Homemade Macaroni and Cheese: The Topic

[Daniel]

I made a three cheese mac and cheese with a 6 hour smoked keilbasa this weekend.. I used this pasta and it was one of my favorite pastas to use.. The ridges really picked up that sauce..

[SMW]

For those fans of Alton Brown/Cook's Illustrated macaroni and cheese, I was in a rush this weekend and made a surprisingly good quick version that I think will be my mac-n-cheese technique from now on. Rather than grate the cheese, I just dumped all of the sauce ingredients into a blender, including the cheese, cut in about 1 inch cubes, and blended it until the cheese was is very small chunks. Super easy, and the sauce turned out creamy and rich and not stringy, grainy or separated - just how I like it. Not only does it save grating, this way you don't need to do any alternating additions of cheese and evaporated milk.

[MaxH]

"Fundamental" Macaroni-and-Cheese

I have not read Thorne or the sources from recent years cited in this thread, but I do know from lots of cookbooks that the last 50 years have seen frequent US recipes based on a cheese sauce, as pointed out here. Some of the alternatives here also contain other ingredients -- eggs or various milk products.

Don't overlook that many cheeses can melt into pasta and form a delicious sauce all by themselves (and no baking required). A glorious example happened when I brought home a plate of surplus assorted good cheeses (served after a blind wine tasting). The next day (after good experience before along these lines) I shredded and mixed four of them. I think Stilton, aged Gouda, English farmhouse Cheddar, and something like a Gruyère. But many cheeses will work. I took care to have the shredded cheeses near room temperature (not cold), and then tossed them with just-cooked, resilient Italian pasta (de Cecco or Delverde, fettuccine or linguine -- not sure). Tossed them in the hot empty pot that the pasta had just been cooked in. Covered this and kept it all hot over a low flame and a spreader (to avoid hot spots) for a few minutes. Stirred it and continued heating a few minutes more. (May possibly have added a touch of hot pepper sauce, on general principles -- not enough for anyone to notice, but it's famous for bringing up the flavor of cheese dishes.)

Result: Cheeses melted and partly absorbed into the noodles. Exquisite combination, the blue, the Cheddar, and the Gouda all contributing noticeably.

I recommend experiments like this.

= Max

[M.G. Apicius]

Here is my favorite, one Grandmother used to make when we were young, and I've made for a long time over the years:

Here is how it is created:

While balance is good this is a dish that you balance by not eating it everyday.

Use the very best ingrediants and enjoy it for that one day and worrry about exercise and low fat another day.

I have my extra large size baking dish that is about 16 x 10 x 3" which works well. There is a standard 13 x 9 x 2" pyrex dish which is just a little smaller. Sometimes I'll use two smaller baking dishes when I'm not sure of how much will be eaten (at a pot luck for example) or if I want some for later for me!

What you need is:

1. Great quality cheddar cheese -- between a pound and a pound and one-half, give or take. You can mix types of cheddar like I do, where I use an extra sharp cheddar and then use some medium sharp to balance. The cheese you use needs to melt inside as well as be able to bake well on top.

2. A quart or so of whole milk is needed. I find that often I'll buy a quart of milk and then also buy a pint. If the caserole i'm using works better with less liquid (because of the pasta type and size of dish) then I can always add the extra pint in if I need more liquid.

3. A stick at least of butter. Use good butter, salted works best here but unsalted is okay.

4. 3 to 5 eggs. The eggs bring the dish together, sort of like a good custard.

5. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Be careful if you are using glass baking dishes so that the mixture doesn't get too hot and brown the bottom too much.

a. Take about two thirds of the stick of butter and cube it into 1/4 inch cubes, set them aside for later.

b. Use the remaining butter and grease the sides and bottom of the baking dish you are using. If some is left from greasing the pan, use it in the dish.

c. Take your cheese and grate it using the cuisinart or food processer. For years I did it by hand and then voila, the food processor what a time saver. Set the cheese aside.

d. Boil your macaroni. DO NOT BUY CHEAP MACARONI to save a few pennies, buy the best. I use elbow or shell -- but use what you like. It needs to allow the liquid mixture to go between all of the macaroni. Keep it al dente and don't overcook it. Also when its done take it to the sink and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colendar.

e. Take your eggs and whisk them together into a large container that you can then pour the milk mixture out of later. Then add the milk. I put in salt and pepper. But you can also save them it to add later on the layers of cheese and macaroni as you build the dish.

