# Mac and Cheese



## blissful (Feb 22, 2017)

After reading this, and sharing this with my family, we discussed the seriousness of sharing your Mac and Cheese. My hubs said that it was clear that the woman didn't understand the serious implications of what happens when there isn't enough Mac and Cheese.
My son then said that when they went to prison, if they went to prison, that while in prison they would be asked, "what got you in the clink?" and the answer to that was, "Mac and Cheese".
Food news always tickles my funny bone.
Fight over noodles sparks clothes fire at Dousman home


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## Addie (Feb 22, 2017)

*ATK Mac and Cheese New Recipe*

Mac and Cheese! An American institute not to be messed with. 

ATK has an article in the March/April 2017 issue of Cooks Illustrated for a 20 Minute One Pot Mac and Cheese. And from the photo of the finished product, it comes out so creamy! They cook the pasta in "Milk". Then adds the other ingredients without draining the pasta. Well worth taking a look at. If you have patience, the video will be available on April 17th.


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## CraigC (Feb 22, 2017)

This is the best mac & cheese we've ever made!

Macaroni and Cheese My Way Recipe | Food Network


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## Andy M. (Feb 22, 2017)

I saw a three-ingredient recipe for mac and cheese that I'm planning to try.  5 ounces each of macaroni, cheese and evaporated milk.  Couldn't be easier.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 22, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> I saw a three-ingredient recipe for mac and cheese that I'm planning to try.  5 ounces each of macaroni, cheese and evaporated milk.  Couldn't be easier.


No seasonings at all? I couldn't keep myself from adding some.


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## Andy M. (Feb 22, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> No seasonings at all? I couldn't keep myself from adding some.



I know.  This is a basic recipe I got from Seriouseats.com.  It's a starting point.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 22, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> I know.  This is a basic recipe I got from Seriouseats.com.  It's a starting point.


I've made a similar recipe before. It had just a few more ingredients  It was good. We like a crunchy top, so I sautéed some bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in butter for serving.


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## rodentraiser (Feb 22, 2017)

Golden Grain used to make a boxed mac and cheese where all you did was boil the water and add their cheese. It was delicious and of course, it's been gone for decades now.


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## Mad Cook (Feb 23, 2017)

My current macaroni cheese (in the freezer waiting for me to need it) has brocolli, peas and (unsmoked) bacon in it. Who knows what will go in the next time  

I put curry powder in the sauce once - an experiment. It was OK but I wouldn't bother again.

I expect the above is sacrilege to those of you in the home of mac 'n cheese.


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## CakePoet (Feb 23, 2017)

I disslike Mac Cheese, yes I have done  over 20 recipe of it now, still not something I go all nuts about, it taste bland and fatty.


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## Mad Cook (Feb 23, 2017)

CakePoet said:


> I disslike Mac Cheese, yes I have done  over 20 recipe of it now, still not something I go all nuts about, it taste bland and fatty.


Basic macaroni with cheese sauce is boring - it's what you add that makes it interesting.


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## blissful (Feb 23, 2017)

The best mac and cheese for us is 3 cheese. It seems like no matter which types of cheeses I make it with, as long as there are 3 of them, the taste is fantastic.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 23, 2017)

Mad Cook said:


> My current macaroni cheese (in the freezer waiting for me to need it) has brocolli, peas and (unsmoked) bacon in it. Who knows what will go in the next time
> 
> I put curry powder in the sauce once - an experiment. It was OK but I wouldn't bother again.
> 
> I expect the above is sacrilege to those of you in the home of mac 'n cheese.


You might be surprised at what people here put into mac 'n cheese [emoji38]


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## CakePoet (Feb 23, 2017)

Mad Cook: I do it at least once a year for American friend, she loves and says mine is spot on and perfect and I just find it fatty, greasy and yuck.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 23, 2017)

CakePoet said:


> Mad Cook: I do it at least once a year for American friend, she loves and says mine is spot on and perfect and I just find it fatty, greasy and yuck.


That doesn't mean all recipes are the same. It just means she likes it that way.


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## CakePoet (Feb 23, 2017)

GotGarlic:  I know I have done  20 recipes, every one  tried and tested and it doesnt matter, I have no love for this dish.


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## medtran49 (Feb 23, 2017)

Well, mac and cheese is probably based on German/Austrian Kaesespatzle.  The ladies probably just used the cheeses they had easy access to in the U.S.  We made this a little over a year ago, 1/23/2106 to be exact, and then forgot about it. It's rich and buttery and gooey, and European in origin.  I'm ready to make it again.


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## Cheryl J (Feb 23, 2017)

As Blissful mentioned, I too use several different cheeses for mac and cheese. Usually it's some kind of cheddar, Monterey jack, and I LOVE *smoked gouda* in mac and cheese.  If I'm out of smoked gouda, I'll go get some.  

I usually add a couple of pinches of cayenne to the milk/cheese before I mix in the pasta, and also a sprinkle of toasted bread crumbs on top during the last few minutes of baking. Oh, and extra saucy - I don't like a dry mac and cheese.


