Mac and Cheese

OK, I'm gonna bare my soul here some so have a little compassion.

As much as I like to cook I have never made homemade mac&cheese. My mom, my wife, my kids and I have AlWAYS used Kraft boxed stuff.

So now I want to try the REAL thing.

I know to start with elbow macaroni but thats it.

How much dry macaroni for 8 servings? Do I boil it first? Then what?

MikeS.

This is hands down the best macaroni and cheese EVER...from my gal Paula Deen. I have been making mine like this for years. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the cheese or leave out the eggs or sour cream, and be sure to add the additional cheese on top when you pull it out of the oven. YUM! (Oh, and the bag or box of macaroni should tell you how much raw macaroni equals how much cooked.)

The Lady's Cheesy Mac

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Mike, mac & cheese is not a difficult thing to make but it is well worth the effort over the Kraft. You'll love it!!
I've never made it with eggs so I may have to try that recipe myself.

This is my mothers recipe
Preheat to 350
4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons butter
3 cups whole milk
1 box elbows
ALOT of extra sharp shredded cheddar
plain bread crumbs
butter
Then
cook elbows,
make roux? with butter flour, then add scalded milk to mixture
stir until thick-and slight boil for 1 minute
grease caserole dish
layer cooked elbows,ALOT of cheese, white sauce, repeat
top with butter breadcrumbs
cook 45 minutes

My family also likes the Kraft version. Attempts at getting them to eat a fancy (their word) version have been met with less-than-enthusiastic responses....... until I served them this recipe. For 8 servings, I would double it.

Horn & Hardart's Macaroni and Cheese

1-1/2tablespoons butter  
2 tablespoons flour   
1-1/2 cups milk   
2 tablespoons light cream (see note1)   
1 packed cup shredded cheddar cheese   
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes (see note2)
1/2 teaspoon sugar    
Dash or 2 of cayenne pepper
Dash white pepper   
1/2 pound small elbow macaroni, cooked until barely done
    
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, blend in flour and cook about 2 minutes.
    
2. Beat in the milk, then the cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
    
3. Stir in the cheese until melted, then the crushed tomatoes, sugar and the two peppers.
    
4. Stir in the macaroni.
    
5. Pour into a shallow, buttered baking dish and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until the surface browns, 25 to 30 minutes.
    
NOTE1: This recipe has been broken down from one that made an enormous quantity, which explains the small amount of light cream. If you don't want to purchase a half-pint container of light cream just for two tablespoons, simply add two tablespoons more milk. You'll never know the difference. I also think it needs a little salt, which is not called for in the recipe.

NOTE2: The small amount of tomatoes gives the dish a nice color and adds a little something extra, but it doesn't really make this a "tomatoey" dish.

I have made it a dozen ways, with different cheeses and in different ways. In the end though, the family prefers it made with Velveta. I always get caught when I try to slip in some jack or chedder. I don't even bother to bake it anymore.

1.Cook the pasta product. At my house we use elbows, shells, rotelle (sp?) or whatever else looked interesting.

2.Drain. Don't worry about getting all the water out. Most is ok. I just tip it over the sink with the cover on, and let it leak out. No collander needed.

3. Put the pan back on the stove at the lowest setting. Add about a teaspoon of butter per cup of cooked pasta. Add a splash of milk. Stir. Add some Velveta. Cover. Stir once a minute or so. Add more Velveta, if needed, or another splash of milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve.

4.My family would not agree, but the above can be improved upon by using shreeded jack and chedder in place of half of the Velvetta, and then baking with a topping of bread crumbs and more shredded cheese.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeSh

OK, I'm gonna bare my soul here some so have a little compassion.

As much as I like to cook I have never made homemade mac&cheese. My mom, my wife, my kids and I have AlWAYS used Kraft boxed stuff.

So now I want to try the REAL thing.

I know to start with elbow macaroni but thats it.

How much dry macaroni for 8 servings? Do I boil it first? Then what?

MikeS.

For 8 people, I would have at least a 1 lb box of macaroni. You can even make up to 2 lbs and save the rest. (but you'll need a big pot)

I'll tell ya, I learned to cook from Betty Crocker cook book to begin.

I read the recipes and followed them to a T. Then, when I learned what I liked and what other people liked, I started messing with the recipes. Adding a little here, taking away a little there and eventually steering off the path completely and creating my own dishes.

I always recommend starting with the basic cheese sauce and adding it over the macaroni.

To get a little more creative you can add tomato (watch the water content!), fresh herbs, garlic, and add additonal hard cheeses like Parmasean and Romano cheeses. But don't go nutty with your first batch you're serving.

I would suggest NOT baking your Mac and cheese the first time with the family since they are used to non-baked Mac and Cheese (a la Kraft). Just make your macaroni and your basic cheese sauce with or without creativity and pour the sauce over the macaroni and leave it at that. This way, your family is getting the homemade taste, but it's still similiar to what they are used to.

Over time, you can deveate from the basic as your family's idea of Mac-N-Cheese develops right along with your style of making it. Then, you can bake it, or add any ingredient you and your family would like.

Here's a really good recipe from the label of Carnation Evaporated Milk.

(7 oz)elbow macaroni cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl.oz)Carnation Evaporated Milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups (8 oz)shredded sharp cheddar cheese,divided

Preheat oven to 375,grease 2 quart casserole dish

Combine cornstarch,salt,mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk,water and butter. Cook over medium-high heat. stirring constantly,until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. add macaroni mix well. Pour into a prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is malted and light brown.

Be aware that once you get the basics down as above, it's a short step to pasta + cheese creativity with things like "baked penne al quatro formaggi". It's all pretty much the same--you just vary then shape of the noodle and which cheese you use.

