I want to make GOOD maccaroni and cheese- help?

Question

Does anyone have a good recipe? i've heard some people rave about this dish when it's done properly, and i'd like to try to make it.

(oops! i was scrolling through the answers and i think i accidentally hit "report abuse" on one of you! sorry!!)

Answer 1

OK, before you read my recipe, please note that I am not a calorie or fat conscious cook...

This recipe came in a little sample cookbook that Saveur magazine sent me. Has all the "classic" dishes (i.e. real beef stroganoff (made with tenderloin), Caesar salad, etc. Time consuming, fattening, but oh, SO worth it!! We have this once every few months at my house.

Macaroni and Cheese
8 servings

16 ounces macaroni, cooked according to package
3 3/4 cups hot milk
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 13 X 9 baking dish and set aside.

In large pot, melt 6 T. of the butter over medium low heat and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 - 4 minutes. (Flour must foam in order to cook the raw flour taste out. Do NOT let your flour burn.).

Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mix well. Raise heat to medium high and gradually add in hot milk. Bring to a hard simmer, and cook and stir constantly for 3 - 5 minutes, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of the shredded cheese until melted. Stir in cooked, drained macaroni.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the remaining cheese in bottom of prepared baking dish. Add half of the cheese and pasta mixture, spreading evenly. Add 3/4 cup shredded cheese to that, and repeat with remaining pasta mixture. Top casserole with remaining cheese. Pour heavy cream (or half and half) over top of casserole.

In small frying pan, melt remaining 2 T. butter and add fresh bread crumbs, coating thoroughly and toasting slightly. Sprinkle evenly over top of macaroni and cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Answer 2

Start with a basic white sauce (make a roux with butter and flour, add milk to dissolve). Add a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese and cook until thick and bubbly. I recommend sharp cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper (white pepper if you don't want to see the bits)

Some variations:
1) Add a splash of dry white wine or beer
2) Add one small dash of nutmeg or some rosemary
3) Add 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, OR crumbled blue cheese for a tangy kick
4) Perhaps a splash of hot sauce?

Pour over cooked macaroni. Serve as is or bake 10-20 mins in an oven.

Experiment with these things until you find a flavor that curls your toes.

Answer 3

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Answer 4

Classic Mac & Cheese

2 cups elbow mac (or whatever kind you prefer)
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cup milk
2 cup shredded mil cheddar cheese - divided

1) Cook macaroni and drain.
2) Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Cook onion until tender (approx. 5 minutes).
3) Sitr in flour, salt, pepper. Gradually add milk and cook. Stir occasionally until thick.
4) Remove from heat. Add 1-1/2 cups cheese until melted.
5) Combine cheese sauce with cooked macaroni.
6) Place in 1-1/2 qt. casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
5) Bake at 350F for 1/2 hour or until top is golden brown.

This is one of my favorite recipes!!!! I make this almost every week. I hope you enjoy it.

Answer 5

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

INGREDIENTS
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 tomatoes, sliced
12 slices processed sharp Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan, heat soup and milk over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni. Pour macaroni mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of cheese slices over macaroni. Repeat.
Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Answer 6

This is the recipe I use. I often add broccoli florets and occasionally carrots (although my family doesn't like the carrots very much). I use sharp cheddar and I prefer to use cavatappi noodles ("elbow twists"): the ridges hold the cheese sauce, and the twists are just more fun than plain elbows.

Answer 7

you could buy a box of plain macaroni and put it to the recipe below but i like to take a short cut sometimes and buy a box of the kraft deluxe macaroni.

1 box kraft deluxe macaroni
a bag of american cheese
a can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
2 tbsp butter

preheat oven to 350*

cook macaroni on the box and add butter and cheese sauce included in the box.

pour into a baking dish ,beat eggs and add can of evaporated milk. pour over macaroni

place aluminum foil over baking dish and palce in the oven for 25 minutes. take foil off and add bag of cheese place foil back over dish and place back in the oven for 10 minutes

Enjoy

Answer 8

this one is by Racheal Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard


Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.
Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

Answer 9

honestly? i use kraft mac and cheese. not the kind with the powder. the one with actual cheese sauce. pretty good.my husbands fave.

Answer 10

i make the kind from trader joes!