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Mac and Cheese - I need a good "recipe."


Jenny in Florida
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We almost never have guests for Thanksgiving and have over the years developed a rather idiosyncratic menu based on the household's vegan/vegetarian diets and individual family members' tastes. 

 

My son's girlfriend will be spending Thanksgiving with us for the first time this year, though, and I want to make sure there are a couple of things on the table that she will enjoy. After consultation with my son, we've decided to add a nice baked macaroni and cheese to the menu. My husband (the only non-vegan in the house) has recently discovered he likes mac and cheese, too.

 

The problem is that I have no clue how to make a "good" mac and cheese dish. I grew up eating the stuff in the blue box and liking that, and I've been a vegan for more than 15 years. So, I'm ill equipped to just whip up something yummy.

 

Edited to add: Oh! And I am, of course, hampered by the fact that I cannot taste test as I'm cooking, since both cheese and pasta are no-nos for me.

 

GF is . . . selective about what she eats. As far as I can tell, her diet consists of cheese on various starches (mac and cheese, pasta with Alfredo sauce or straight up sprinkled with Parmesan, cheese melted on bread or tortilla chips, etc.), sliced lunch meats and chocolate in any form. When we go to a restaurant, she almost always orders the mac and cheese if there is one on the menu.

 

Therefore, what I need is a recipe for a nice, baked mac and cheese that tastes yummy but doesn't involve any "weird" ingredients. In other words, it should not include kale or broccoli or cheeses that stray too far from the mainstream. Bonus points if it includes a bread crumb topping.

 

Help?

Edited by Jenny in Florida
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OK, here are two. I loooooove the first--it's my go-to.

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/macaroni-cheese/

 

But someone recently made another kind for me, and I'll try to find it. It was delicious, and definitely easier. 

 

ETA: Oh, that was faster than I thought!

 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015825-creamy-macaroni-and-cheese

 

It was her first time making it, so she was worried that it wouldn't turn out, but it was really, really good. If you want lots of creamy cheese sauce, though, make Ree's. 

 

HTH!

Edited by ILiveInFlipFlops
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Second for that Pioneer woman recipe. It's all about the roux. And not breaking the cheese. You can add other cheeses if you want, like Gruyere or Swiss or pepper jack, but it's not even necessary because this recipe just works so well!

 

Once, I used heavy cream instead of whole milk and it was even more amazing, but the calorie count had to have been astronomical...

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I just do a basic white sauce with cheese. My bunch has never liked any recipe I tried prior using dry mustard (which seems to be included in most). There's never any leftovers here.

 

So for us its:

 

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1.5-2 cups cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

1 box of elbow pasta

salt and pepper to taste

I also add bread crumbs to half of it before I bake it

 

I melt the butter then add the flour. I whisk for about 2-3 minutes. Then, I add the milk and continue whisking until it just starts to boil and thicken. Then I add the cheese and stir until melted. I add that to the cooked pasta and then put into a 13x9 baking dish. I top it with a bit more cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 20-30 minutes until it's just starting to brown on top. 

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This is what we do:

 

1 lb macaroni

1 lb very sharp cheddar cheese

A quart or so of milk

Salt to taste

Paprika for the top

 

Cook the macaroni al dente.  Grate the cheese.  Heat the milk in a saucepan.  In a casserole dish, place a layer of macaroni, a layer of cheese, and a bit of salt.  Repeat until dish is filled, saving some cheese for the top.  Pour heated milk into the dish until it reaches about an inch from the top.  Put cheese on top.  Put paprika on top.  Bake at 350 until top is crispy and the milk is curdled.  Let cool a bit before serving.

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Not the OP, but I do :)

I have two: 

 

very good and to me seems more traditional, and more like what I vaguely remember the box ones tasting like

 

https://www.today.com/recipes/sweet-potato-mac-cheese-t103709

 

 

This is more filling and it has more creamy, decadent mouth feel - due to the cashews and cannellini 

 

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2016/06/vegan-cheez-sauce.html

 

 

If you traditionally bake your mac & cheese, they both will do that if you just dilute your sauce a tad more. Some of us like a "sprinkled with bread crumbs and stuck in an oven for a few minutes" type of mac & cheese so we've tried making that too with these. 

 

 

 

The biggest difficulty I have with these recipes is finding yellow sweet potatoes. I never know if I'm supposed to be buying a yam or a sweet potato and they're always in the same bins and labelled interchangeably. The last time they had both and I very specifically bought sweet potatoes. They turned out to be white inside so we had white 'cheddar' mac & cheese. Our produce departments are kind of vague about what stuff is. Next time, I'm asking someone to cut into a small one for me before I buy them lol.....

