ultimate tailgating mac and cheese

By momofsixplus1

Ingredients

• 3 pounds elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
• 2 pound loaf velveeta
• meat from 1 chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 8 oz blue cheese
• 4 oz(1 stick) butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce(franks)
• 1 pound sharp cheddar, shredded
• 2 cups celery, sliced thin
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Preparation

Step 1

cook macaroni al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Skin chicken and strip meat, tearing it into bite-sized chunks.

In large pot, melt butter. When foaming stops, add onions. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently until translucent and browning. 10-15 minutes. Do not allow to burn.

Add hot sauce, stirring until sauce evaporates into onions, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.

Add milk, yogurt and velveeta torn into chunks. Stir steadily as velveeta melts into liquid. (Do not allow to boil, or it will burn on the bottom of the pot)

set oven to 500 degrees. spread cooked macaroni in standard half-sheet sized foil catering pan. Scatter celery and chicken over the macaroni, and crush blue cheese to spread across the mixture. Add cheese sauce and stir to combine everything evenly. Smooth out the mixture.

Top with shredded cheddar and place pan in preheated oven. Bake until brown and bubbly, 20-30 minutes. Can be covered with heavy foil and kept warm in a cooler, stuffed with crumbled newspaper as insulation, for up to four hours.