f. Now start layering the macaroni and cheese into the baking dish. Add a layer of macaroni, then a layer of cheese, and a few butter cubes. Then more macaroni and more cheese and butter cubes. If you added the salt and pepper to the milk mixture don't add more to the layers. If you didn't, then add salt and pepper with the layers. Keep in mind don't get too carried away with salt and pepper!

g. Once you have filled the dish to the brim, add one final layer of cheese over the top and a few more butter cubes.

h. If the millk and egg mixture has been setting for very long, then stir it and then pour the mixture over the top. The mixture does not need to be up to the brim of the dish--usually about 3/4 to 4/5ths of the way up the sides works fine, if you bring it up to the top you might have too much liquid and the dish can be too loose when you are done which still tastes good but isn't as satisfying visually.

i. I used to cook it for about 40 minutes and then use the broiler to really brown the top nicely. However Abra shared an idea of using the thermometer like you would with a roast, so you can make sure the center is hot before you pull it out of the oven.

j. I usually let it sit for a little longer after it comes out and then dive in This is a dish you can enjoy on your tastes buds, but also smells great in the kitchen too!

Hope you enjoy the dish...

[Malawry]

bump

So I have some nice leftovers from a party I catered on NYE. They include about 1/2 lb Grafton Village 6yo cheddar, 3/4 of a tub of mascarpone, 1/2 of a tub of creme fraiche, and some parm-regg. I have 1lb of macaroni, whole organic milk, flour and butter, onions, panko. I also have tons of the Cracker Barrel cheddar they sell at Costco (my spouse's favorite snack). Help me turn this into something unbelievably rich and cheesy and wonderful. I like the baked sort of mac n cheese (I usually make it pretty saucy so it's still creamy post-baking) and would like to make some tomorrow. Ideas on proportions?

[doctortim]

From-scratch macaroni cheese was the first thing I learned to cook after graduating from that dark pit of instant noodles. I love the stuff. Usually when I'm in a hurry, I make the old faithful pasta+cheese sauce that John Thorne comes down on so harshly. After reading that same John Thorne quote somewhere else, I decided to try his recipe...

It just didn't do it for me. It was just too rich, and rather that experiencing that glowing fullness feeling you get after a good meal, this left me feeling almost a little off. It's not the worst macaroni cheese in the world (one night I was so tired I forgot to add the cheese. Mmm, macaroni milk), but just not worth the extra effort.

I'll be trying that Martha Stewart recipe tonight, we'll see how it goes!

[Aileen]

I finally tried the Campbell's soup mac & cheese recipe over the weekend. The four kids who tried it all liked it, but not as much as another (just a simple) recipe I've served them in the past.

[snowangel]

bump

So I have some nice leftovers from a party I catered on NYE. They include about 1/2 lb Grafton Village 6yo cheddar, 3/4 of a tub of mascarpone, 1/2 of a tub of creme fraiche, and some parm-regg. I have 1lb of macaroni, whole organic milk, flour and butter, onions, panko. I also have tons of the Cracker Barrel cheddar they sell at Costco (my spouse's favorite snack). Help me turn this into something unbelievably rich and cheesy and wonderful. I like the baked sort of mac n cheese (I usually make it pretty saucy so it's still creamy post-baking) and would like to make some tomorrow. Ideas on proportions?

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How well with that Grafton melt? I have trouble with old Cheddar melting well without separating. I do like the idea of mascarpone and creme fraiche.

No idea on proportions. I wish someone would chime in here!

[Malawry]

I used it in a grilled cheese sammich on brioche with thin sliced Granny Smith apples this weekend, and it seemed to melt okay. I guess I may have to find out on my own...I didn't get to making the mac n cheese today but I might tomorrow.

[Gifted Gourmet]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

Marlena Spieler, author of a forthcoming book, "Macaroni and Cheese" (Chronicle), agreed that most recipes simply do not have enough cheese. "I believe in making a cheese sauce and also using shredded cheese," she said.

But she refuses to forgo white sauce altogether. "You need a little goo to keep the pasta and cheese together," she said."... Like me, Ms. Spieler believes that macaroni and cheese, which is often served alongside fried chicken or barbecue, deserves pride of place as a main dish. "I love it so much that I want to focus on it," she said.

