Shaquille ONeal - Shaqs Family Style : Championship Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends [A Cookbook]

You didnt think Id let this whole cookbook game go down without a little wrap-up, did you? Thats what I doI watch the plays, take it all in, then break it down for the people at home. I have no problem Shaqtin the fool on national television. So, lets take a look at what you did here. You whisked, you marinated, you griddled, you casseroled, you sprinkled little bits of this and that, and put some top-notch meals on the table. Im willing to bet that you made your family proud; or, at the very least, filled em up enough to make it to the next round of the homemade dinner versus delivery playoffs. Maybe it wasnt all barbecue chicken all the time, and maybe you didnt hit as many 3-pointers as youd like, but you just need to keep putting in the repswhich is what being a player is all about, on the court and in the kitchen. Just know that me and these recipes got your back. And, if all else fails, theres always Papa Johns.

Til next time,

Shaquille

During my time as an analyst on Inside the NBA, Ive been known to issue Barbecue Chicken Alertsthats when a player is gonna smoke another player. Its a player whos the truth, looking at his opponent like hes something you can cook, roast, and eat up all game. Thats barbecue chicken!

These meals are the same thingtheyre the real deal and the ones thatll have you lickin your fingers every time. Plus, there also happens to actually be a lot of chickenand thats no accident. Growing up, chicken was the main event on the menu because it was inexpensive and my mother knew how to spread it out. Shed buy a big bag at the beginning of the week and, the first day, shed bake it up, the second day shed fry it up, and the third day, maybe shed add a little barbecue sauce to it. There were no complaints from mechicken is, to this day, one of my favorite foods and the inspiration behind my Big Chicken restaurants. And I owe it all to my mama, the original Barbecue Chicken MVP.

Slow-Cooker Southern Mac n Cheese

Makes 8 servings

Heres a Lucille ONeal classic and, probably, one of my favorite things to eat. She called it Lil Shaqs Easy Mac; and when I was a kid, she made it for me after every game. Now, no matter how healthy Im trying to eat, I will always love being treated to a big ol bowl of mac. Youve made this right if you get those unbreakable cheese strings when you take a scoop from the pan.

1 pound elbow pasta

1 pound Velveeta, cut into -inch cubes

3 cups whole milk

1 cups evaporated milk

cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Lightly coat the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared insert, combine the pasta, Velveeta, whole milk, evaporated milk, butter, salt, and pepper and mix well to incorporate. Cover the slow cooker and turn the heat to high. Cook, covered, for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Top the pasta with the cheddar, replace the cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve the mac immediately.

Put Away and Replay

Store the mac in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave on high power for 2 minutes, or until heated through.

Note from the Matts

After the mac is done cooking, you could scoop it into a casserole dish and broil until the cheese is bubbly and brown. If you would prefer to use an electric skillet instead of a slow cooker, combine the ingredients as directed, cover, and cook at 200F for about 45 minutes. Add the cheese as instructed and cover until melted. Serve right out of the skillet.