Mac 'n Cheese

[jumpuphigh]

I've been craving good, homemade mac 'n cheese.  Does anybody have a recipe that they like?  Use of goat cheese a plus but not a necessity.

Thanks!

Comments

[tehkittykat]

Pioneer Woman's Mac n Cheese is godly. The recipe as written makes a ton of mac, though.

[jumpuphigh]

I do like PW as a rule but I wasn't sure about the ground mustard. That kind of scared me.

[tehkittykat]

You can easily leave it out without substantially changing the recipe. With it in, the mustard adds just a bit of zing to the cheese-ness.

[jumpuphigh]

Awesome. Thank you!

[cypher]

The way I've always made it is a simpler version of the PW recipe, skipping the spices and the egg -- just making the roux/cream sauce and then adding the cheese (usually cheddar, but you can sub in other varieties pretty easily).

The spices she puts in sound kind of exciting, but I can't tell whether "exciting" is something I want in my childhood comfort food. ^^;

[jumpuphigh]

I can't tell whether "exciting" is something I want in my childhood comfort food.

I totally understand.

[octette]

this is my awesome mac & cheese recipe that gets rave reviews every time. any cheese can easily be subbed in for cheddar; one of my friends subs in herbed goat cheese and some kind of swiss and a bit of gouda. another friend fries a couple of strips of bacon and uses the bacon drippings to make the roux, and chops the bacon and mixes the bacon bits into the mac and cheese before baking.

(sometimes, if i feel particularly lazy, i do not bother baking it -- i just mix it all up on the stovetop and serve out of the pot.)

ANNA’S DELICIOUS MAC AND CHEESE

1 lb elbow macaroni
2 heads or 4 crowns or 1 defrosted & drained bag of broccoli, or however much you want to eat, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 med tomatoes, seeded & diced (or 12 oz diced canned tomatoes, drained)
12 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1-1/2 c milk
3 tbsp butter
3 – 4 tbsp flour
1 – 3 tsp mustard powder (optional)

Boil the macaroni according to box directions. i usually pull it a minute or two early. If using fresh broccoli, steam it.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Melt the butter; wait until the first round of bubbling dies down so that all the water is out of the butter and it's just fat, then add the flour (and mustard, if using). Whisk until the flour is totally saturated with fat. Wait a few seconds for it to cook the flour taste away, then add the milk. Room temp or heated milk is best, but cold milk is okay.

Whisk briskly so the flour melts into the milk. Keep over med heat and whisk as the milk thickens. When the milk is simmering or so, add the shredded cheese by handfuls, waiting until the first handful melts before adding the next and so on.

Hold back a handful of cheese (maybe 1/3 c).

Let this mixture come to a simmer, whisking occasionally. I don't like to let it boil, b/c it gets weirdly grainy.

I tend to mix everything in the macaroni pot -- just dump in the broccoli, diced tomatoes, macaroni, and cheese sauce, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Then pour or spoon it into a 9x13 casserole dish, smooth out the top, and sprinkle on that last handful of cheese.

For those who are inclined (and i sometimes am), combine 2 – 3 tbsp melted butter with about 1 c of bread crumbs until the mixture resembles wet sand, and sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 400F until it looks delicious, or 30 minutes.

[jumpuphigh]

Thank you! I love the bread crumbs bit at the end especially.

[octette]

tbh, i don't usually do the breadcrumbs thing, but it can be really fantastic -- esp w/panko breadcrumbs instead of regular white bread crumbs. it's a real extra crunch that is pretty delicious.

[foxfirefey]

My friend makes this with the Gruyere and it is taaaasty.

[jumpuphigh]

Mmmm. That looks good, too. I'm going to be eating mac 'n cheese recipes for months and that is a very, very good thing.

I especially like this bit:
They are always trying to make it more comforting, cheesier. It's a completely worthwhile way to spend your time.

[marcelle42]

This is my grandmother's recipe, and I love it.

2 cups elbow macroni
1/2 cup butter
5 Tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 onion minced
2 cups or 10 oz block sharp cheddar

Boil macaroni until tender.

In a separate pan, melt butter. Add flour, pepper, salt, and onion. Mix well. Add milk. Cook until thick, stirring continuously [Hint: If you're standing there thinking, "Is this thick? Maybe?" then it's not thick yet]. Add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Mix cheese mixture with macaroni. Turn into 2 quart casserole. Back at 350 for 45 minutes until brown.

I usually do it in a 9x13 pan (and so does grandma, despite what the recipe says). You can play fast and loose with the onion and spices, and I would feel free to experiment with any kind of cheese. Total childhood comfort food for me.

[jumpuphigh]

Recipes from grandmoms are the best. Thank you.

[highlander_ii]

I've made this one and it's pretty good. Keep in mind I'm not a mac&cheese person...


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/macaroni-and-cheese-recipe6/index.html it's Alex Guarnaschelli's from Food Network.

But I, like you, would love to find one with goat cheese. XD

[viklikesfic]

You rock for this request idea. Mac'n'cheese is my all time favorite food. Okay, so my favorite recipe is here:

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Macaroni-Medley-247423

I'm vegetarian so I omit the sausage. I use a dry white wine instead of broth, which I very highly recommend. I also really recommend doing extra cheese on top for gooey meltiness. You can use any cheeses you like. For example, I've tried it with 1/2 cup each mozzarella, parm, havarti, and fontina. I've also used a really strong (stinky) Danish cheese and it was just out of this freaking world. I'm sure goat would work with a mixture of cheeses.

[jumpuphigh]

Ok, I've made this recipe twice. It is now my go-to recipe for mac 'n cheese. I still haven't managed to remember to pick up some wine for it but with veggie broth, it works great. I've used rice milk instead of cow/goat's milk both times and that has been great as well. This week I played with the cheeses a little more and included some herbed goat cheese. Oh, so good. I omit the sausage and the onions as well. Next time, I think I might try onions and add sliced mushrooms just to see how that turns out.

I may be addicted. I'm ok with that.

[viklikesfic]

Yay! Always happy to pass someone else on to favorite recipes :-D I may see if it works with soy cheese since I've developed lactose intolerance, but that seems so wrong.

[jumpuphigh]

Soy cheese doesn't melt right but if you can find brown rice cheese, that does. I also enjoy almond cheese. I'm less reactive to raw cheese (not appropriate for mac 'n cheese) and goat's cheese.