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macaroni and cheese?


Night Elf
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One tip I have learned is to use more then one kind of cheese in your white sauce. I aim for 3 kinds if I have them. Can just cube and melt in the sauce. A creamy cheese like velveeta is nice for one. Cheddar is somewhat required. Them colby, montery jack, etc for the rest.

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If it doesn't have to be baked, we have a recipe that's excellent. My kids all looove it and I've been making it for about 17 years. They much prefer it to any baked variety (I do, too -- I don't like bread crumbs on my mac/cheese, and the baking dries it out imo).

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If it doesn't have to be baked, we have a recipe that's excellent. My kids all looove it and I've been making it for about 17 years. They much prefer it to any baked variety (I do, too -- I don't like bread crumbs on my mac/cheese, and the baking dries it out imo).

 

 

My recipes don't call for bread crumbs. o_0

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If it doesn't have to be baked, we have a recipe that's excellent. My kids all looove it and I've been making it for about 17 years. They much prefer it to any baked variety (I do, too -- I don't like bread crumbs on my mac/cheese, and the baking dries it out imo).

 

 

I want it! Me, Pick Me! I want one that doesn't require baking, bread crumbs, and is creamy, not dry.

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Mac and cheese is simple, but time consuming. Make a roux of equal parts butter and flour. (melt butter over med high heat, add flour, stir continuosly, cook 2 minutes) Add milk slowly (half the number of cups as number of tablespoons of flour). Stir continuously. When it begins to bubble and thicken, add shredded cheese (equal or up to double number of cups of milk). Mix with cooked macaroni noodles in casserole pan. Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven. Salt, pepper, dry mustard can be added to flour or to finished sauce.

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I've never used a recipe!

 

I start with a classic butter/flour roux. Then I add cream. And aged cheddar is my base cheese but I add fresh parmesan, goat cheese, blue cheese, mozzarella, ricotta.. whatever's in the house basically a couple of eggs, salt and pepper and then bake it for an hour or so to meld everything.

 

Mac and cheese is a blast to make because you can customize it to your family's taste so easily.

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Come to my house, it's what's for dinner.

 

Make a white sauce. Make a LOT. You have to account for the mac absorbing some and the oven heat. You want oozy gooey bubbles on the sides of your pan.

 

Add 3 cheeses--the best mac and cheese has a blend of them, sharp cheddar, muenster, jack, something like that. It's actually a patch meal for us because I use up all of the ends of the cheese blocks.

 

Then, after you add your cheese, add in mustard, worstershire, salt, pepper, and tabasco (brings out the flavor of the cheese) and I like to add in a can of tomatoes that I've crushed up with my hand--but that can be omitted (the acid against the creamy sharpens of the cheese is great) . Then I fold in the *partially cooked* macaroni, and put in a buttered casserole. You can't overcook your mac for baked mac and cheese. Otherwise you'll make cheesy sludge. NOt that that's bad, either, but...

 

Then I make a breadcrumb topping with breadcrumbs, garlic, butter, paprika, all that stuff. I spread that over the top and then I put hot dogs on top of that.

 

Bake until it's bubbly. You want big pools of sauce breaking up and over the breadcrumbs and getting all brown.

 

Off to go put mine in the oven now.

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I want it! Me, Pick Me! I want one that doesn't require baking, bread crumbs, and is creamy, not dry.

 

Creamy Mac & Cheese

 

1# noodles cooked to al dente

 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups Cheddar or mix of cheeses, shredded

1-1/2 tsp. salt

 

Cook noodles in a pot first. Drain. Melt butter in same pan, then add flour. Let bubble for a couple of minutes without browning/burning. Whisk the milk in slowly a little at a time until all is added. Let thicken a bit between additions. (Another option is to heat the milk in a separate pan while you cook the noodles and butter; don't let scorch. Still mix in a little at a time, the pre-heating is to save time.) Once all the milk is added, remove from heat and mix in shredded cheese and salt. Add noodles into sauce, mix, taste (add more salt if needed, really makes a difference to have enough salt), and serve.

 

We triple this when we make it.

 

ETA -- A tasty addition to mac and cheese is sun-dried tomatoes if your family likes them. Either oil-soaked ones, or dried ones soaked in water.

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I do the white sauce lie e erroneous else, but I use cheddar, pepper jack, and Parmesan. The pepper jack doesn't make it hot, it just kicks up the flavor a wee bit. I generally top with a layer of shredded cheese and then breadcrumbs. Also, add what seems like a little too much cheese sauce to my noodles so it's just right once it's baked.

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That does look awesome.

 

Edited to add: your fudge pie looks awesome, too!

 

 

My fudge pie is awesome! A friend of mine ate a piece of fudge pie from a restaurant that is near Austin. They are famous for their fudge pie (featured in magazines and on the Food Network). When she came back to town she called me up to let me know that my Fudge Pie was better. I couldn't believe it because that recipe is so super easy! I keep all the ingredients on hand in case I need a quick dessert for some reason. Hope you get to make it soon!

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I make mine on the stovetop with butter, a bit of cream, egg, and lots of of grated Parmesan cheese, in a manner similar to that used for boxed mac and cheese. It's nummy enough to serve to casual company.

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Creamy Mac & Cheese

 

1# noodles cooked to al dente

 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups Cheddar or mix of cheeses, shredded

1-1/2 tsp. salt

 

 

 

 

See, this is what I do, but t never tastes right. I wonder if my taste buds are just old. Actually, I think I need help w/ what cheeses go well together. Plain cheddar just doesn't taste right. I think I'm spoiled-we have a semi-local restaurant that basically has re-created the old Luby's recipe. :D I want mine to taste like that! (or stouffer's- I love stouffer's, and I'm not afraid to say so!) :D

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I am so glad this thread was started...I am still looking for the "perfect" mac n cheese too...and it also needs to be creamy, not dry...and I stay away from velveeta too...I don't know if it would work with mac n cheese or not...but I have discovered whenever a recipe calls for velveeta, I used cream cheese and cheddar cheese...seems to work really well...so far...

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See, this is what I do, but t never tastes right.

 

It needs more salt! Maybe. My daughter is super stingy with salt when she makes this and it just tastes blah. Try more. A good cheese blend is important, too. Medium cheddar is okay, but sharp better. I like the Mexican blend type.

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It needs more salt! Maybe. My daughter is super stingy with salt when she makes this and it just tastes blah. Try more. A good cheese blend is important, too. Medium cheddar is okay, but sharp better. I like the Mexican blend type.

 

Probably- I have HBP, so am very careful w/ the salt. I'll try the Mex. blend. Thanks!

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