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

[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.