[Katie Nell]

Just for the record, the recipe for Pasta and Chicken Gratin (macaroni and cheese with chicken) in last month's Gourmet was very good! It reminded me of a dish called Huntington Chicken my grandma used to make all the time, but I can't seem to duplicate even with her recipe! Love the crunchies on top!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233254

[Khadija]

From-scratch macaroni cheese was the first thing I learned to cook after graduating from that dark pit of instant noodles. I love the stuff. Usually when I'm in a hurry, I make the old faithful pasta+cheese sauce that John Thorne comes down on so harshly. After reading that same John Thorne quote somewhere else, I decided to try his recipe...

It just didn't do it for me. It was just too rich, and rather that experiencing that glowing fullness feeling you get after a good meal, this left me feeling almost a little off. It's not the worst macaroni cheese in the world (one night I was so tired I forgot to add the cheese. Mmm, macaroni milk), but just not worth the extra effort.

I'll be trying that Martha Stewart recipe tonight, we'll see how it goes!

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I also am not a fan of the John Thorne recipe. I think the evaporated milk gives it a plastic, processed texture and a weird taste. Thorne seems to dislike "Macaroni Mornay" because it doesn't have enough cheese, but the solution seems to me to be to add more cheese, not evaporated milk.

[eje]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

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Am I mistaken or is that article recommending the use of American Cheese (Pasturized Process Cheese food) in Mac and Cheese?

Was she paid by Kraft or Sysco?

Why bother with American Cheese? You have to unwrap all those slices, after all. Why not just get the cheese sauce in a can? It's even easier.

[WHS]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

Marlena Spieler, author of a forthcoming book, "Macaroni and Cheese" (Chronicle), agreed that most recipes simply do not have enough cheese. "I believe in making a cheese sauce and also using shredded cheese," she said.

But she refuses to forgo white sauce altogether. "You need a little goo to keep the pasta and cheese together," she said."... Like me, Ms. Spieler believes that macaroni and cheese, which is often served alongside fried chicken or barbecue, deserves pride of place as a main dish. "I love it so much that I want to focus on it," she said.

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Cool!

I'm making the article recipe with the cottage cheese tonight. It's in the oven--I'll let you know how it turns out.

[MarketStEl]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

Marlena Spieler, author of a forthcoming book, "Macaroni and Cheese" (Chronicle), agreed that most recipes simply do not have enough cheese. "I believe in making a cheese sauce and also using shredded cheese," she said.

But she refuses to forgo white sauce altogether. "You need a little goo to keep the pasta and cheese together," she said."... Like me, Ms. Spieler believes that macaroni and cheese, which is often served alongside fried chicken or barbecue, deserves pride of place as a main dish. "I love it so much that I want to focus on it," she said.

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Never mind that quote--how about the caption?

A pound of cheddar and half a pound of macaroni results in a creamy cassarole.

(We'll overlook the fact that the caption writer misspelled "casserole" and the editor missed the error.)

Or, for that matter, the last sentence of the article, which sums up my mac 'n' cheese philosophy quite nicely?

The moral of the story: When in doubt, add more cheese.

I've done macaroni with cheese sauce in which an entire pound of Cheddar and a good amount of blue cheese (for good measure) were thrown in, and this without even knowing who John Thorne is.

I've only recently started making my mac 'n' cheese sauce with evaporated milk. Since I add cayenne and dry mustard to my cheese sauce, I don't get that pronounced sweetness.

As for the person who wondered about using process American: You can still find American cheese both in unwrapped slices and in whole chunks. I'm sure the deli folks at your local supermarket would be glad to cut you off a solid chunk of American cheese from their slicing loaf if you asked them. If they have it, ask for Cooper Sharp. Another option would be to ask for process Cheddar. Yes, there is such a thing. I've seen it at several deli counters. Hoffmann's Super Sharp (a Kraft product) is one variety; all of the horseradish Cheddar I've ever seen (from Dietz and Watson and from Cabot) is process cheese as well.

[WHS]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

Marlena Spieler, author of a forthcoming book, "Macaroni and Cheese" (Chronicle), agreed that most recipes simply do not have enough cheese. "I believe in making a cheese sauce and also using shredded cheese," she said.

But she refuses to forgo white sauce altogether. "You need a little goo to keep the pasta and cheese together," she said."... Like me, Ms. Spieler believes that macaroni and cheese, which is often served alongside fried chicken or barbecue, deserves pride of place as a main dish. "I love it so much that I want to focus on it," she said.

