Creative veteran finds way to jazz-up classic mac and cheese dish

Jerry Le Sueur is a proud veteran who loves to cook. Jerry lives in Kansas City, in the Veteran’s Community Project and works in food production. In addition to cooking, he enjoys working with wood and is skilled in building furniture using wood available to him in the community. He is an avid baseball and football fan.

Q: What branch of the service were you in?

A: I was in the Army and served for nine years. I was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam era.

Q: How did you learn to cook?

A: My mom taught me to cook. She made comfort foods like stew, cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers. I was born in Nebraska and was raised in Colorado. They did not let boys take home economics classes in school when I was growing up, but I would have taken them if I could.

I have always loved to cook and enjoyed my jobs in the food industry. I worked in food service, often as a sous chef or kitchen lead at a variety of different places, including casinos. I lived and worked in 19 different states and learned a lot about cooking through my jobs.

Q: Do you share meals with your neighbors?

A: This community has 49 houses and there are several great cooks living here. We often share foods and enjoy tasting one another’s favorite dishes. Once in a while, we gather at the community building for a neighborhood meal, like barbecue, especially when the Chiefs are playing.

I like to teach cooking classes on my front porch. Our houses are small, just about 230 square feet, but each house has a kitchen. For the classes, we sit here, outside my front door.

I typically cook to taste instead of using exact measurements and try to use what I have on hand. My fresh cocktail sauce is always a hit and is easy. I make it to share with my neighbors and often teach friends how to prepare it. I just blend ketchup, soy sauce, Frank’s hot sauce and vinegar to taste. Another favorite is my Firecracker Chicken Salad Dip, which I blend a pint of sour cream with half a pint of mayonnaise. I season it with cayenne, fresh ground black pepper and salt. Then I add chopped celery, chopped water chestnuts, chopped cooked chicken breasts and chopped pecans.

Q: What recipe are your sharing today?

A This is my favorite mac and cheese recipe and everyone loves it. It is great as you can add a variety of food, so just look in the refrigerator and use what you have. I like the combination of adding shrimp and chicken, then add vegetables, such as chopped celery and red bell pepper for the flavor and the color they add.

Jerry’s Favorite Mac and Cheese

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 (14-ounce) boxes Kraft Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

Cooked, chopped chicken, cooked shrimp or other cooked meats

Cooked, chopped red bell pepper and celery, or other cooked vegetables such as chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, or small broccoli or cauliflower florets

Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions. Stir in the cooked chicken and vegetables. Heat through.

Tip: Add 2 to 3 cups fully cooked meat, chicken or shrimp and cooked vegetables. If you don’t have leftovers available in the refrigerator, heat a skillet with a little butter or oil and cook the meat or chicken until it is fully cooked or the shrimp until it turns pink. Cook the vegetables, over medium high heat, stirring frequently until they are tender.

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Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published over fourteen cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.

This story was originally published October 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.