 

 

 

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Jenny, this may sound idiotic, but are you sure your son's girlfriend won't be expecting a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner?

 

I know she knows you're vegan, but I remember years ago one of my friends went to her future in-laws' house for Thanksgiving and while she vaguely knew they were vegan (which was pretty rare back then,) she was still disappointed when the meal wasn't the "standard" turkey dinner, because she had assumed they would eat "normal food" on Thanksgiving. (She jokes about it now, but at the time she really didn't know!)

 

Have you considered asking her what she would like to eat, or having your ds verify that mac and cheese would be something she would enjoy? Normally I wouldn't suggest you do that, but Thanksgiving dinner might be kind of special for her, so if you're going to make something different for her anyway, you might as well find out what she would like to have.

 

I would definitely not do vegan mac and cheese for a person who eats real cheese and dairy products. The vegan recipes might taste fine (Hornblower's recipes sound tasty!) but they probably won't satisfy a person who loves real cheese or make them feel like they're eating actual mac and cheese.

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Here is a recipe from the book "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens," (all I have is the actual book so I'm going to type it in here.) It's not your typical mac and cheese. When you're making it you're never going to think it'll work out, but once it comes out of the oven it tastes great. It is a firm casserole, not gooey like most mac and cheeses. You can cut this one with a knife and serve it like a lasagna.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

 

  • 1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
  • 2 cups soft bread crumbs or cubes (whole wheat or white)
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. onion, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 cups mild cheese, grated or cubed
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups macaroni, cooked
  • paprika
  1. Pour scalded milk over bread crumbs. Stir in butter, onion, cheese, and salt. Mix well.
  2. Beat egg yolks and add to bread mixture. Stir in cooked macaroni.
  3. Beat egg yolks to form soft peaks. Fold into macaroni mixture.
  4. Pour into a buttered casserole and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
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My secret ingredient for Mac n cheese is pepperjack. I don’t add enough to make it spicy, just a smidge to perk up the flavor. That said, you might want to find out what kind of Mac n cheese the girlfriend loves. I make awesome Mac n cheese,but my traitor of a son thinks velvets is “the best.†If your dh and the girlfriend like the easy stuff just as much you might be wasting your time with homemade.

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Here is a recipe from the book "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens," (all I have is the actual book so I'm going to type it in here.) It's not your typical mac and cheese. When you're making it you're never going to think it'll work out, but once it comes out of the oven it tastes great. It is a firm casserole, not gooey like most mac and cheeses. You can cut this one with a knife and serve it like a lasagna.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

 

  • 1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
  • 2 cups soft bread crumbs or cubes (whole wheat or white)
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. onion, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 cups mild cheese, grated or cubed
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups macaroni, cooked
  • paprika
  • Pour scalded milk over bread crumbs. Stir in butter, onion, cheese, and salt. Mix well.
  • Beat egg yolks and add to bread mixture. Stir in cooked macaroni.
  • Beat egg yolks to form soft peaks. Fold into macaroni mixture.
  • Pour into a buttered casserole and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

WHAT? ONIONS? Why have I never thought of this?????

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Many of these recipes look great. Whichever one you choose, definitely grate the cheese yourself. Some of the pre-grated cheeses add ingredients to keep it from clumping, and the sauce won't be as smooth. I really miss mac and cheese!! I'll be checking out some of the vegan options now that I found a gluten free pasta that I can tolerate. :001_smile:

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Yes, grate the cheese yourself, although using a food processor works just as well as doing it by hand, and it's a lot faster.

 

I wish I had the recipe I use, but alas it is at the cabin.  It is the one from the Pampered Chef cookbook for their big open rectangular baking dish, so if you know a PC person they would probably have it.  Their cookbooks are inexpensive, don't take up a lot of room, and comprised of recipes that actually work.  My DH, who really shouldn't eat mac n cheese (prediabetic) adores this recipe.

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I would go with the pioneer woman baked Mac n cheese. It’s pretty much what you think of when you think baked Mac n cheese...nothing weird, nothing fancy, but good, ‘normal’ baked Mac n ch. (And definitely hand grate your cheese)

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Here's the macaroni and cheese recipe I came up with after trying different ones and combining them into this recipe: http://www.theplantedtrees.com/2012/08/tasty-tuesday-x-marks-spot.html

 

My friend says it's even better than Pioneer Woman's, but I've never had that one so I don't know.

 

I do a few things different now than in the original recipe. I always use sharp cheddar cheese and for the second cheese I vary it depending on what I have or what sounds good. I sprinkle Parmesan on top instead of extra cheddar, but you could easily do bread crumbs instead or a bread crumb/cheese mix. I also add about 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper for a kick without it being spicy.

