DIY SUMMER CELEBRATION
Elizabeth's GMA Recap + Mac & Cheese + Easy Entertaining Ideas
Happy Thursday, frens! It was a busy holiday weekend here at #Whats4Dinner… Elizabeth showed viewers how to grill up Summer favorites on Good Morning America (her famous Mac & Cheese recipe below), and Anthony was cookin’ up a storm from burgers-and-dawgs to delish Summer sides! Let’s light this fire…
LAST-MINUTE MEMORIAL DAY GRILLING ON GMA
AU: First things first, Elizabeth, how was your morning at GMA??
EK: It was so great to be back in New York City and back in the Good Morning America’s Times Square Studios. So many of you tuned in, and sent me texts and messages that I had fun reading after the show. Thanks for watching!
In a word, it was fantastic! Here’s a little BTS recap of my day...
A car picked me up at 6:45 a.m., which was actually a civilized time, compared to much earlier call times in the past when it was still dark even in the summer! Since I was staying in West Chelsea, it didn’t take very long to get to Times Square. I arrived at the studio a little before 7:00 a.m. and my ace producer, Sara, met me and took me to my dressing room.
There are still a lot of Covid precautions—I first met with a nurse, was given a Covid test, and sat in a room by myself until I was cleared.
After the test and a quick change into my “on-air” shirt, we went to the kitchen to see the fabulous Karen Pickus and check on the food.
Karen has been the resident chef/food stylist at GMA for as long as I have been a guest on the show. In fact, the first time I was a guest, Anthony was my producer and that’s how we met! That was in 2007 and we have been fast friends ever since.
When there is a food segment on GMA, the guest sends their recipes to Karen and she expertly makes them, preps the mis en place and lays out the demo table.
She made the demo for The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies when Anthony was on the show in December, as well!
It was fun to see Karen in person and work with her again. We walked through each tip and each recipe and the demos—you can see us talking about the five cheeses for the mac and cheese here.
We took the tables outside, and walked through the segment for a final time to make sure that we weren’t missing anything. Since I am a “fork” cook, and didn’t bring mine with me, I had to ask Karen for a fork instead the worlds largest spoon to mix my coleslaw with. At first, I thought the spoon was her “joke” for me, but it turns out that she loves mixing with that GIANT SPOON and that’s why I am holding it in this picture.
Once the table was set, and I had my forks, it was almost 8:00 a.m. and we had to go outside for my first “tease” of the segment. A “tease” is a short preview of the upcoming segment. My favorite tease on Monday was when I took a bite of my decadent Five-Cheese Mac and Cheese. It looked so good that I couldn’t help but take a bite!
Before I knew it, the countdown to the segment was happening… 3-2-1… the anchors ran out of the side door from the studio to the outside set, got into position and we were off:)
I had a blast meeting and working with with the three anchors hosting the show, Whit Johnson, Linsey Davis, and Eva Pilgrim who I hadn’t met before. The GMA Weekend hosts held down the fort in NYC while the rest of the crew was enjoying a day off or in London covering the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
EK: I love a classic American hotdog & hamburger cookout, especially for Memorial Day. Good thing, since I gave tips on grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for a Last Minute Memorial Day Menu.
AU: For those who may have missed your segment, spill the hot tips…
EK: My number one tip for sausages and hot dogs is to prick them with a toothpick to make a hole where the steam can release during the cooking time. Otherwise they might explode. And use a low-medium heat so the inside is hot and fully cooked at the same time as the outside is golden brown and delicious.
The fun thing about hotdogs is that different parts of the country top their hotdogs differently. I featured my three favorite dogs. Chicago, New York and my absolute favorite, A Carolina Slaw Dog!
AU: Okay, we’ve covered the hot dogs, but what about the burgers??
EK: This is a fun tip! You know how homemade burgers sometimes look more like a meatball than a burger? I call that my “swollen belly burger.” If you make a depression in the center of the burger—with your thumb—as it cooks, the burger fills the hole instead of puffing up like a ball.
I also showed how to make my North Carolina Vinegar “Red” Slaw and a Classic Creamy Coleslaw.
My producer, Sara, is a big fan of mac and cheese, so she asked me to include my favorite mac and cheese in the segment. And she’s not alone, it is a crowd pleaser!
My Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese embraces the high/low traditions of American Mac and Cheese. If you are looking for a twist to the classic, make this with roasted or blanched cauliflower instead of pasta—you won’t believe how good it is! We didn’t get to it during the segment, because we ran out of time, but it did look—and taste—so good!!
As soon as we went off air, the anchors all grabbed their plates, as the stage managers hurried them back inside, because LIVE TV waits for no one!! Luckily, it was still warm and as we said goodbye, they enjoyed their Memorial Day breakfast of mac and cheese!
We are including the recipe for my Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese here, so you can enjoy it too!
Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese
This creamy cheesy version of Mac & Cheese is a one of Elizabeth’s signature dishes and embraces the high and the low traditions of American Mac and Cheese. The secret to the sauce is add a little bit of Velvetta at the end to make it super creamy.
Serves 10
1 pound Penne Rigate (or 6-8 cups cauliflower)
4 cups half and half
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnishing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces best-quality gruyere cheese, grated
16 ounces best-quality extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
6 ounces best-quality Fontina cheese
2 ounces grated real Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
4 ounces Velveeta cheese—processed cheese product
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and set aside in a large bowl. (Alternatively, blanch or roast cauliflower if making with cauliflower instead of pasta)
Mix all the cheeses except the Velveeta together and set aside.
Bring the half and half just to a boil in a heavy saucepan and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another heavy saucepan. Add the flour, and whisk over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not brown. Remove from the heat.
Add the hot liquid to the flour mixture, and whisk well. Add the paprika, season with the salt and pepper, and return the pan to a low heat.
Add half the cheese mixture, and stir until combined. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens; about 5 minutes.
Add the Velveeta and whisk really well until it all incorporated and very creamy. Add sauce to the pasta (or cauliflower). Toss well to coat completely.
Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch flameproof baking dish/casserole with butter, and fill it with half of the sauced-pasta. Distribute half of the remaining cheese evenly over the pasta. Repeat layering.
Place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake until hot, lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
If a darker crust is desired, place casserole under the broiler, 4 inches from the heat, until the top is golden and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
Let sit 5-10 minutes and serve hot.
DIY SUMMER CELEBRATIONS
AU: While you were in the Big Apple, I was home in LA… but my big brother, Austin, came into town to visit! We hosted a little Memorial Day get-together, which also happens to be his birthday… And if you know Austin, it’s all about HIS day! lololol
Instead of being hunkered down in the kitchen, or standing over a hot grill, I put together a menu of make-ahead dishes, so that guests could help themselves. I love a good do-it-yourself bar, don’t you??
AU: I asked our guests to bring “snacky stuff,” because that’s always good to have around while people meander in-and-out of the pool. I took care of the main dishes: instead of grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs á la minute, I seared them ahead of time, then placed them on a sheet pan with a rack, and kept them warm in my Traeger grill until it was time to eat. This made entertaining SO easy, and is the only way I will cook burgers and dogs for a large group from now on. When it was time to eat, all I had to do was melt the cheese and warm the buns. Plus, the wood flavor from the Traeger pellets permeated the burgers and gave them a nicely smoked flavor.
AU: When it came to sides, I knew a potato salad was mandatory. So I made a mustardy, shallot-and-olive oil-based one that was super heavy on the herbs: chives, dill, and parsley. Make potato salad at least a day in advance (adding the herbs on the day of). And yes, I do blanch green beans and add them to my potato salad. I usually add bacon, too, but we already had that in a dish, so I omitted it here.
AU: In addition to a potato salad, I made a DIY Wedge Salad Bar. I basically just cut up some heads of iceberg lettuce and arranged them on a platter with all the things I’d want on a wedge salad: homemade Ranch dressing, really good blue cheese, heirloom tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and crispy fried shallots to gild the lily. My guests loved getting creative with their own plates, and who doesn’t love a customizable wedge salad?!?
AU: The grand finale to our weekend was my big bro Austin’s #1 request: Chocolate Cake. Luckily, my co-writer and pal, Elizabeth, had my back. I made it straight from her book Steak & Cake (page 230 to be exact!). And the Milk Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on page 237 was the perfect balance of tangy and chocolatey! My cake decorating skills need a little work, but it just lets everyone know it was HOMEMADE! ;-)
That’s it for this week! As always, if you make our recipes, tag us on the ‘gram (@kitchensitch & @elizabethkarmel), and use the hashtag #whats4dinner. Happy cooking!!