mix all your parts together, top with breadcrumbs if desired, and enjoy!