BBQ chicken with mac and cheese and collard greens

Because I like to cook I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Tonight's recipe came from one of my favorite shows on the Bravo channel, Top Chef (technically this particular recipe came from Top Chef Masters). Marcus Samuelsson created this dish so I absolutely want to give him credit where credit is due. The link to the original recipe can be found here.

Review: Overall it was a tasty meal that I would cook again. I might not cook the collard greens again but the recipe called for it and I've never had them so I wanted to try them. If you like Spinach you'd probably like them. They weren't awful, by any means, but I'd say they are an acquired taste. I would ABSOLUTELY cut the ingredients for the collard greens in half though if you do choose to make them. The collard greens and bok choy can be found near the lettuce and cabbage and those types of "greens." They are just supposed to be a garnish so there was A LOT left over that I ended up throwing away. Also, the coconut milk is found with the soy sauce and other chinese sauces. At least at my grocery stores it is there and not with the milk. Other than that the chicken is up to you on what type you want to use (breasts, thighs, legs etc.) and how you want to cook it (grill, bake, fry, etc.), and the macaroni and cheese could definitely be its own meal.

Recipe: BBQ chicken with mac and cheese and collard greens

Mac and Cheese:

• 1 lb half shell (medium) pasta
• 1 quart cream (I used half and half)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I used mild but you could use sharp)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup sliced chicken sausage (you can use any type of sausage though)

Slow Braised Greens:

• 2 lbs collard greens
• 1 lb bok choy
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup cream (half and half)
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon

Start with the slow braised greens because this takes the longest. Again if you are going to make these, which I recommend if you've never had it before just as something to try, cut all the ingredients at least in half. The bacon, however, can be kept the same if not even increased but the rest of them should be reduced. To do the slow braised greens you'll want to sear the bacon, add one of the four gloves of garlic and add the coconut milk. Then add the cream, rest of the garlic and orange juice. Cover and simmer for two hours with the greens and bok choy (I tore them apart/chopped them up as well) mixed in the liquid. You'll need a big pot for this but as the greens cook they will reduce in size dramatically because they shrivel as they cook.

After about 1 to 1 1/2 hours you can start the chicken and the mac and cheese. Grill the chicken for 3 minutes on each side then roast it in the oven for 10 minutes. Finally glaze with BBQ sauce. I decided to bake the chicken and after about 30 minutes I put on some BBQ sauce. I let it cook some more and then added more BBQ sauce on when it was time to serve. Make sure if you bake the chicken you cover it with aluminum foil.

For the macaroni and cheese you'll want to boil the pasta in water. In a separate pot bring the cream to a boil and then add the two cloves of garlic and sausage. The amount of sausage you use also is up to you. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes and then pour the cooked pasta into the cream and add the cheese. I used the 1 cup of parmesan the recipe calls for but used an entire packet of shredded cheddar cheese. You can use however much or however little cheese you want though. Even using the entire packet did not make it an orange cheese like a typical macaroni and cheese from the box, so don't expect that.

This recipe was pretty delicious. The best part was the mac and cheese and chicken but it's on my list of things to try again.