Mac n cheese recipe About This Page:

[disneyprincess]

So someone posted a topic about comfort foods, I believe its over in the sunroom. A lot of people replied with Mac n cheese. So, how do you make your homemade mac n cheese?

[Chrissi]

DJ prefers the Kraft blue box method. I tend to prefer making a cheese sauce with lighter ingredients - skim milk, reduced fat cheese, and yogurt butter over enriched or whole wheat noodles. Still looking for a whole wheat pasta that tastes decent, though.

[patsoxgal]

Homemade Mac & Cheese I can taste it.
1 onion, 1 green pepper, 1 pound box of elbow mac, 1 large box of Velveete Cheese, Milk I put in about 1 cup.

I take 1 onion and 1 green pepper slice them up and then cook them up nice and soft.
Cook up 1 pound box of elbow Mac and drain. Cut up the Velveete Cheese into cubes.
I put everything in bowl toss it then put the milk in very slowly to see how much I need. I put in black pepper and salt to taste. Cook for 30 to 40 mins at 350 degrees
Keep checking to see if it needs more milk to keep it nice and moist. With the peppers and onions it makes it nice and tasty.
good luck

[clio]

Mine's pretty basic. I cook 2 cups of elbow macaroni. When it's done I rinse it with cold water. I slice about 3/4 pound of cheddar cheese and then layer the cheese and macaroni in a 1/2 quart greased cassarol bowl. Ithen pour 1/2 milk over it. I top with crushed ritz crackers dotted with butter. Bake at 375 for about 40-45minutes until the crackers aare browned and the cheese is bubbling on the sides. this was my DMOL's recipe.
Liz

[JoanW]

I use the recipe from my 1980's Betty Crocker cook book. I made some yesterday for my mom and froze it in little containers for her.

I'll have to confirm the recipe, but it's cook a box of plain macaroni.

Then make a thin white sauce with 2 T flour, 2 T butter to make a roux in a saucepan. I add some chopped onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Then add 2 cups of milk till thickened.

Make layers of mac and 3 cups of cheese alternately. Then pour the white sauce over the layers and pat down. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350, then remove the foil for another 10 minutes. It's real comforty.

[LisaJ]

I've made the recipe off of the box of Mueller's elbow macaroni for 20 years. It is classic and out of this world.

Tyler Florence makes a killer Macaroni n Cheese; he was cooking it the other day. You can get his recipe online at the Food Network site.

[crystalloubear]

This is the one I love - its by Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) - I really don't like to watch her show but this is good stuff.

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

[JoanW]

Now that looks tasty. I may make that one for Easter dinner.

[Luv4My4]

Our homemade Mac & Cheese recipe is:

One pound box of Ziti sized pasta (that's what my Grandmom used for some reason instead of elbow macaroni), one (or more if you like more cheese) package of cheddar cheese (I use Cracker Barrel sharp white), 1 cup milk, American Cheese slices (real from the deli not Kraft singles) and bread crumbs.

Slice Cheddar Cheese down into thin slices.
Cook pasta as per directions.
Then in a 13x9 baking dish layer half the pasta and then a layer of cheddar cheese, the rest of the pasta and another layer of cheddar cheese.
Layer slices of American Cheese on top of the whole dish overlapping each piece a little so it will melt nicely.
Generously spread breadcrumbs over the entire top of the American Cheese.
Lift one corner of the Amer. Cheese topping and pour 1 cup of milk in making sure it spreads through the dish.
Bake at 350 until cheese and milk are bubbling and the top is melted and nicely browned (the browner the better but not burned)
We usually serve this with Tomato Puree to pour on top, it is so good!!

[snoozin]

I got mine from Alton Brown on Foodtv.com, and I've modified it a little.
(Note to all: mentally remove all calories, since there's no way to really do it!)

Roux of butter and flour, appx 2 tbs butter, 3 tbs flour. Stir very frequently. When the roux smells marvellous and has started to look golden, add COLD milk slowly, and stir constantly until you've added appx 2 cups. When the milk mixture is thoroughly hot, but not simmering or boiling, add appx 2 tbs apple cider vinegar, fresh ground pepper and dry mustard. Balance these to your personal taste in the milk mixture. After the flavor is where you want it, add grated cheddar cheese. If you use standard cheddar you get the "orange" color, or you can use a strong white cheddar; either way it's great. Add no more than one handful at a time into the milk mixture to melt the cheese. I usually put in about 2 cups of cheese. Stir occassionally as you add the cheese to make sure it's melted before you add the next handful of cheese.

Pour the mixture over your macaroni (we've tried other types of pasta, but really the small elbow macaroni works best for this recipe) and fold together to fully mix the macaroni and cheese mixture.

Top with panko crumbs, sprinkle with a little more cheese, and bake in the oven on not very high (maybe 250-300) for appx 20 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and crispy.

[Diz]

I'm not the mac & cheese chef in our family. DH has that job. One of the few things (you can count them on one hand that he cooks). It is a recipe from his father - who was the daily cook.

Boil 2 cups macaroni

In microwave melt together:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
salt

Mix in:
2-3 tablespoons flour to make a paste
Then:
2 cups (I like when he ups the cheese to 3) Sharp Cheddar until it melts

Add:
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups macaroni

Mix well - top with bread crumbs and microwave at 50% for 30 minutes.


This is how I learned to like stewed tomatoes. My FIL wouldn't let me alone until I ate his mac & cheese.

[tdandboys]

Originally Posted by patsoxgal

Homemade Mac & Cheese I can taste it.
1 onion, 1 green pepper, 1 pound box of elbow mac, 1 large box of Velveete Cheese, Milk I put in about 1 cup.

I take 1 onion and 1 green pepper slice them up and then cook them up nice and soft.
Cook up 1 pound box of elbow Mac and drain. Cut up the Velveete Cheese into cubes.
I put everything in bowl toss it then put the milk in very slowly to see how much I need. I put in black pepper and salt to taste. Cook for 30 to 40 mins at 350 degrees
Keep checking to see if it needs more milk to keep it nice and moist. With the peppers and onions it makes it nice and tasty.
good luck

This sounds awesome. I want to try this recipe.

[MM1928]

My nine year old prefers the blue box... but Momma loves mac n cheese made with a packet of dry ranch dressing mixed in with the liquid stuff, cubed cheddar and monterey jack and buttery cracker crumbs on the top. What calories...we're talking comfort food here! I think it's an old Taste of Home recipe.....Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of the keyboard.

[poohmaine]

I use the one from Martha Stewart that's posted on her website.

It is delicious, but it does not reheat well-- so don't make up a batch unless you're going to eat it all the same day.

[JaimeandChad]

Originally Posted by MM1928

My nine year old prefers the blue box... but Momma loves mac n cheese made with a packet of dry ranch dressing mixed in with the liquid stuff, cubed cheddar and monterey jack and buttery cracker crumbs on the top. What calories...we're talking comfort food here! I think it's an old Taste of Home recipe.....Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of the keyboard.

I read that and my stomach growled. I am hungry now