Southern Fried Catfish Sandwiches....in the air fryer!
Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese...in the pressure cooker!
First up is my Air Fryer Southern Catfish Sandwiches. These are every bit as good as a deep fried catfish sandwich but definitely healthier. The recipe starts as many similar recipes do - by soaking the catfish filets in buttermilk for thirty minutes. I added some hot sauce to the buttermilk for extra flavor. After that, I simply drained off the excess buttermilk, seasoned the filets with salt and Old Bay, and dredged them in a cornmeal and flour mixture which I seasoned with salt, pepper, and more Old Bay. I preheated the air fryer to 400 degrees, sprayed the basket with olive oil cooking spray, and then sprayed the top of the filets. I air fried them for eight minutes on the first side, flipped and fried for three minutes on the second side.
I served them on toasted buns with fresh romaine lettuce, homemade pickled red onions, and a homemade Cajun remoulade which I made by combining mayonnaise, dill relish, sweet relish, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. A total winner but without the unhealthiness and mess of deep frying!
Second is my new take on my Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese, My grandmother had a rather unique way of making this and my mother still makes it today, and believe me, there is nothing wrong with it, but I have found a way to make it BETTER and FASTER. The trick - I made it in the Instant Pot!
First, I need to explain my grandmother's method. She would combine cooked macaroni with two cups of tomato sauce, two cups of milk, one stick of butter (cut into pieces), a half pound of torn American cheese, salt, and pepper in a square baking dish. She then baked it for at least an hour. It has been a family favorite for decades.
My version is similar, but takes less than ten minutes and I improved the flavor by replacing the American cheese (not that I have anything against it, but there are more flavorful options). I started by combining a box of uncooked macaroni, two cups of tomato sauce, two cups of chicken stock, four tablespoons of butter, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in the Instant Pot. I set it on high pressure for five minutes. Yes, just five minutes!
When the five minutes were up, I manually released the steam and this is what I found. Perfectly cooked macaroni infused with tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
Then came the last and best part....I added a cup of milk, two cups of cheddar cheese, one cup of mozzarella cheese, and one half cup of grated Parmesan cheese. While this is not my grandmother's traditional method, I am betting that if she had tasted this today, she would have approved.
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