How To Make Mac & Cheese Dumplings
Sometimes our publisher Elie Ayrouth texts me all kinds of shenanigans in the late hours of the night. Usually I’ll take a quick glance, then go back to sleep. This time, rather than another Sons of Anarchy spoiler, he opened with:
You had me at “wuddduppp,” buddy.
We put our heads together the following day to see if such a thing could be executed, much less made to look appealing. All signs pointed to yes.
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Here’s what you’re gonna need:
– Mac & Cheese.
– Dumpling wrappers.
– Egg.
– Water.
We start off by making the macaroni and cheese. Easy enough, especially if you grab the cheap instant kind from the store. Should cost you about $1. You can also take your time and make the recipe from scratch.
There’s no wrong way to do this:
Once your mac and cheese is cooked and ready, set aside the bowl.
The dumpling wrappers are tricky. You could either look up a homemade recipe if you want to use fresh dough, or hit up your local Asian supermarket. A pack of 40 wrappers will be less than $2.
Make sure it’s labeled “Dumpling Wrapper” and not “Wonton,” though.
Lay out the dumpling wrappers on a flat surface and spoon in a teaspoon or so of your macaroni and cheese. You’re not going to want too much or you won’t be able to wrap it together.
Make a quick egg wash (beat an egg and splash some water) and spread on two adjacent edges of the dumpling wrapper. Fold the dry side diagonally to meet the wet side.
*Cue trashy porno music*
Feel free to get creative with your macaroni and cheese during this step. Add some extra shredded cheddar, maybe some bacon bits, or even nacho cheese.
Push the mac and cheese mix together so all the air is released and seal the edges together by pressing them tightly. Fold the two side edges back, bringing them together, and add a little egg wash so that they’ll stick.
It should look a little like this.
The next and final step is to steam your dumplings. Either you have a steamer basket at home, or you can MacGyver yourself one using a couple of pots and a cooking tray. Allow to steam for about ten minutes until outside is firm and glossy.
Then dig in.
You can also whip up a spicy dipping sauce, or just drench that sucker in Sriracha. However, they can definitely be enjoyed on their own.