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## Kayelle (Feb 23, 2017)

CraigC said:


> This is the best mac & cheese we've ever made!
> 
> Macaroni and Cheese My Way Recipe | Food Network



I'm not normally a fan of mac & cheese. 

It's crazy the name of this recipe gives no clue of how fabulous it sounds when reading it. How can it go wrong with just the bacon and shrimp?


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## Addie (Feb 23, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> I saw a three-ingredient recipe for mac and cheese that I'm planning to try.  5 ounces each of macaroni, cheese and evaporated milk.  Couldn't be easier.



My mother always had a good supply of evaporated milk on hand. Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, corn chowder, etc. And I started all my babies when they were about five months old on it.


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## medtran49 (Feb 23, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> I'm not normally a fan of mac & cheese.
> 
> It's crazy the name of this recipe gives no clue of how fabulous it sounds when reading it. How can it go wrong with just the bacon and shrimp?



I was a bit hesitant the first time, but we've made it many, many times since.


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## Kayelle (Feb 23, 2017)

medtran49 said:


> I was a bit hesitant the first time, but we've made it many, many times since.



It sounds out of this world good Med! If I wasn't on this #@#$%* diet, I'd make it tomorrow.

You need to dream up an exotic name for it!!


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## Lance Bushrod (Feb 23, 2017)

I love the stuff and the cheesier the better. Adding lobster, crab, or tuna makes it even better.


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## blissful (Feb 23, 2017)

I add a 1/2 tsp of dried mustard in my sauce. It give it a boost of flavor, I'm not sure what it is, but it helps the flavor. I imagine shrimp and bacon can only improve on mac and cheese.


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## Addie (Feb 23, 2017)

I keep a box of large elbows on hand all the time. My supermarket every day puts the ends of the cold cuts and cheeses from the deli out for sale at a much reduced price. Whenever I come across a package of several different kinds of cheese, I grab it so fast, it is a blur. There could be smoked Gouda, American Sharp Cheddar, a few slices of pepper jack and any other type of cheese, all in one package. All for less than $4.00 for the whole package. It usually weighs between four and five pounds.


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## Kayelle (Feb 24, 2017)

Ohhh but wait......isn't there some "rule" you can't combine sea food with cheese???


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## Caslon (Feb 24, 2017)

Crab dip has some cheese in it? Maybe not.  Boy, that's  good dip!   It's  orange colored looking.  It's getting harder to find. Very yummy.


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## CraigC (Feb 24, 2017)

Caslon said:


> Crab dip has some cheese in it? Maybe not.  Boy, that's  good dip!   It's  orange colored looking.  It's getting harder to find. Very yummy.



You sure that "orange" color isn't because they use krab? If its getting harder to find, you should make it yourself!


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## medtran49 (Feb 24, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Ohhh but wait......isn't there some "rule" you can't combine sea food with cheese???


 
I think that's an Italian rule, and I thought it was all dairy?  Anyway, Cajun/Creole do it all the time, think Mulate's crabmeat au gratin, that lovely, literally lick the sauce up off your plate crab and gnocchi dish we made a while back by John Besh, and with tasso in this dish, it qualifies as NOLA food for sure.  And there's nothing like coquilles St. Jacques either from our French friends. 

I know you were just joking around, but had to get in there with some other seafood/dairy dishes that are fantastic.  DD and I both thought we'd died and gone to heaven when we first had the crab au gratin.


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## Kayelle (Feb 24, 2017)

I Actually made this tonight and posted it on the dinner thread, so thought I'd put it here too.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/macaroni-and-cheese-my-way-recipe

You need 8oz of pasta for this (I used med. size shells) as Med suggested and the amount was perfect.
Keep in mind, this is not anybody's mama's mac & cheese. It's  a delectable gourmet sensation unlike anything close to ordinary "mac  & cheese". It takes some prep and concentration (even drinking wine)  and I was thankful to have my darling Souschef to help. I questioned  some of the directions, but it turned out they were spot on. The only  thing I changed was subbing 1/2 cup of smoked gouda to the total amount  of grated cheese. 
It was beyond delectable!!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 25, 2017)

Love Mac and Cheese, used to love the Velveeta one before they changed it, too chemical tasting now.  I like a blend of smoked cheddar, grueyere  and Havarti cheese.  If you add cooked bacon, I'm a friend for life.  Also partial to tuna in my Mac and Cheese.


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## Cheryl J (Feb 25, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> I Actually made this tonight and posted it on the dinner thread, so thought I'd put it here too.
> 
> Macaroni and Cheese My Way Recipe | Food Network
> 
> ...



This looks and sounds delicious!  Thank you Kay for the pic, and Craig for posting the recipe.  MUST make this!


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## RPCookin (Feb 26, 2017)

I often make it with whatever cheeses I happen to have around.  I've made it with cheddar, Swiss, Jack, Parmesan, and even with a few ounces of Philly that I had left from another dish.  I also prefer using rotini pasta - those little macaroni screws just have so much surface area for the yummy cheese sauce to cling to.  I like it with the breadcrumb topping, but sometimes I bake it in a hot oven just long enough to make the top golden and the edges a little crispy.   

Dietary considerations mean that I only make it once or twice a year.  If I let myself go without controls, I could easily weigh 500 pounds.


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