Edited by Chelli
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Here's the macaroni and cheese recipe I came up with after trying different ones and combining them into this recipe: http://www.theplantedtrees.com/2012/08/tasty-tuesday-x-marks-spot.html

 

My friend says it's even better than Pioneer Woman's, but I've never had that one so I don't know.

 

I do a few things different now than in the original recipe. I always use sharp cheddar cheese and for the second cheese I vary it depending on what I have or what sounds good. I sprinkle Parmesan on top instead of extra cheddar, but you could easily do bread crumbs instead or a bread crumb/cheese mix. I also add about 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper for a kick without it being spicy.

I've made your recipe as a base for a few years now. I love it!

 

I do use all milk, at least 2%, sometimes whole.

 

I add Frank's hot sauce if it is only for my one DS. I also add a couple TBS of parm.

 

I've added blue cheese and diced chicken (poached) and tossed in Frank's for Buffalo chicken wing Mac and cheese.

 

Thank for linking it years ago! :D

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Do you have an Instant Pot? I don’t like Mac and Cheese, but my kids do. I found a recipe online for from scratch Mac and cheese that takes 20 minutes in the Pot from start to finish. It’s so quick that I sometimes make it in the morning to put in my kids lunchboxes for school.

 

Recipe please  :drool5:  ???

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Do you have an Instant Pot? I don’t like Mac and Cheese, but my kids do. I found a recipe online for from scratch Mac and cheese that takes 20 minutes in the Pot from start to finish. It’s so quick that I sometimes make it in the morning to put in my kids lunchboxes for school.

 

 

Recipe please  :drool5:  ???

 

I agree with mlktwins, I'd love to have your recipe.

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My mac n cheese recipe is pretty basic, but my kids love it.

 

Preheat oven 350 F. 

 

Boil 1 lb macaroni noodles, drain then put in 13x9 cake pan. 

 

In a separate pot on the stove, melt one stick of butter, and about 1 lb of shredded cheese (I like to mix cheddar, Colby jack, Monterey jack or pepper jack, and sometimes add in cubed American cheese if I have some).   Then add 2 cups milk. Cook in pot till hot and bubbly mixing often. 

 

Pour cheese mixture over noodles. Mix. 

Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

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I think mac and cheese is not too un-thanksgiving; it's essentially a casserole, and lots of people have casseroles.  If she's not much of a vegetable eater, you can just consider it a vegetable casserole sans vegetables and sub pasta, hah.

 

That said, I'd do one of the vegan ones if it weren't for the need to find yellow sweet potatoes.  I've never even seen a yellow sweet potato.  Luckily my kids are young and think the Daiya boxed mac and cheese with the pouch of cheeze is ideal.  I could serve just that and fruit snacks for Thanksgiving and they'd all think it was the best holiday ever.

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Thank you so much, everyone! I posted my query, then went off to work and haven't had a chance to do much more than poke my head in and skim some of the recipes, but you've given me plenty to work with. 

 

For those suggesting doing a vegan version, I appreciate the thought, but I'd prefer to just make something yummy especially for son's GF. My husband, who went years swearing he didn't like mac and cheese, has recently been tempted into trying a few variations from fancy food trucks and similarly trendy outlets and discovered he likes it. That makes half of the table who will eat and appreciate a regular, dairy-based version. The other half won't/can't eat it even without the milk and cheese, anyway (my son because he just has no interest and me because I can't do the gluten). So, I think I'll just forge ahead with the traditional approach.

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Do you have an Instant Pot? I don’t like Mac and Cheese, but my kids do. I found a recipe online for from scratch Mac and cheese that takes 20 minutes in the Pot from start to finish. It’s so quick that I sometimes make it in the morning to put in my kids lunchboxes for school.

 

Yes! I love the instant pot mac and cheese and it is super ridiculously easy. Not sure if the IP has one though.

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Here’s the link. It works 100%. No need to tweet anything, but do not try to substitute milk for the evaporated milk. That just turned out like watery Mac and cheese.

 

 

https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-macaroni-and-cheese/

Thanks so much! I'm getting the ingredients today. Is the hot pepper sauce needed or can you not really taste it?

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I revise my suggestion. That Instant Pot recipe is better than the Alton Brown one. I made both and 3/3 of us agree. I only had Colby jack cheese, so I used Dijon mustard and twice as much tobasco sauce to increase the flavor. Then I added chopped, crisp bacon and that really sent it over the edge. The kids kept saying, "Thanks, Mom!"

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Thanks so much! I'm getting the ingredients today. Is the hot pepper sauce needed or can you not really taste it?

