Mac N Cheese

[John225]

Does anyone have a good receipe for good, old fashioned, baked mac and cheese that they would care to share with me (us)?

[Gesualdo]

Rachael Ray did one on her 30-minutes meals show that I thought looked really good. And then I forgot how it went. But I do remember she put veggies in it - cooked 'em right in the pasta pot. I retained that little trick for fettucine alfredo.

Anyway, here's the link (http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=174&r=415,987,174,390,945,417,1001,1067) to that one (it also has chicken)

and another (http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=415&r=415,987,174,390,945,417,1001,1067) one without the chicken and veggies.

I have no idea how it tastes, but it sure looked drooley good to me!

[deangreenhoe]

Simple is best with baked mac and cheese.

Cook the macaroni (boiled) to al dente, throw it in a greased (sprayed) baking dish with BIG chunks of your favorite cheese, small bits of cold butter, season with salt and pepper and then just float it with milk until it rises to the top of the macaroni. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Serve with melted butter, salt and pepper to taste on top.

For the purist that has to have some creaminess, you can either stir in shredded cheese with the chunks or melt some shredded (or Velveeta style) cheese in milk on the stove to pour on top and stir in.

I like sharp cheddar all the way and I don't skimp on the butter. This is an all or nothing proposition with my arteries if I'm going to do it. I personally like diced jalapeño peppers in mine as well.

[NW CTC]

Simple is best with baked mac and cheese.

Cook the macaroni (boiled) to al dente, throw it in a greased (sprayed) baking dish with BIG chunks of your favorite cheese, small bits of cold butter, season with salt and pepper and then just float it with milk until it rises to the top of the macaroni. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Serve with melted butter, salt and pepper to taste on top.

For the purist that has to have some creaminess, you can either stir in shredded cheese with the chunks or melt some shredded (or Velveeta style) cheese in milk on the stove to pour on top and stir in.

I like sharp cheddar all the way and I don't skimp on the butter. This is an all or nothing proposition with my arteries if I'm going to do it. I personally like diced jalapeño peppers in mine as well.

Sounds good, Dean, and just the thing for this time of the year... Julie:)

[travelwhiz]

Saw this on TV it sounds great! Recipe by Delilah Winder


Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese
2 pounds elbow macaroni
12 eggs
1 cup cubed Velveeta cheese
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
6 cups half-and-half, divided
4 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar, divided
2 cups grated extra-sharp white Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Asiago
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1 cup grated Muenster
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy.
Add the Velveeta, butter and 2 cups of the half-and-half to the large bowl of eggs. Add the warm macaroni tossing until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining half-and-half, 3 cups of the sharp yellow Cheddar, the remaining grated cheeses, and salt and pepper, tossing until completely combined in the large bowl.
Pour the mixture into 9 by 13-inch casserole or baking dishes (approximately 3 (3-quart) baking dishes) and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of sharp yellow cheese and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes more. Serve hot

[tdew]

I asked a cousin about the macaroni and cheese she served at a party, because it was delicious.

Short-cut again: Cook small chopped onion in 1/2 stick of butter, add 3 cans Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup, Block of Cheddar Cheese (grated), couple slices of American Cheese, a bit of parmigiana, salt & pepper, then some 1/2 & 1/2 until good texture..... Pour over 2 lbs of pasta.

[Lynn]

I do mine like my gram did. Cook the pasta to al dente, while that is cooking I grate onion (to taste), saute in butter, then make a thin white sauce. Add whatever cheese you prefer, I usually use cheddar. Once the cheese has begun to melt and is soft I pour it over the hot macaroni, mix well and put it in a casserole then pop it in the oven. I top mine iwht buttered bread crumbs to form a 'crust', to me that is the best part!

No recipe, it is a BST (by sight and taste) recipe!

[deangreenhoe]

No recipe, it is a BST (by sight and taste) recipe!

That's why we call it "a method" which sounds more impressive. ;)

My "method" is granny's recipe as well. I'm thinking everyone is going to favor their mom's, grandma's or maybe an auntie's way of making it. It's a comfort food that most of us grew up on so there are emotional ties to a recipe that might not always translate to someone else.

I spent a lot of time this summer actually practicing my mom's arsenal of simple family favorites with her present...before it got too late. It occurred to me that nobody had bothered to really perfect those traditional dishes that are passed on in a family from generation to generation. The bonus is that since we now do the cooking for her, she can again enjoy the benefits of comfort food meals that are familiar to her. It's my way of paying it forward. :)