Stouffer's Mac Truck

Bringing Stouffer's Mac & Cheese across the country, one bite at a time. Follow us on our journey and tell us where to visit you!

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We are starting to think the nicest people are all living in #Minneapolis!  We had a great time at Peavey Plaza this week! 

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At the #Minnesota #Twins game! #TargetField

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We love our fans almost as much as they love #free #StouffersMac! #Minneapolis #foodtruck

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We are visiting many #CubFoods stores over the next two weeks - check out our full schedule at www.StouffersMacTruck.com/map!

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Holy line! #stouffersmac #nationalharbor

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We were in the #Charlotte #Thanksgiving Day #Parade! #stouffersmac (at 2014 Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade)

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The only Halloween costume needed for a night out on the Mac Truck! #NationalZoo #Nightofthelivingzoo #Halloween

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Awesome decorations at #Nightofthelivingzoo #LaterGram #FONZ

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mackhack- gameday

Here are a couple ideas to really score with your game day spread!

Get across the goal line in two plays with our buffalo chicken or Philly steak. The buffalo chicken is easy and not too time consuming, after all the team is coming over and you have other things to worry about!  Pull and shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken and mix in your favorite wing sauce, thats it!  Heap it on some delicious mac 'n cheese or mix it in, your call.  If the crowd craves beef the Philly steak couldn't be easier. Pick up some thin sliced steak from the frozen isle while you are grabbing the mac 'n cheese.  Prepare per package instructions and pile it on the cooked mac'n cheese!  You can offer a toppings bar of sauteed mushrooms and onions, chopped chive (pictured), and some cheese whiz alongside for the two point conversion! Go Browns!!!

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MacHack- Philly

We headed out to the Foodbank of South Jersey today for a "Food Truck Friday" event!  I couldn't resist the Philly Steak Mac -"Wit", of course :)

I also offered the Bacon n' Bleu Mac and the Veg Hash Mac.  I love the bleu cheese stuffed, fried macball on the Bacon n' Bleu!  @foodbankSJ

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MacHack- New England

Its been a bit since our last MacHack and we have had a few varieties since then.  Ill run through one of them here, Vegetable Hash with Sage Sausage.

Autumn has taken its hold on most of the country and that was especially true in New England.  The colors of the trees were so vibrant and the sun was warm but the air had a chill to it. Its the time of year for fires, warm cider and, my favorite, SQUASH!  I picked up some parsnips, turnips, onions, butternut squash and a bag of locally grown apples and headed to the truck to whip up something special.  I simply diced the vegetables and apples (remember to do the apples last so they don't brown!) and melted some butter in a pot.  Once hot enough to saute but not too hot that the butter burns add the turnips and parsnips.  Move these around the pot till they start to brown on the edges.  Next add the onions, squash and apples.  Keep the hash moving and nudge the heat up a bit.  The squash and apples will cook quickly but you want them to get some color before they get too soft. Just before the veg is finished add some thyme, oregano and savory (or herb d'Provence), salt and a pinch of white pepper if its handy.  You can really kick it up by browning some sage sausage and adding it to the vegetable hash!

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Guess which song is now going through my head... #macmacbaby #stouffersmac

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It's a #macstack duel! #stouffersmac #maccups

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TUNNEL 2 TOWERS

We left New York last week but have not had a chance to blog until this evening.  We had a lot of fun and great experiences but none compared to this event.

Pictured at head of post: Sandy, Jae and Frank Siller (Brother of Stephen Siller)

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Work in progress... A #sandcastle memorializing the 343 fallen firefighters of the #FDNY @Tunnel2Towers (at WTC: 9/11 Memorial Site)

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We have arrived @MakeMeaning! Serving up some delicious #stouffersmac for @theMOMS with #ChefVendome and @DonetellaArpia

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MAC HACK - CHICAGO

The "Italian Beef" sandwich became the inspiration for the Chicago Mac Hack.

As we arrived in Chicago I couldn't help but think about what spin I could put on our delicious mac n' cheese to really grasp the local flavor.  Everyone knows about the Chicago style hotdog (more on that later) but I wanted something lesser known, something coveted.  Thats when I heard of this specialty known as the Italian Beef sandwich.  Quite simple in its construction, thinly sliced beef with giardiniera on an Italian style hoagie bun dipped in jus.  After trying one for myself I knew this was what I was after.

While at the grocery find the deli counter and tell them you want a pound of good roast beef.  You are looking for the roast beef that is pink in the middle, medium rare, not grey/brown. This should be enough to top a party size tray of mac n' cheese. If you are anything like me and you eat half of it while you are fussing around in the kitchen get more than a pound. Have them slice it very thin but not shaved. Pick up some quality beef broth too, a low sodium variety.  If you want to go All-Star with the flavor skip the broth and head into the meat department and get a heap of beef scraps: stewing strips, shin, oxtail, meaty soup bones, neck bones, whatever is cheap. You will need this to make your own jus.  Now to find the giardiniera, it will be by the pickled vegetables.  You are looking for a combination of peppers, onions, olives, and vegetables in oil not vinegar.  You may want to try the salad/olive bar too. With your roast beef and giardiniera in hand its time to get to cooking!  At home put the stock on a low simmer.  You are looking to reduce it by half.  This is why you need a high quality stock.  If you were to reduce a lower quality stock by half it would become much too salty. Once the stock is simmering add a couple cloves, three or four bay leaf (this is the main flavor here so don't be shy), and a teaspoon of black pepper corns.  If you want to make your own stock season all the meaty scraps and put them into a pan ontop of some chopped carrot, celery and onions.  Set this pan in a hot oven >400° and keep an eye on it!  You are looking for deep brown with a little black on the edges not mostly black with some brown spots.  You may need to do this in batches or toss the pieces around a bit periodically so all surfaces have a chance to brown.  Once complete turn the contents of the pan into a pot being certain to scrape all the goodies stuck to the bottom of the pan into the pot.  Cover with water by a couple inches, add the aforementioned spices and set to simmer for four hours or so.  Now its time to address the surplus roast beef in the fridge :)  Once the jus is ready take the remaining roast beef and dunk it in the hot broth to absorb all the flavor and warm through. Once heated top the mac n' cheese with the beef, giardiniera, and a few spoonfuls of jus.  

Since you have gone to all the trouble of finding the giardiniera and making the jus try a sandwich!  Same as above, dunk the meat, stack it on a hoagie roll with the giardiniera, close it up and dunk the whole sandwich making certain to leave it submerged for a couple seconds so the bread soaks up that liquid love. Your mouth will be happy, the front of your shirt will not.

-Jae