Happy National Cheat Day, foodies! Every 4th Thursday in January we’ll be celebrating a guilt-free day of enjoying our favorite foods. One of the best foods to cheat with is our famous burger, The Cheesy Todd. Check out when Jesse Palmer from Good Morning America visited us to try it here, and learn how to make it at home with our recipe below.
Ingredients
Mac & Cheese Bun Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 gal water
3 cups dry macaroni
1 cans (12 oz) condensed milk
3 cups mixed cheddar cheese
1/2 cup pickled jalapeño (rough chop)
1/2 cup cooked Nueske’s bacon (rough chop)
Breading Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups egg whites
3 cups panko
Assembly Ingredients:
2 mac & cheese buns lightly deep fried
1 6 oz 80/20 beef patty grilled to desired temperature
1 slice red onion
2 slices tomato
1/4 cup shredded leaf lettuce
3 pieces thinly sliced pickle
1 each 6 inch long bamboo skewer
Preparation
Mac N’ Cheese Buns:
Bring 1/2 gallon of water to a boil that has been seasoned with salt. Cook until al dente (about 8-10 minutes) strain and reserve.
In a separate pot, bring condensed milk to a low simmer. Add cheddar cheese and mix until smooth. Add jalapeño and bacon, then continue to mix until combination is thoroughly mixed. Now add cooked pasta and mix until all ingredients all well blended. Pour mixture directly onto a ½ sheet pan and spread mixture all the way to the corners until even. Refrigerate 2-3 hours until completely cool. This can be made a day or two in advance. With a 3 ½ inch ring mold (cookie cutter will work), cut circles out of mac & cheese mix and set aside.
Breading the Mac N’ Cheese:
Using three separate pans, place flour in one, egg white in another, and panko in the last. Take your mac & cheese disc and lightly flour all sides, then place into egg whites and coat all sides completely. Shake off excess and place in panko, pushing down lightly so breadcrumbs stick. (Note: It is a good idea to keep one hand free of wet ingredients to do the final coating of panko on disk. Make sure your mac & cheese discs are chilled before breading so they hold their shape better.)
Frying the Mac N’ Cheese:
In a deep pot with high temperature thermometer, bring 1 gallon of peanut oil to 350 degrees F. Gently place 2 or 3 discs at a time and cook until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon or spiderweb and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. (Note: If you have a peanut allergy you may use vegetable oil instead.)
Cheesy Todd Assembly:
Lay first mac & cheese bun flat on plate. Top with grilled hamburger patty. Top the burger with thinly sliced pickle, tomato slices, onion, and shredded lettuce. Place remaining bun on top and put skewer through the middle of the middle of the buns to secure.
Enjoy!
