Before we begin…
- Many of the professional recipes have you starting out with a roux. This is one of the recipes that Grandma contributed to the website. See optional roux note if you want to experiment.
Mother Sauces
- BECHEMEL
Take ¼ C each flour and butter, and heat until it starts to brown
Whisk in 2 C of whole (hot) milk gradually – ¼ C at a time
Stir to completely incorporate before adding more milk - MOURNAISE
Add shredded cheese to your Bechemel
½ C cheddar and ½ C Gruyere
For basic Mac and Cheese mix cooked pasta in with your Mournaise
When ready to serve, top with Panko and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes
Grandma’s Mac and Cheese
This is on a separate page. Use the above link (or click here) to view the recipe.
Grandpa’s Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 C dried macaroni pasta (large)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 stick butter (4 TBL)
- 1/4 C AP flour
- 2 C whole milk
- 1/4 C Dijon mustard
- 1 LB fresh sharp cheddar
- 1/2 tsp salt – 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 C black olives (rough chop)
- 1/2 onion (diced)
Step by Step
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Cook the macaroni most of the way (al dente)
- Drain and set aside
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs and set aside
- Rough chop the olives and put into large mixing bowl
- Grate cheese and add to the olives
- Add salt and pepper into the mixing bowl
- Measure milk, mustard and onion and set aside
- Put butter and flour into the bottom of a heavy stock pot
- Cook over medium-low heat until flour barely starts to brown
- Add the onion into the stock pot
- Mix in the milk and the mustard
- Cook until it starts to thicken (5-7 minutes)
- Reduce heat to low
- Temper the hot sauce into the egg mixture – slowly – whisking constantly
- After 1/4 has been added to the eggs, whisk it back into the stock pot
- Add in the cheese and olives and stir until mixed
- Add the drained macaroni and mix well
- Serve immediately
Mushroom Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 C Shredded SHARP cheddar
- 1 C Shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/2 stalk de veined and chopped celery
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- Elbow macaroni
- Sprinkle with fried onions and bake 375° about 30 minutes
STEP BY STEP
- Cook macaroni
Basic Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 4 C uncooked large elbow macaroni
- Optional: 1 C uncooked cauliflower pieces
- 2 C Panko bread crumbs
- 8 TBL butter
- 6 TBL All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Dried Mustard
- 2 tsp Spicy Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 or 2 dashes Tabasco
- 5 CU 1/2 and 1/2 (or whole milk)
- 1 C Philly Cream Cheese
- 2 C Colby Cheese (grated)
- 2 C Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
STEP BY STEP
- Cook pasta al-dente (about 8 minutes for thin pasta, longer for thicker pasta)
Put cauliflower in half way through – about 4 minutes - Toss 2 TBL melted butter with bread crumbs. Mix well. Set aside
- Drain pasta and melt 5 TBL butter in emptied pot. Melt till foam subsides.
- Whisk in all-Purpose flour. Cook till a tawny color.
- Add Worcestershire, Paprika, dried mustard, salt and Tabasco
- Add milk and bring slowly to a boil stirring constantly.
- Add cream cheese
- Reduce heat and cook 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir 3/4 of the cheese into the pasta
- Mix with cream cheese mixture
- Transfer to baking dish and top with bread crumbs mixed with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes @ 350 degrees
- Broil 2 more minutes while still on the middle rack.
- Let set 5 minutes before cutting / serving
VARIATIONS
- Ten Cheese Mac and Cheese
- 2 C Italian Blend Shredded Cheese: Provalone, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Assayago
- 2 C Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese: Colby, Monterey Jack, Chedder, Manchego
- 1C Whipped Cream Cheese (used later)
- Create roux with butter, flour, onion, Worcestershire, paprika
- Put chopped scallions in the mix
- Add 4 C Half and half
- Cook pasta, toss with 3/4 of the shredded cheese
- Put mixed pasta, scallions and cheese into baking dish
- Pour cream cheese over top
- Topping 2 C cheese blends, french fried onions
- 25 minutes @ 350º
Macaroni and Cheese by Lydia’s Italy
Mix together one cup each grated cheddar cheese and grated fontina cheese
Pour enough milk in to see the visible milk line through the cheese . Kind of like you would do if you were making a quiche
And several leaves of sage and one Bay leaf
Set aside for one hour
Put in stove-top / oven-safe casserole dish at low heat
start cooking in salted water big elbow macaroni or rigatoni noodles . Cook only al dentė
Topping
Coarsely great part of a French loaf
Melt butter in the pan
And bread crumbs to toast
Set aside to cool
Using slotted spoon or spider strainer to bring pasta into cheese mixture. Don’t worry about completely straining because you want some of the pasta water mixed in.
Cook together for a few moments stirring occasionally
Toss grated Parmesan in with the breadcrumbs
In greased baking dish, sprinkle some breadcrumb mixture in the bottom.
Spoon noodle mixture onto breadcrumbs as the next layer removing leaves
Top pasta with more breadcrumbs
Bake at 425° uncovered about 25 minutes
Stovetop Mac and Cheese – ATK
- 1.5 C water
- 1 C milk
- Bring water and milk to a low boil, then reduce heat
- Add 8 oz (weighed) elbow macaroni
- Simmer 6-8 minutes
- Add 1 C Deluxe American Cheese – bulk grated, not prewrapped
- Take off heat
- Stir in 1 C shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
- Add 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper to taste
- Cover and let meld – serve hot
Mac and Cheese – ATK
- 1 lb pasta
- 3 tbl butter
- stale bread
- 1/2 tbl dried mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 5 cu milk
- ½ lb sharp chedder
- ½ lb Monterey Jack
- Cook pasta in plenty of water to al dente. Make bread crumbs with stale bread strips, put in blender w/3 tbl butter, pulse to 1/8” pieces (set aside). Drain pasta. In pot add 5 tbl butter and melt till foam subsides, whisk in 6 tbl flour, cook until tawny color, add ½ tbl dried mustard, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne and 5 cu milk. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook 3-5 min till thickened. Stir into sauce, ½ lb sharp chedder, ½ lb Monterey jack, toss in pasta and cook for 6 min. Transfer to baking dish, top w/bread crumbs. Broil 2 minutes on middle rack.
- Let set 5 min, then serve.
Mac and Cheese – Composite
1 CU uncooked pasta (or 2 CU cooked)
1 CU Milk
1 CU diced French bread
Onion (diced)
¼ tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp Mustard
1 TBL SALTED Butter
2 TBL flour
Bread crumbs
1/4 CU each Cheeses (Sharp Cheddar, Mozzerella or Monterey Jack, Parmesean)
Instructions
1. Cook pasta in plenty of water to al dente.
2. Make bread crumbs with French bread,
put in blender w/ 3 tbl butter, pulse to 1/8” pieces (set aside).
3. Drain pasta. In pot add 2 TBL butter and melt till foam subsides,
add grated onion and cook until it starts to turn translucent
whisk in 2TBL flour, cook until tawny color, add ½ tsp dried mustard, scant salt, ¼ tsp cayenne and 1 cu milk.
4. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook 3-5 min till thickened.
5. Stir into sauce – grated cheeses,
toss in pasta and cook for 6 min.
6. Transfer to baking dish, top w/ bread crumbs.
7. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees or until the cheese/bread starts to brown
Let set 5 min, then serve.
