Need a Mac & Cheese Recipe

[Big C]

Here is one:

4 cups (1 pound) elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups milk
1/2 medium onion, stuck with 1 clove
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated Cheddar, plus 1 cup in big chunks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and toss it with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set it aside. Put the milk into a saucepan and add the clove studded onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mustard. Warm over medium low heat until the milk starts to steam, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux. In a large pot over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter and the flour. Cook, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes; don't let the roux color. Strain the infused milk onto the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 the grated Cheddar and 1/2 the Parmesan; stir until it is melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour this over the macaroni, add the chunks of Cheddar, and mix until well blended; put this into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top. Bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 25 to 30 minutes.
I also add crumbled bacon to the mixture of cheese for the topping.
Its pretty detailed but well worth it!

 

[Blue Skys]

Quote:
The exact origins of macaroni and cheese are unknown, but it is believed that the dish has its origins in Italy in the 14th century after Marco Polo returned from the Orient with macaroni[2]. The dish spread throughout Europe in many various forms, and was brought to the American colonies by English settlers. By the eighteenth century, various versions of the meal were well known all over Europe.

Its popularity in the United States has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson serving it at a White House dinner in 1802, although a spontaneous and diffuse appearance of the dish is more likely.

from wikipedia

 

[HorseFeathers]

You take a Mac computer... then sprinkle liberally with cheese...

 

[EweSheep]

Thomas Jefferson was responsible of the start of mac and cheese because he went to Italy to pasta himself sick LOL!

 

[MissPrissy]

We watched a documentary on about the development of the common mac and cheese pie or 'casserole' with cheddar and eggs (like my grandma taught me to make) and TJ is credited with the development of the best recipe.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
How much pasta? One regular box of 16 ounces?

Then I make a cream sauce - milk/cream (2 cups or so) and butter (2 tbsp) heated over medium heat. Grate as much sharp cheddar cheese as you think your milk and pan can hold and stir until the cheese is melted (I often grate an entire brick of cheese - say 1/2 pound or so).

Do you grate the cheese into a different bowl/pan from the milk & butter sauce you're cooking? Melt it on the stovetop or in the microwave?

Beat 2 large eggs and temper with the hot milk sauce then incorporate into the sauce pan with the rest of the melted milk/cheese sauce. Once everything is mixed well (don't let the eggs clump and become scrambled (yuck) ) pour over macaroni and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

How do you "temper" the beaten eggs with the hot milk sauce? And this is why I'm confused about where the cheese comes in, if it's melted before adding to the milk, if it's added before the eggs?

Butter a casserole pan and pour the noodles and sauce in. Cover the top with grated mild cheddar cheese and bake at 375 until the sauce is bubbly and set and the cheese is just turning golden.Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

This sounds so very good, I want to try making it but want to be sure I'm understanding the procedure. And I agree with you, duck eggs make everything taste better!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

super easy, super delicious stove top mac & cheese (thank you Alton Brown!):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
How much pasta? One regular box of 16 ounces?

A small box - yes.

Then I make a cream sauce - milk/cream (2 cups or so) and butter (2 tbsp) heated over medium heat. Grate as much sharp cheddar cheese as you think your milk and pan can hold and stir until the cheese is melted (I often grate an entire brick of cheese - say 1/2 pound or so).

Do you grate the cheese into a different bowl/pan from the milk & butter sauce you're cooking? Melt it on the stovetop or in the microwave?​

Use about 2 cups grated cheese and put all in a pan. Heat slowly and let the cheese melt in the milk mixture. Stir so it doesn't stick and burn on the bottom. When the milk and cheese mix is good and hot just before the boil wisk it a little to make sure everything is mixed well.

Beat 2 large eggs and temper with the hot milk sauce then incorporate into the sauce pan with the rest of the melted milk/cheese sauce. Once everything is mixed well (don't let the eggs clump and become scrambled (yuck) ) pour over macaroni and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

How do you "temper" the beaten eggs with the hot milk sauce? And this is why I'm confused about where the cheese comes in, if it's melted before adding to the milk, if it's added before the eggs?​

Tempering the eggs is bringing the temps up so that is doesn't end up a bowl of scrambled eggs when you add it to the hot milk and cheese mixture.

Use a large bowl. Beat the eggs. Then ladle in a cup or so of hot milk/cheese mix and beat the eggs to get it up to a higher temp. The add that quickly back to the hot pot and the rest of the milk/cheese mixture. Wisk wisk wisk - no scrambled egg hunks in your milk/cheese mix.

Butter a casserole pan and pour the noodles and sauce in. Cover the top with grated mild cheddar cheese and bake at 375 until the sauce is bubbly and set and the cheese is just turning golden.Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

This sounds so very good, I want to try making it but want to be sure I'm understanding the procedure. And I agree with you, duck eggs make everything taste better!

It is really quite simple. Nothing fancy.

When you are boiling the pasta work on the milk and cheese. When you drain the pasta work on adding the beaten eggs to the hot sauce while the pasta is draining. No extra water on the noodles. Give them time to evaporate a bit before mixing everything together at the end.

Once the cheesey sauce is made and you mix it with the macaroni noodles top it with some more cheese and slide it into the oven hurry and wash your hot pot so the cheesey stuff doesn't make a mess of your pan.

This is the only way I make mac and cheese.​

 

[MrsCountryChick]

Quote:
What a small world, that's how I make my Mac & Cheese sauce too. I add in prob 2 cups of mild cheddar cheese when I add it in. My family Loves it.... typically if we have it available in the frig I add in 2 cups of diced ham (from leftovers when we've had ham) & then add it to my pan & cook in the oven. So it's a whole casserole dish as a meal.

I sprinkle the top with a bit of cheese for melting the last 10 min in the oven.

I can see how an egg added in for 'binding' would work.... kinda like how you add an egg into the ricotta recipe mixture before filling stuffed shells.

 

[MissPrissy]

Using heavy cream, butter and the eggs makes it like a cheesey custard filling that binds the macaroni.