I think it's time I join this thread...
I bought a used Traeger probably 5 years ago. I used it a ton that summer and then we decided to build a house. We moved in with my father in law while we built our house. He already has a Traeger so I stored my Traeger at my parents house until our house was done. Well... That was 3 years ago and the smoker is still living at my parents. My dad uses it monthly so I decided to give it him. A few months ago I went and bought a Camp Chef pellet grill/smoker/oven. Absolutely love it! Much more than my Traeger in fact.
Long story short (and politics aside), my family was in contact with a person that tested positive for Covid two weekends ago and we got tested last week. Per the health departments recommendation we decided it was best to just stay home all weekend. Fine with me, I'll just drink and cook all weekend trying out new recipes and refining old ones.
Friday- Smoked Mac n Cheese.
I used a recipe from "Hey Grill, Hey", it was really good. I would make a few adjustments if you try this. Less breadcrumbs and a little less cheese. It was way too rich for liking. I added bacon but will try lobster or red chili next time (or a combination of 2 or all 3). I also broiled mine at the end to crisp up the bread crumbs.
Saturday- Spatchcock Whole Chicken
I didn't follow a recipe here. I just spatchcocked the chicken to lay flat. Added a rub to the top and bottom and sprayed it with whisky every hour or so. I should have brined it but I had originally planned on cooking it Sunday but had a quick change of plans. It didn't matter, it was delicious!
*sorry no pics of the butchered bird. It got cut and ate before I could think of snapping a pic.
Sunday- Homemade Baked Beans
This is a super simple recipe that my grandma used to make. I elevated a little using the smoker and adding a little twist of some garlic, hot sauce and doing them on the smoker vs. the oven. The best baked beans ever!
*I didn't get a finished pic of the beans either. They went from the smoker to the table and into mah belly.
I did a bunch of other food items this weekend as well. Some of the other recipes need a little refining in my opinion. Homemade biscuits on the smoker for me were a failure. This will get reworked and perfected. I added waaaaay too much smoke on those. I can share the beans recipe if anyone wants it. The Mac N Cheese recipe is
Here.