Dinner DeeAs recipes: Mac & Cheese (& Short Ribs too!)

Southern Comfort: Seven Cheese Soul Food

Forget what you know about Mac & Cheese—this is Cheese & Mac. A rule breaking return guest shares the secrets to her most iconic comfort food duo.

Where the flavor resides! 🧀🍖 In this high-energy episode of Dinner DeeAs, we welcome back the legendary Miss Maria Rumlin, owner of Tampa’s M&R Café Southern Cuisine. Miss Maria is a "rule breaker" in the kitchen, and today she’s sharing the secrets to her most iconic comfort food duo.

On the Menu Today:

7-Cheese "Cheese & Mac": Forget what you know about Mac & Cheese—this is Cheese & Mac. Miss Maria uses a blend of SEVEN cheeses, including Smoked Gouda, Velveeta, and Mozzarella, to create a string-pull that goes off-camera!

Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs: Seared to perfection with her signature "Petty Chef" beef seasoning, then braised for three hours in red wine, beef broth, and ten cloves of garlic until they are effortless to pull apart with a fork.

Miss Maria’s Flavor Secrets:

• The "Petty Chef" Seasoning: Discover the proprietary blend of herbs, onion powder, and garlic that Miss Maria uses to lock in the flavor of her meats.
• The Roux Technique: Learn the "Southern Technique" for a perfect Mac & Cheese base using butter, flour, and half-and-half.
• The Sugar Trick: Why Miss Maria adds a pinch of sugar to her macaroni to balance the salty bitterness of the sharp cheeses.
• The Flour Slurry Gravy: How to transform your braising liquid into a rich, light gravy using a simple flour and water mixture.

Last time Maria was here she shared her marvelous Meatloaf recipe.

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And let us know if you have a question or a recipe request! Email DinnerDeeAs@fox.com or message us on Facebook or Instagram.

See Dinner DeeAs every weekday at 1p on Fox 13 Tampa Bay and 7a on FOX 35 Plus in Orlando.

Miss Maria’s Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 16 oz elbow noodles
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 pinch sugar (Miss Maria’s secret to balance cheese)
• 6 to 7 cups cheese total (Velveeta, Smoked Gouda, Mozzarella, Sharp Cheddar, and Colby Jack)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp parsley
• extra black pepper and garlic powder (for topping)

Directions

1. Boil elbow noodles in water seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until they have "slight bite" (al dente), then drain.
2. In large pot, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour to create roux; stir constantly so flour doesn't burn.
3. Slowly pour in half-and-half and heavy cream while stirring to keep sauce smooth.
4. Add pinch of sugar to liquid to cut through bitterness and saltiness of heavy cheeses.
5. Stir in cubed Velveeta and smoked Gouda first to create creamy base, keeping heat at medium-high (around "6" on dial) to melt everything, but stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom.
6. Once sauce is smooth, turn heat down and stir in drained noodles until fully submerged and coated.
7. Grease baking dish and add a layer of cheesy noodles, followed by "secret compartment" layer of shredded mozzarella and sharp cheddar.
8. Add remaining noodles on top, then cover surface with generous blend of sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, smoked paprika, parsley, and final dusting of black pepper and garlic powder.
9. Bake at 375° F for 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling, stringy, and has golden crust.

Miss Maria’s Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef short ribs
• 2 tsp Petty Chef Beef Seasoning (or blend of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup sweet onions, sliced
• 1 cup red and green bell peppers, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 stems fresh thyme
• 10 garlic cloves (Miss Maria says "don't judge me!")
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• ½ bottle red wine (for deglazing)
• 32 oz beef broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup flour (for 'slurry')
• 1 cup water (for ‘slurry’)

Directions

1. Season short ribs generously with beef seasoning, ensuring meat is well-coated.
2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear short ribs until they have a beautiful caramelized crust to lock in flavor.
3. Remove meat and set aside, then "cheat" by using same pan (and leftover meat flavors) to sauté mushrooms, sweet onions, and bell peppers.
4. Add bay leaves, rosemary, fresh thyme, and garlic cloves to pan.
5. Stir in tomato paste and cook for a minute, then pour in red wine to deglaze bottom of pan.
6. Add full container of beef broth and cup of chicken broth, letting liquid simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Submerge seared short ribs back into liquid, cover with lid, and bake at 375° F for 3 hours.
8. Once meat is "effortless" and pulls apart with fork, remove pot from oven and place back on stove.
9. Whisk flour and water together to create smooth ‘slurry’, then slowly stir it into hot pot juices to thicken into light, natural gravy.
10. Let simmer until gravy reaches preferred thickness, then serve alongside Mac & Cheese.

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