You can't taste it, but you might notice if you left it out. Or you might not. I wouldn't buy the sauce if you'll never use it for anything else (but a dash is great in scrambled eggs too). You can get a tiny bottle for a couple dollars.

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I revise my suggestion. That Instant Pot recipe is better than the Alton Brown one. I made both and 3/3 of us agree. I only had Colby jack cheese, so I used Dijon mustard and twice as much tobasco sauce to increase the flavor. Then I added chopped, crisp bacon and that really sent it over the edge. The kids kept saying, "Thanks, Mom!"

 

WOW! That's some review. I've been really hesitant to try an IP mac and cheese recipe because we love our stovetop one so much, but now I'll have to try this. 

 

Thank you both for sharing and reviewing!

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WOW! That's some review. I've been really hesitant to try an IP mac and cheese recipe because we love our stovetop one so much, but now I'll have to try this.

 

Thank you both for sharing and reviewing!

Mine is in process as I type. I'll post a review after we try it 🙂

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Thanks so much! I'm getting the ingredients today. Is the hot pepper sauce needed or can you not really taste it?

I’ve tried it with and without the hot sauce. I noticed a slight less bite to it. That’s really the only way I can describe it. As I mentioned before, I’m not a Mac and cheese lover so I don’t really care for it either way. I only make it now because it’s so easy in the Instant Pot. I would never bother if I had to bake it with a traditional recipe. Borefore the IP, if my kids wanted Mac and cheese, I would make the gross powdered cheese stuff. This way, it’s “less processed†with about the same amount of work.

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Mine is in process as I type. I'll post a review after we try it.

 

We have tried the IP recipe posted above.  It was SOOOO easy to cook.  I only ended up using all the Parmesan and only 1/2 of the cheddar cheese.  I probably could add more, but everyone said it was good with what was in there.  I have one kid that wants me to experiment with different cheeses next time.  I may add a little more liquid (more evaporated milk the next try), but overall, we are really pleased.  My one son loves the stuff in the blue box.  He says this is fine.  I told him I'm not making the blue box stuff anymore -- that it isn't good for him -- LOL.  He will definitely eat this and he is my picky eater.

 

I like the little bit of hot sauce in it. May try a little more next time.

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We have tried the IP recipe posted above. It was SOOOO easy to cook. I only ended up using all the Parmesan and only 1/2 of the cheddar cheese. I probably could add more, but everyone said it was good with what was in there. I have one kid that wants me to experiment with different cheeses next time. I may add a little more liquid (more evaporated milk the next try), but overall, we are really pleased. My one son loves the stuff in the blue box. He says this is fine. I told him I'm not making the blue box stuff anymore -- that it isn't good for him -- LOL. He will definitely eat this and he is my picky eater.

 

I like the little bit of hot sauce in it. May try a little more next time.

Come to think of it, I don’t use the full amount of cheddar cheese either. Probably 2 handfuls, so 8 oz? I also use the preshredded Kirkland’s mild cheddar cheese. I can’t be bothered with my grater and It still melts well.

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Come to think of it, I don’t use the full amount of cheddar cheese either. Probably 2 handfuls, so 8 oz? I also use the preshredded Kirkland’s mild cheddar cheese. I can’t be bothered with my grater and It still melts well.

 

Yes, I used an 8 oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar and the 6 oz of parmesan the recipe called for.

 

I may try Vermont white cheddar next time!  Do you think this can be frozen and microwaved when needed?

Edited by mlktwins
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I’m so sorry I have to admit this, but I make mac and cheese with Velveeta cheese. I just *cannot* use the bougie foodie cheeses like jarlesburg and edam or whatever. It HAS to be the good old Velveeta cheese because it melts perfectly and tastes like childhood memories.

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I’m so sorry I have to admit this, but I make mac and cheese with Velveeta cheese. I just *cannot* use the bougie foodie cheeses like jarlesburg and edam or whatever. It HAS to be the good old Velveeta cheese because it melts perfectly and tastes like childhood memories.

I get ya. Sometimes memories trump all else. However, I have to say, the IP recipe is very creamy and “melty†too. If you ever consider a change, try this. It’s minimal investment for the results.

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I get ya. Sometimes memories trump all else. However, I have to say, the IP recipe is very creamy and “melty†too. If you ever consider a change, try this. It’s minimal investment for the results.

I did get to try an IP mac and cheese when we did our Pennsylvania area IRL boardie meet-up. It was very good!

 

I’m not even supposed to be any sort of connoseur of mac and cheese or creaminess because I am lactose-intollerent and that is high on my stomachache list. But I do have it once in a while, eat some Gas X and hope for the best! 😉

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