Any easy homemade mac and cheese recipes

[babylonsister]

out there? I have a surplus of cooked elbow macs and would like to do something different. Thanks! (I hate to admit this, but I do occasionally go the lazier Kraft route-ewww!)

[eleny]

1. Well, let's see

You could get a bag of shredded cheddar and throw it onto the macs. Then shred a little butter over it and add some milk to loosen it all up. Mix it all up in your casserole and bake till it all melts together and that's that.

That's the easiest way to do it.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. To turn it up a notch .......

Make a bechamel sauce, as discussed in this thread ......
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x8173
and add the cheddar to that and melt it in. Pour it over the 'ronis and bake till golden on top and heated through.

Even with making the bechamel, I'd still put this in the easy category ... but not as easy as yours.

edit to make it 'bechamel' instead of 'becamel' ...... and to add that this is really a simplified version of Fettucini Alfredo ..... different mac, differnt cheese and a few less extras, but essentially the same.

[Shakespeare]

4. That's the ticket, Hubs2!!

bechamel....grated cheese of one's choice...and just a dash of cayenne pepper (just a DASH, no more). And bread crumbs and more crated cheese on top when you bake it....yum.

edited to add: And just a TINY bit of dry mustard. The world's greatest comfort food, it is.

[Jessica]

9. Hey Husb2Sparkly ...

Thanks for all your great advice on bechamel (and you too, wakemeupwhenitsover)! It was absolutely delicious in the spinach/mushroom lasagna. I got a little worried at first that it wasn't going to thicken, but it was perfect. And I did print out that thread & hang it above my stove. :)

As for bechamel in mac & cheese - sounds yummy. I'd definitely go for it! And don't hesitate w/ the nutmeg. I think that, in addition to the cheese, is what makes it great.

:hi:

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Glad it worked for ya

Now .... practice makes perfect. You now have experience with one of what culinarians call the 'mother' sauces (bechamel, brown, tomato, etc.). From that humble bechamel you can make a bazillion other things.

And you also learned how to work with a roux. Next time try something that is stock based and thicken that with a roux. But allow the roux to cook longer ...... until it is dark and has a really nice, nutty smell to it.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Kraft has a new friend, I see ......

I usta make Kraft too. When I was single ... before Sparkly and I got hitched ... and yanno ... other than that wonderful shade of neon yellow

that makes shades

or maybe these

a needed accompaniment ... it really ain't haff bad.

[politicat]

5. Mr. Pcat's addictive Mac N Cheese

(From observing him make it, this is as close as I can come to getting this right.... so bear with me and realize he doesn't deal well with measurements, save when he makes bread. Nor does he deal well with structure or precision. But really, don't mention Velveeta. Please.)

Boil up a mess o' pasta. Shells work. Bows work. Spirals work. Broken chunks of spaghetti works.

Drain it. Put it back in the pan right away with a hunk of butter. Don't use margarine, that crap makes it taste funky. If the butter has toast crumbs in it, that's okay, just scrape it off the butter dish. But no jam, okay?

Pull out the American Deli cheese, the yellow stuff. Not the dumb, individually wrapped slices that never open up right, not the packaged stuff from Kraft, and not Velveeta process cheese food product. And no Cheeze Whiz. Go to the deli and get American cheese, sliced. It's cheap, about 3 bucks a pound.

Lay the slices over the butter-coated pasta and add a splash of milk. Don't use the wife's milk; that skim stuff won't work right. Use your manly milk, the whole stuff. (NOT THAT MILK - who do you think you are, Laura Bush??) Don't even think about using dry milk. No one uses that crap. Check and make sure the fire's still on under the pan - you didn't turn it off, did you? Turn it back on, low. Turn off the kitchen lights and play with the dial until you get it just right.

Turn the lights back on, if you want, but your eyes will adjust. Watch the cheese slices just start to melt, and stir 'em into the noodles. Lay another set over the top. Repeat (not the fire thing, just the milk and cheese.) Just keep repeating until you either run out of cheese or it looks like macaroni and cheese.

When it's creamy, sprinkle grated extra-sharp cheddar over everything, but not too much, because cheddar gets like bad grease. Mix in some sauteed and drained onion and garlic, bacon crumbles and broccoli. Salt if you have to and pepper appropriately.

It's good second day, too, so make a lot.

[Ariana Celeste]

11. That sounds AWESOME

Definitely writing that down, maybe try it this weekend! I loves me some homemade mac and cheese!

[babylonsister]

6. Thanks kindly, everyone!

Guess what's for lunch? :evilgrin:

[BamaGirl]

7. My kids love baked mac and cheese

We tend to experiment with it. This was last Friday's.

1/2 cup Velveeta Mexican cubed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cubed
1 bag shredded mild cheddar
2 boxes elbow mac
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 9 in baking dish

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cook the mac about half-way, drain, and rinse. Pour about 1/4 of the mac into the baking dish and top with cubes of cheese. Pour another 1/4 of mac onto of that and cover with the rest of the cubed cheese. Pour the rest of the mac onto of that and cover with shredded cheese. Mix the eggs and milk together and pour over the top. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. (I take it out a couple of times to stir it up during that time otherwise the eggs tend to glom in one spot instead of thickening the whole thing.)

[Ilsa]

8. I like to add a sprinkle of onion powder, a dash of mustard and

Worcestershire sauce, and a good dose of cayenne at the end. If it is just "Mac and cheese", it's too bland for my tastes.

I especially don't like those three cheeses mac & cheese recipes. Just AMerican (melts well) or cheddar, thank you.

[Tsiyu]

12. For the alltime best

mac and cheese I ever made, I used elbows cooked al dente, drained; added canned cheddar cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, hunks of deli American, sour cream, milk, beaten eggs, black pepper, dash mustard.

I cooked this for 150+ people, but a small recipe you might use:

16 oz pasta

melt together: ( or add to hot, drained pasta and stir)

1 cup cheddar cheese sauce(optional. if omitting, use more cheese)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar
1 cup deli American cheese( white or yellow)
1 egg beaten combined with:
1/2 cup milk.

wisk in 1/4 cup sour cream, mustard and pepper to taste.

Cover with shredded cheese or breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350 until browned on top