Fire Roasted Buffalo Chicken Sausage Mac and Cheese

[FTC Disclaimer]  This is not a sponsored post; however, the Amazon links that I give are Amazon Affiliate links.  

We were shopping for supplies for a project and found some Buffalo Chicken Sausages at Fresh Market.  We didn't need the sausages for the project, but I couldn't just pass them up once I saw them, right?  

When we were brainstorming how to use the sausage, I thought of the Buffalo Mac and Cheese that we used to get at Rafferty's (before they closed our local one....boooo).   So we made mac and cheese with the Buffalo chicken sausage instead of fried Buffalo chicken.

Of course, we made ours over live fire on a kamado grill - a Big Green Egg to be specific.  But you could do this inside as well.  Make the sausage and sauce on the stove top and then roast the mac and cheese in the oven. 

I love this small Lodge cast iron skillet because it is grill safe and the wok-like sloped walls make it easy to toss and flip food while cooking.  I bought one for my mom a few Christmases ago and was so envious I purchased one for myself!

Porterhouse Steaks with Twice Baked Potatoes

Wow, it is hard to believe that Nibble Me This is 10 years old as of today. 

Back then, I never imagined that creating a BBQ and grilling blog would lead to the opportunities that it has.  

• I have gotten to work with great food brands and grilling companies.
• I have been lucky enough to work side by side with World Champions.
• I have gotten to take educational trips to learn more about grilling, butchery, and food production.
• I have traveled to farms and ranches to gain a better understanding of where my food comes from and sustainable practices.
• I have received hands-on training to do things like break down half of a steer and artificially inseminate a sow.
• I got contracts to write two BBQ/grilling books.

But the absolute best part of Nibble Me This has been the friendships that have grown out of it. I have met so many wonderful people across the country that I am proud to call my friends.  Well....most of y'all, anyway ;) 

New Year's Eve was unseasonably warm, which are two words a griller loves to hear.  So Alexis and I grabbed a few porterhouse steaks for a quick dinner before our youngest and his friends headed out for a Dirty Guv'nahs concert. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

These are a reliable side dish - they are easy and almost everyone loves them.  We washed, lightly oiled, seasoned with salt, and wrapped russet potatoes with foil.  We put them in a 400°f Big Green Egg on indirect heat (using a plate setter) until they were tender - about 45 minutes because these were smallish.

We sliced off the top 1/3rd of the potatoes and scooped out the pulp from inside.  We then mix in finely chopped bacon, butter, sour cream, finely chopped green onion, and shredded Sweetwater Farms smoked yellow cheddar.  You are basically just making loaded mashed potatoes so throw in whatever you want.  Finally, we seasoned it with some of our NMT Beef Rub v.2 to taste, about 1.5 teaspoons.  

Stuff all of that mix back into the hollowed out potato shells.  You can make these ahead and have them ready to cook.  Then heat them through for about 20 minutes at 350°f.