Best Mac and Cheese recipe you make?

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Ivanstein

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So, my girlfriend has had a tooth pulled and is very sore. She has requested mac and cheese. However, I think she deserves better than what comes out of a box, even if it's one that cost more than 27¢.

What are your best mac and cheese recipes?
 
Ouch. I hope she recovers quickly!

Here's my favorite, which is basically America's Test Kitchen's version:

-16 oz elbow macaroni noodles
-2 (12oz) cans fat free evaporated milk
-1 (12oz) can 2% evaporated milk
-16 oz mixed cheeses, grated (cheddar, -Monterey Jack, Colby, etc..)
-4 slices of bread, grated into crumbs
-4 tbsp. melted butter
-Ground pepper to taste
-1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (I use the dried type)
-1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
-1 tsp. ground mustard powder
-2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
-5 tbsp. flour (for roux)
-4 tbsp. butter (for roux)

-Cook macaroni according to directions on box. Drain, but reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water for later. Set aside.
-Mix the grated bread crumbs with the 4 tbsp. of melted butter, Romano cheese and a bit of pepper. Set aside.
-Prepare a roux by heating remaining 4 tbsp butter until it foams. Add flour and cook, stirring until light brown (about 1 to 2 minutes or so).
-Slowly add evaporated milk while whisking constantly until it is all incorporated, and then add the salt, nutmeg, mustard and hot sauce. -Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened, stirring often to prevent scalding
-Once thickened, remove from heat and add the cheeses and the 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water.
-Stir until cheeses are melted.
-Place the macaroni in a 9X13 baking dish and pour cheese sauce over, mixing well.
-Sprinkle crumb mixture over top.
-Bake at 350 degreesF for 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
-Serve!


IrishLass :)


 
Mac & Cheese at it's very basic is 1 part dry macaroni, 2 parts bechamel, and 1 part cheese (all by weight). Essentially, what IL posted.

So:
1 lb dry macaroni
2 lbs bechamel*
1 lb cheddar

Procedure is the same as what IL provided.

You can tweak this any way you like. I love extra sharp cheddar with a small amount of mozzerella for stringy-ness; bacon grease for the roux, and a pinch of cayenne for heat. I don't like my M&C baked; it dries it out.

And a word about nutmeg--it's classic in cheese sauces, but personally, 1/8 tsp is a lot of nutmeg. My rule of thumb is that unless you're making large vats of cheese sauce, you'll only need a tiny pinch. Or better yet, buy a whole nutmeg and a grater and add just a couple grates into your sauce.

*2 lbs milk (about 4 cups) thickened with a pale roux made from 2 oz flour and 2 oz melted butter). Traditionally this is flavored with an oignon pique, but unless you're making enough to feed an army, I'd suggest leaving it out as it can very quickly overwhelm small batch sizes.
 
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I use the 1:2:1 ratio, also. But I dice half an onion and saute it in that bacon grease before adding the flour. Nice mild flavor without overwhelming it. I also use half evaporated milk and half whole milk in the bechamel. It is how my father made it. And I use whatever cheese I have on hand that needs to go. Sometimes it is cheese sticks, sometimes grated cheese leftover from something else, whatever is available and close to expiration date or needing to have mold sliced off gets used. Oh, and it freezes beautifully. I just make a big batch and divide it into multiple pans. Then freeze and label.
 
Well,

The deed is done and in the oven.

Unlike soaping, I wing it on cooking.

Made a bechamel sauce with bacon grease to cook the roux. Only milk, its all I had.

Added some of my world famous home smoked cheese. And some other pre-shredded mega-mart cheese.

A touch of nutmeg. A touch of smoked salt. (Yes, you can smoke salt too)

Poured over the macaroni and sprinkled the bacon on top with a little more shredded cheese.

In the oven now.




Thanks all for the help.

Will keep you posted.
 
The smoked salt sounds great, too! And of course, the bacon on top!
 
Late to the thread, but here's my mac n' cheese. DH loves this stuff and would happily eat it daily if I let him.

It's super simple. In the pot you cooked the pasta, gently warm heavy cream or a mix of cream and half & half. Mix in whatever seasonings you want (I like to add some granulated garlic and onion and maybe just a dash or two of seasoned salt). Add shredded cheese. Stir to make sure the cheese is well mixed and let it do its thing for a few minutes. Keep the heat low while the cheese melts (U.S. electric stove setting 3 is what I use). You want it to JUST barely start bubbling, then take it off the heat and stir really well to get the cheese thoroughly mixed in and make sure it's all melted. DON'T turn up the heat to try to hurry things up, it'll ruin your sauce if you do. Add the cooked pasta, mix, cover, and let it sit for a few minutes. Mix again just before serving. This is my standard (mandatory, really) side to serve with BBQ pulled pork.
 
Thanks all for the ideas!

Last night's dinner was a success! Lots of leftovers for the weekend.

I really appreciate the suggestions!
 
Mac & Cheese at it's very basic is 1 part dry macaroni, 2 parts bechamel, and 1 part cheese (all by weight). Essentially, what IL posted.

So:
1 lb dry macaroni
2 lbs bechamel*
1 lb cheddar

Procedure is the same as what IL provided.

You can tweak this any way you like. I love extra sharp cheddar with a small amount of mozzerella for stringy-ness; bacon grease for the roux, and a pinch of cayenne for heat. I don't like my M&C baked; it dries it out.

And a word about nutmeg--it's classic in cheese sauces, but personally, 1/8 tsp is a lot of nutmeg. My rule of thumb is that unless you're making large vats of cheese sauce, you'll only need a tiny pinch. Or better yet, buy a whole nutmeg and a grater and add just a couple grates into your sauce.

*2 lbs milk (about 4 cups) thickened with a pale roux made from 2 oz flour and 2 oz melted butter). Traditionally this is flavored with an oignon pique, but unless you're making enough to feed an army, I'd suggest leaving it out as it can very quickly overwhelm small batch sizes. Explore a range of office spaces for rent in the vibrant heart of Beirut, offering a prime business location in this dynamic city. Offices for rent in beirut
Hello. My wife is a mac & cheese lover and I am on the quest to make some of the best. What recipes do you guys like? I plan on smoking some ribs this weekend and would like to make some mac to go along with!
 
This recipe makes a big batch. I take it to get-togethers and it is usually all eaten.
Marvelous Mac and Cheese.
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3/8 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese
4 oz grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta (I sometimes just use small curd cottage cheese.)
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup diced ham, if desired

Preheat oven to 350*F. Precook macaroni in salted water. Drain and rinse. Pour into greased 2 quart baking dish. In saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Add sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Cook over medium/low heat, stirring constantly until bubbly and thick. Stir in sharp cheese, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, tomatoes and ham, (if using ham). Pour sauce over macaroni and stir mix well. Bake uncovered for 60 minutes.
 

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