Queen City Stack: Bbq and Sweet Cornbread

Queen City Stack

A sweet honey-butter cornbread cake, topped with a scoop of baked macaroni and cheese, BBQ sauced pulled pork, and a creamy buttermilk coleslaw

For this recipe, I use pulled pork from our favorite BBQ restaurant.  They sell pulled pork, brisket and smoked chicken by the pound.

  I love the time-saving and it’s always so good!

For this recipe or for a serving a crowd plan for about 1/4 pound per adult.  Be sure to get bbq sauce too!!

For the Queen City Stack:

(All recipes follow)

Add a slice of Honey-Butter Cornbread to a plate. 

Add a scoop of Macaroni and Cheese.

Add a scoop of Pulled Pork, drizzled with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Add a scoop of Coleslaw.

Serve.

Honey-Butter Sweet Cornbread 

Shortcut Version:

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread mix 

1/2 package (about 1 1/2 cups) dry yellow cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup frozen corn 

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons butter cubed

Scratch Version:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow (fine) corn meal

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup frozen corn 

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons butter cubed

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix together milk eggs and oil.

In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients-then mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Don’t over mix-but do gently scrape to the bottom to eliminate dry pockets. Fold in the corn. 

Pour batter onto a parchment lined approximately 12”x 15”rimmed baking sheet.

Spread batter evenly (doesn’t have to reach every corner.) Batter will spread while baking.

Drizzle the top of batter with honey, dot with butter.

Bake on middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until set.  Allow to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese 

1 box of elbow or other dried pasta noodle. (12 ounces)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup 2% milk

1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese

2 cups (divided) shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups (divided) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3 dashes hot sauce 

Buttered cracker crumbs for topping (1 sleeve Ritz crackers-crushed and 2 Tbs melted butter, dash garlic powder)

Cook pasta according to package directions adding 2-3 minutes extra until noodles are very soft. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add flour and stir for 30-40 seconds to cook flour.

Slowly add half of the evaporated milk, heavy cream, and milk, stirring constantly to create a smooth sauce. As mixture thickens, add more cream and milk.    

Add Old English Cheese and melt into the sauce. 

Add 1 cup each of the shredded cheeses (reserving 1 cup of the cheese  for layering), stirring constantly adding an additional 1/4 cup of milk to loosen the sauce if needed. 

When sauce is combined and bubbly, stir in the seasonings and the Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Turn off heat.

Mix the drained, soft-cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce. Pour HALF of the cheesy macaroni into a buttered 9x13  casserole dish. Cover the first half of the macaroni in cheese sauce with ¾ of the remaining shredded cheeses. Finish by adding the rest of the cheese sauced macaroni to the casserole dish. Top with the last of the shredded cheese. Spread buttered cracker crumbs on top.  (1 sleeve Ritz Crackers crushed with 2 tbs melted butter, dash garlic powder) 

Bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is melted, lightly browned and bubbling. Serve.

Buttermilk Coleslaw 

Karri Perry’s Crunchy Coleslaw

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage (green and purple) (Or use packaged coleslaw mix)

3/4  cup shredded carrot (1-2 carrots)

1-2 green onions chopped finely (About ½ cup) (use whites and greens)

Sauce:

½ cup of good mayo (I used Duke’s)

2 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

½ tsp garlic salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots and the green onion, set aside or keep in a refrigerated zip-top bag until 20 minutes before serving time.

For the sauce, combine the mayo, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, garlic salt and the pepper.  Mix well.

Pour the prepared sauce over the cabbage/carrot/onion mixture. Toss to coat, let stand 10 minutes before serving. Slaw can be made ahead and refrigerated. For a crispier and crunchier slaw prepare just before serving.

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