Absolutely BT. Well said.

Once you can make a cheese sauce, you're on your way.

Let me say in last thing about baking Mac-N-Cheese: I suggested you not bake your mac-n-cheese this time because your family is so used to Kraft that the baked version might not appeal to their senses of what they expect Mac-N-Cheese not only to taste like, but texture-wise.

If you like the casserole look and want the top to become crisp or browned, instead of baking, you can use a creme brulee torch (also called a cooking torch, baker's torch, mini-blow torch) and brown the top using that.

These torches are like an electric knife. Its a bit of expense up front, but every time you pull it out you'll say, "I'm so glad I bought this x years ago." I've used my torch for a variety of uses that I hadn't even thought of when I bought it, which was, infact, bought to make creme brulee.

I usually use the recipe on the Mueller's box, but use a combination of sharp cheddar, mozzerlla, and velveeta box(middle size) as my daughter is a shells and cheese fan and will only eat homemade if it's more on the creamier side.

Mom always used Cheezewhiz and a little milk poured in a casserole dish and topped with shredded cheddar and breadcrumbs, its one of the few dishes she pulled off on a regular basis. My daughter adds stewed tomatoes to her version.. depending on what type cheese your family likes you can use cubed velveta or shredded chedder or jack or even blue added toi the hot pasta and thinned a bit with butter and milk or cream

You can WATCH Paula Deen making her famous macaroni and cheese this Friday on Food Network when the episode called "Firehouse Pot Luck" airs on December 9. I don't know what time zone you are in, but here on the West Coast, the show will air at 1 PM Pacific Time. She shows how to do everything and even gives you tips. If you are working then, maybe you can record it with TIVO or DVR or whatever you have. Actually would be a great idea for you to record it just in case you forget a step and want to watch it again. Give this recipe a try; honestly, you will never go back to Kraft. It's that good.

quote:

Originally posted by brightcopperkettles

This is hands down the best macaroni and cheese EVER...from my gal Paula Deen. I have been making mine like this for years. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the cheese or leave out the eggs or sour cream, and be sure to add the additional cheese on top when you pull it out of the oven. YUM! (Oh, and the bag or box of macaroni should tell you how much raw macaroni equals how much cooked.)

The Lady's Cheesy Mac

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

This works for me. I like my mac and cheese baked. Thanks for your post.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

A great tip from the James Beard Cookbook is to add a few dashes of Tobasco (or your favorite Hot Sauce, mine is Crystal) just befor cooking. You can even add it to Kraft Blue Box and improve it 1000%.
Steve from the other Phoenix

This Is Star Jones recipe Star's "All Star Macaroni & Cheese"
Serves 8

Ingredients:
½ stick of butter
3 cups of milk
6 oz of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
6 oz of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
8 oz of Velveeta Cheese (shredded)
2 oz of Blue Cheese (shredded)
2 oz of Gorgonzola Cheese (shredded)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box of Elbow Macaroni
Olive Oil
1 large baking or casserole dish

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Pour milk and butter into a medium sauce pan and heat over a low flame. Slowly add each kind of cheese (except 1 oz of Sharp Cheddar and a ½ oz of Blue Cheese) and allow it to melt. Be sure to cook over a low flame and stir constantly to prevent clumping and sticking.

While the cheese is melting, in a separate pot, cook the macaroni according to the directions (do not overcook) with a dash of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Drain macaroni and pour ½ into a large baking or casserole dish. Add salt and pepper to taste then slowly add half of the cheese/milk mixture and stir together thoroughly. Pour remaining macaroni and cheese/milk mixture into the dish and stir well.

Sprinkle remaining Sharp Cheddar and Blue Cheese on top of the macaroni and place in the oven. Bake until a light golden brown (approximately 20 - 30 minutes). Let stand a half hour and serve.



...I also Like Paula's recipe ...you can't go wrong with either

quote:

Originally posted by BBq King

A great tip from the James Beard Cookbook is to add a few dashes of Tobasco (or your favorite Hot Sauce, mine is Crystal) just befor cooking. You can even add it to Kraft Blue Box and improve it 1000%.
Steve from the other Phoenix

IMHO you may just as well add a couple drops of red food coloring but then thats a different thread somewhere in the archives. About the only thing these colored waters are good for (again IMHO) is making "Snake Bites" a couple drops in a shot glass of tequila and toss it back!

quote:

Originally posted by dreamzpainter

quote:

IMHO you may just as well add a couple drops of red food coloring but then thats a different thread somewhere in the archives. About the only thing these colored waters are good for (again IMHO) is making "Snake Bites" a couple drops in a shot glass of tequila and toss it back!

couldn't disagree with that more.

Thanks people, some very good suggestions here. I'm gonna try Paula Deen's first then a couple of the others. If I put broccoli in it my 4yr old will eat most anything, strange child!

MikeS.

I can not belive Paula is only putting in 4 tablespoons of butter. She has been known to add butter to butter for that extra flavor. Jim

Well, there's a lot of other fat in the recipe with the cheese and sour cream, so more butter would only make it greasier I think. Perhaps that's why.

My kids don't like the texture of baked mac-n-cheese, so I use Alton Brown's stovetop version. The tweaks I make to this recipe are as follows: (1) use a really flavorful cheese -- my go-to is Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar; (2) add the dry mustard to the egg and blend well to get the lumps out before adding the other liquids; (3) use a heavy hand in adding the hot sauce -- a bit more than called for helps as long as you're using strong cheese. Here's the recipe:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.


Simple and good...

Pogo, sounds good to me. It will be my next project.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

All these receipes sound awesome, did anybody ever try adding cottage cheese, it is worth a try.

Regards,

Reaper

I like to add a can of diced or stewed tomotoes to mac and cheese.