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Cool!

I'm making the article recipe with the cottage cheese tonight. It's in the oven--I'll let you know how it turns out.

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The recipe calls for pureeing cottage cheese with whole milk and some seasonings, adding a pound of grated cheddar and uncooked elbow macaroni and throwing it in the oven for an hour. This gloppy, unpromising mess turned into a crusty beauty that's going to make some tasty leftovers...

[andiesenji]

The New York Times on Macaroni and Cheese

Marlena Spieler, author of a forthcoming book, "Macaroni and Cheese" (Chronicle), agreed that most recipes simply do not have enough cheese. "I believe in making a cheese sauce and also using shredded cheese," she said.

But she refuses to forgo white sauce altogether. "You need a little goo to keep the pasta and cheese together," she said."... Like me, Ms. Spieler believes that macaroni and cheese, which is often served alongside fried chicken or barbecue, deserves pride of place as a main dish. "I love it so much that I want to focus on it," she said.

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How timely!

I just ordered her new book - I have had the Grilled Cheese book for some time and like the way she writes and expect to find some interesting combinations of cheeses and pastas.

However for the plain dish for myself, I will probably to stick to my old "instant" method, humble as it is.

[Malawry]

I finally had time and inclination to make my mac n cheese with leftover schmancy ingredients from New Year's Eve for today's lunch.

I made a thin bechamel and worked in about 2/3lb 6 year old Grafton Village cheddar, shredded. I also added about 1/3 of a tub of mascarpone I had laying about. Result: extra thick and cheesy sauce. I added a little powdered mustard, nutmeg and a dash of cayenne. The sauce needed only a tiny amount of salt with all that cheese in there. Boiled some Barilla macaroni (on sale), mixed it with sauce, and layered it with extra shredded cheese in a casserole. I topped it with panko and dotted it with some Irish Kerrygold butter I had laying about. (Everybody should have leftovers like this hanging around the fridge, I swear.) I baked it at a hot 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until it was all bubbly and the panko was browned. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Excellent lunchies with some peas on the side.

The cheese melted just fine and didn't turn stringy or oily, btw.

[Marlene]

Sounds wonderful! I like the idea of using panko on top instead of regular breadcrumbs. Dumb question. Is powdered mustard the same as dry mustard?

[Malawry]

Yes. The non-wet kind of mustard that you keep in the spice cabinet. I like to add it to things like mac n cheese to sharpen the cheese flavor.

[Jason Perlow]

Here's a mac and cheese Rachel made for lunch today:

[JanMcBaker]

Here's a mac and cheese Rachel made for lunch today:

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Oh my heavens, isn't that lovely!! I especially like that you can see the macaroni. I do love cheesy mac and cheese, but some I've had were basically some macaroni encased in a block of cheese---waaaay too much cheese! There does have to be a balance of the two, and that dish looks nicely balanced. Yum! I think I have to make some mac and cheese this weekend!

[MarketStEl]

I do love cheesy mac and cheese, but some I've had were basically some macaroni encased in a block of cheese---waaaay too much cheese!

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I have yet to encounter macaroni and cheese with waaaay too much cheese. Should you run across such a dish, I would appreciate photographic evidence of its existence.

[Rachel Perlow]

Huh, I think I used too much macaroni. I used a whole box of elbox (1 lb), to a morney (?) sauce based on 2 cups lowfat milk, 2 T butter, 2 T flour, 1 small garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt. When the sauce thickened I added the cheese, a combination of parmesean, swiss, cheddar and horseradish flavored jack, then adjusted with a few shakes of pepper sauce, tumeric and paprika (will skip tumeric next time, too yellow, not the color I was going for).

I use my VitaMix to make the bechamel: milk, butter, flour, on high for 5 minutes, add garlic and salt. Then the cheese. Basically, I trimmed all the edges off all the cheese in our fridge -- anything starting to look like it might get hard. It had a nice flavor, but I think it was just a little too little sauce for the amount of noodles. Next time I'll reserve a cup of the cooked noodles and make some macaroni salad or something.

[snowangel]

Rachel, how much cheese do you think you used? I agree, probably not cheesey enough.

Time to remind everyone of the pasta that Daniel mentioned above -- Barilla Pipettes. They come in 12 oz boxes which is just the right amount, and it is even a more perfect pasta for mac and cheese than regular elbows.