Macaroni with Blue Cheese
1 pound spiral tube-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons butter (plus butter for the baking dish)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not allow to brown). Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheddar cheese and 1 cup blue cheese. Whisk until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
Add cooked past to sauce; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese. Bake until sauce begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.
Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
2006-07-22 03:35:30
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answer #3
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answered by j-s-lovestocook 4
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WELL THERE'S MY MOMS MACARONI SALAD=COOKED & COOLED MACARONI,ADD SOME VEGTABLE FLAKES TO THE COOKING MAC,BUT DON'T RINSE THEM OUT.ALL OF THESE ARE CHOPPED-PICKLES,GREEN ONIONS,CELERY,TOMATOES,BOILED EGGS,ADD ANY VEGTABLES YOU LIKE AND ADD EITHER MIRCAL WHIP OR MAYO(WE USE MIRCAL WHIP)OR RANCH DRESSING TO THE MOISTNESS DEGREE YOU LIKE.
ANOTHER ONE WE LIKE IN OUR FAMILY IS- BROWN HAMBUGER WITH ONION,CHOPPED GARLICOR GARLIC POWDER(DRAIN MEAT WHEN BROWN),COOK MACARONI ADD CHEESE(WE LIKE VELLEVTA YOU KNOW HOMEMADE MAC & CHEESE) ADD HAMBUGER MIX WELL AND EAT.
ANOTHER ONE IS-COOKED MAC ADD BROCCLI,VELEVETTA,CHOPPED ONION AND GARLIC(CHOPPED OR POWDER)PUT IN BAKING DISH AND ADD GRATED CHEESE(ANY WILL WORK) PUT IN A 350f OVEN FOR 30 MINUTES OR TILL CHEESE ON TOP IS MELTES.TO THIS LAST ONE YOU CAN ADD ANY KIND OF MEAT YOU WANT OR JUST LEAVE PLAIN. AND TO ME NOTHING BEATS HOMEMADE MACARONI & CHEESE.
2006-07-21 11:51:15
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answer #5
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answered by WANDA195650 2
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PERFECT MACARONI AND CHEESE
1
If you have ever managed to have a lucid thought while eating this gooey, delicious dish, it may have been to wonder how macaroni and cheese—American cheese melted into a traditional British white sauce served over Italian pasta—came about. It all started during the age of European colonization, when seafaring men transported dried macarone—one of the few staples that could survive a year aboard ship—from Italy to Britain and to the American colonies.
American colonists did not have the selection of fresh produce and other ingredients that the Italians had; their meals were improvised from a larder of fresh or sour milk, stale bread, and pork drippings. So the imported pasta would often be served with a simple white sauce—milk thickened with flour and butter. Sometimes it was baked in a casserole with buttered breadcrumbs on top. A recipe for a casserole of macaroni, white sauce, and grated yellow cheese was first recorded in the “Boston Cooking School Cookbook” in 1896.
Kraft introduced its macaroni-and-cheese dinner in 1937 as a way to market processed American cheese and Tenderoni macaroni. It swept the nation. Recipes for homemade macaroni and cheese began to appear frequently in cookbooks.
Nowadays, making delicious homemade macaroni and cheese has become a mission for some people: They are always trying to make it more comforting, cheesier. It’s a completely worthwhile way to spend your time.
HOW TO MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH
2
To begin, you still need to make a white sauce. A generous amount of butter is melted in a large saucepan, and then flour is stirred into it to make a loose paste. After the flour has cooked in the hot butter, hot milk is whisked in. The starch from the cooked flour expands in the milk, creating a thick, creamy sauce. The starch binds the sauce, so that when the cheese is stirred in, the result is creamy and smooth, not stringy and curdled.
It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyère or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor. The type of cheese used will also affect the sauce’s texture: Sharp white cheddar produces the smoothest result; yellow and extra sharp cheddars can become grainy.
A good Italian brand of dried elbow macaroni will have the best consistency. Undercook your pasta so that it is the slightest bit crunchy (very al dente) in the center, then rinse it under cold water. This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch. You might think that starch would be useful in further thickening the casserole, but it isn’t; as it bakes, that extra starch merely expands and lends a mealy texture to your sauce.
The pasta will finish cooking as it bakes. The sauce will bubble, seeping into the hollows of your macaroni. When the smell of butter and browning cheese makes your stomach growl, you’ll know the dish is ready to eat.
MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE
3
You can easily divide this recipe in half; use a
1 1/2-quart casserole dish if you do.
Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Heat the oven to 375°. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
RECIPE (CONTINUED)
4
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyère or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.
