Pulled Pork Mac N Cheese with Mushrooms

A modern take on a classic, this pulled pork mac n cheese combines sweet and tangy barbeque pork with cheesy macaroni. A medley of roasted mushrooms folds nicely into this dish adding a pleasant umami-rich surprise! 

Recipe developed in partnership with Ontario Pork.

Prep Time: 20 mins. | Cook Time: 8 hrs. | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

Pulled Pork:
2-3 lb (0.9 – 1.3 kg) Ontario pork shoulder
Salt and pepper
1 cup (250 mL) root beer
1 cup (250 mL) of barbeque sauce (of your choice)
Mac N Cheese:
1 lb (500 g) fresh mixed mushrooms (portabella, shiitake, oyster), coarsely chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
3 cups (750 mL) rigatoni pasta (cooked until al dente)
3 cups (750 mL) milk
½ large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tbsp (7 mL) Italian herbs
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups (750 mL) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro

Method

1. Season all sides of pork with salt and pepper. Place pork in slow cooker with root beer and barbeque sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker to drain liquid. Place back in slow cooker and using a fork or tongs, shred pork and remove excess fat. Add more barbeque sauce if you wish. Cover and return to low.
2. Place chopped mushrooms on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast mushrooms in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente. Set aside.
4. In a large pot combine milk, onion, garlic, and Italian herbs; bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, allowing for flavours to steep. Pour through a strainer and return to pot.
5. In another large saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly begin to whisk in seasoned milk; this will make a paste. Continue whisking until all milk has been added. Whisk over medium-low heat until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add Dijon, salt and pepper.
6. Transfer cooked pasta to a large casserole dish. Mix in roasted mushrooms, cheese, and sauce. Top with approximately 3 cups of pulled pork (rest can be reserved).
7. Bake at 350°F/175°C until cheese is completely melted, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
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Warm Mushroom Salad

A warm mushroom salad with creamy goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. 

Recipe courtesy of Kevin from Closet Cooking.

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 25 mins. | Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 splash white wine or broth
6 cup salad greens
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup goal cheese, crumbled

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their moisture and it cooks off, about 15 minutes.
3. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the wine, deglaze the pan and cook the excess moisture off.
6. Assemble the salad and enjoy!
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Wild Mushroom and Bacon Crostini

Mushrooms, bacon and thyme are one of my favourite flavour profiles and together they make a simple, easy to prepare appetizer.  Sliced mushrooms, onions and garlic are sautéed in bacon fat, with a touch of brandy and cream.  Crispy bacon bits and thyme are stirred in at the end, then spooned on to warm, toasted baguette that is lightly brushed with olive oil.  Preparation only takes minutes, leaving you time to get ready before the party, where I’m sure these tasty nibbles will be a hit.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Renee from Sweetsugarbean.

Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 25 mins.

Ingredients

5 pieces of bacon
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups assorted wild mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup brandy
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup whipping cream
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette, 1 inch slice
extra virgin olive oil
pea shoots for garnish

Method

1. In a frying pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon from pan and add stir in  the minced onions and garlic.  Cook until golden brown, over medium heat, being careful not to burn.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms, brandy and mustard to the onions and garlic and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the cream, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer until thick.  Chop the bacon and stir it in along with thyme leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Brush sliced baguette with olive oil and toast in a preheated 375*F oven until just crispy, about 5 minutes.  Spoon mushroom and bacon mixture on top of warm bread, garnish with pea shoots and serve.

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Wild Mushroom Fettuccine

Recipe courtesy of Kelly from The Gouda Life.

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 20 mins.

Ingredients

1lb wild mushrooms (porcini, crimini, oyster, shiitake etc)
3/4 pound fettuccine
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp fresh Italian/flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
extra Parmesan to serve (optional)
extra parsley to serve (optional)

 

Method

1. Bring a large pot of generously-salted (very important as this dish is so simple) water to a boil and cook pasta to just under al dente according to package instructions. If the package says 9 minutes, take out around 7. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before straining.
2. In a dry, heavy-bottom skillet set over medium-high heat, brown mushrooms in batches until golden and crisp. I browned each variety of mushroom on its own as they may have different moisture levels. It should take about 6-7 minutes per batch to get them nice and golden – don’t rush this part. It’s the big flavour maker!
3. Once all your mushrooms have been browned, remove everything from the pan. Add the butter and olive oil to pan and let it get shimmering and hot. Add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, parsley and red pepper flakes and sauté until everything is combined, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Strain pasta (don’t forget to reserve 1 cup starchy water), and add back to large pot. Scoop the mushroom mixture into the pasta, making sure to really scrape all the good bits from the pan, with the Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of starch water and toss. If it’s too dry, add more water a little at a time until you’ve got a nice, loose mushroom sauce coating all the noodles. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
5. Garnish each serving with pine nuts, extra cheese, parsley and fresh ground pepper.
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Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Burger

This recipe is for a pretty classic burger, but jazzed up with the most synergistically awesome flavour-enhancers of all time: mushrooms, caramelized onions and old cheddar. The caramelized onion part means that the patties are a tad bit more time-consuming than my usual fare. But the time is well, well worth it for the extra flavour punch. Just trust me on this one.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Sarah from Kiwi & Bean.

Prep Time: 45 mins. | Cook Time: 10 mins. | Makes: 8 burgers.

Ingredients

2 pounds good quality ground beef
2 onions, sliced in thin half moons
1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup grated extra old cheddar cheese
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions, and let them cook, stirring every few minutes, until they are very soft and very brown. If they start to look dry, drizzle in the balsamic vinegar.
2. When the onions are cooked, remove them to a bowl and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Do NOT flip them over or even touch them until they turn brown, then flip them and let the other side brown. When they are nice and brown, take them off the heat and dump them into the onion bowl.
3. Let the onion-mushroom mixture cool, and then chop it up very finely. Combine the chopped onion-mushroom mixture with the ground beef, thyme and cheddar. Gently mix it all together with your hands, and then form into 8 burger patties.
4. Season the patties with salt and pepper just before putting them on the grill. Grill them to desired doneness, and serve on buns or lettuce leaves.
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