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Grandmas spagetti sauce
extra virgin olive oil
1 Package cut pork chops 1/4 inch thick bone in( 6 to 8 chops )
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 basket small button mushroom
8 large can hunts brand tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut on ends
1 tsp Italian seasoning-basil, oregano,
2 turkish bay leaves
1 dash salt (to taste)
2-3 dash sugar (to taste)
splash of wine* optional ( I use chella lambrusco )
Heat some olive oil in bottom of a large kettle then, add pork chops and brown on both sides
Then add the chopped onions and cook till translucent.
When the onions get transparent and have cooked down add cans of sauce and seasonings and the cut and diced mushrooms . Then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook several hours till the meat is tender and falling off the bone . Careful to stir continually so as not to burn the sauce on the bottom of pan.
Serve over your favorite pasta or use for manicotti or lasagna.
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NICK'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE
This sauce is from my Italian~Grandmother except that to save time I have substituted for pork chops the JD Sausage and the Ground beef, and substituted Hunts spagetti sause for hunts Tomato sauce to save cooking time and make a smaller portion for 2 to 4 people.
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pkg jimmy dean spicy hot sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces, diced
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with meat
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut on ends
1 tsp Italian seasoning-basil, oregano,
2 turkish bay leaves
1 dash salt (to taste)
2-3 dash sugar (to taste)
splash of wine* optional ( I use chella lambrusco )
Heat some olive oil in bottom of a large kettle then, add sausage and beef together and brown meat.
Then add the chopped onions and the mushrooms and saute to cook down and remove excess moisture.
When the onions get transparent and have cooked down add cans of sauce and seasonings. Then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook till small boil point. Careful to stir continually so as not to burn the sauce on the bottom of pan.
Serve over your favorite pasta or use for manicotti or lasagna.
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NICK'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE
olive oil
1/2 pkg jimmy dean spicy hot sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces, diced
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with meat
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut on ends
Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 dash salt (to taste)
1 dash sugar (to taste)
Heat some olive oil in bottom of a large kettle then, add sausage and beef together and brown meat.
Then add the chopped onions and the mushrooms and saute to cook down and remove excess moisture.
When the onions get transparent and have cooked down add cans of sauce and seasonings. Then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook till small boil point. Careful to stir continually so as not to burn the sauce on the bottom of pan.
Serve over your favorite pasta or use for manicotti or lasagna.
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LASAGNA SUPREMO: (The Best Lasagna Ever!)
This is a recipe that I have been making for many decades, and everyone who has eaten my lasagna says that it is the BEST LASAGNA EVER!!! I have taken it everywhere, potluck suppers, church socials, family cook outs, I even put it in a contest once won 4th out of 200.
FOR THE LASAGNA
1 (1 lb) package lasagna noodles
3/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
1 lb Italian sausage (thinly sliced)
1 lb button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
1 cup onions (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup pitted ripe black olives (sliced)
1 lb mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
FOR MARINARA SAUCE
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans hunts chunky crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans hunts tomato paste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic (cut in halves)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic, in juice (from jar)
1 shallot (diced)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
8 servings
1 hour 45 minutes 45 mins prep
FOR THE LASAGNA:
Prepare lasagna according to package directions.
Drain and set aside.
Cook Italian sausage either in a skillet or by boiling in a pot of water, thinly slice crosswise and set aside.
Brown the ground beef and ground pork in a skillet, drain off and discard fat.
Add onion and garlic to the ground meat, stir and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, salt, basil, fennel seeds, pepper and the Marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the above mixture is simmering, combine in a large bowl the eggs, Ricotta cheese, and parsley.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Take a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spray the bottom with a non-stick spray, such as Pam.
In the baking dish, spoon in a layer of 1/3 of the meat sauce.
Then layer 1/3 of the lasagna pasta (overlapping each strip of pasta with the other).
Then layer 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture.
Then layer 1/3 of the sliced olives and 1/3 of the sliced Italian sausage.
Then layer 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms.
Then layer 1/3 of the Mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan.
Then continue to repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are layered.
When the layering is completed, cover with aluminum foil, making certain that the foil is not touching the top of the lasagna, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake, uncovered, another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to sit and rest 10 minutes before cutting.
FOR THE MARINARA SAUCE (by Alan Leonetti): Empty Hunts chunky crushed tomatoes and Hunts tomato paste into the pot.
Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot.
Slice the cloves of garlic crosswise into either halves or thirds or pieces, and dump them into the pot.
Dice the shallot, and dump that into the pot.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to mix well with a large long handled wooden spoon.
Do not strain, as the pulp adds to make this a thick and wonderful sauce.
Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes for about an hour or until it bubbles and is completely heated throughout.
Reduce heat to simmer, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot for 1 or 2 hours.
Remove from heat and give it one last stir.
Serve over spaghetti, ravioli, pasta or use for chicken parmesan, or anything that calls for a Marinara sauce.
2006-07-22 02:38:44
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answer #8
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answered by NICK B 5
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