BS: Macaroni and Cheese

Subject: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: mack/misophist
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 12:30 AM

In the "Things You Grew Up With" thread, some one mentioned Macaroni and Cheese. My mother made it from scratch, too. And my grandmother. And several of the neighbor ladies. It was always thick and yellow, with a powerful smell of cheese. And it always had a thick crust of browned cheese. As many times as I've described it to my wife (a foreigner, from New Jersey) she's never been able to duplicate it. Can anybody here tell me the secret? I miss it.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Blackcatter
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 01:55 AM

Ya boil macaroni

Ya shred cheese

Ya melt said cheese with a bit of milk

Ya pour melted cheese over the macaroni in a oven proof bowl

Ya put a bit more shredded cheese on top

Ya put said bowl in oven to brown


I mix in a bit of Guinness as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: mg
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 02:10 AM

Well, that is not how my father made it and he made the most perfect macaroni and cheese. Just boil the macaroni (this has to be only eaten on a Friday), grate some Velveeta cheese, add milk and butter (o.k..we ate the margarine)...and there you have a dish fit for the gods. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Little Robyn
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 03:06 AM

First start boiling the macaroni.
Then make a white sauce - I find it easiest in the microwave.
Melt a little butter in a bowl (maybe 1 tablespoon, depending on how much of the stuff you're making).
Then mix in about 1-2 tablespoons plain white flour, so that you have a stiff buttery dough.
Now, using a whisk, slowly mix in some milk, whisking it until it's smooth and creamy.
Put that in the microwave for about 33 seconds.
Take it out and whisk quickly before it sets hard.
Now add a little more milk and repeat the process.
At some point, maybe after the 3rd or 4th time, you'll find the mix changing consistency, as the flour starts cooking. If you're making a lot, it'll take maybe 5 or 6 bursts of cooking but if it's only for 1 person it should be done by the 3rd burst.
Add salt and pepper to your taste - little or lots.
That's when you add a heap of grated cheese - lots, if you're a cheese fan. Give that another 40-50 seconds in the microwave.
Some people might find it easier to do this sauce on the stove. My Mum always did but I don't.
The macaroni should be done by now so strain the water off and add it to the sauce (or vice versa - it doesn't matter).
You can eat it at that point but if you want the crunchy topping you'll need to put it in an oven-proof dish and sprinkle more grated cheese in top.
Then put it in the oven - or under the grill until the colour and aroma tell you it's done.

That's the way I make cauliflower cheese too - and that sauce goes well with spaghetti squash as well.

Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: C-flat
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 03:12 AM

My six year-olds favourite meal, which she would eat everyday if I'd let her!

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: gnu
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 07:53 AM

Number one, believe it or not, is to use a top quality macaroni. I have found Catelli best for M&C (Primo is better for M&hamburg&tomato, but almost any brand will do because of the watery nature of the dish). I use about 300g old cheddar, 100g mozerella, and 750ml mac, which makes a fairly large batch. For the oven time, I use a pyrex pot which allows this recipe to be placed in three 30mm layers (big pot). As with many dishes, even one this simple, I find that the oven time is extremely important. I try to only take any dish out of the oven when it is done, ie, I try to avoid "checking" and returning a dish to the oven for a little more time. I keep the M&C in the oven, pre-heated to 200C, for twelve minutes, mix it quickly with a fork, and serve immediately.

Is it tasty ? You bet. Is it healthy ? Not the way I eat it. I had two plates for supper last night and I am about to nuke some for breaky. Someone said something about M&C on Fridays. Me too. The last Friday of each month... that's all my colon can take.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 09:01 AM

Through Mudcat I have learned to make:

Great Chili

Cornbread to die for

'Real' steak and kidney pie.

But.......when it comes to my favourite food of all time.....Gimme

MACARONI AND CHEESE!!

Occasionally Heather or I manage to turn out super stuff like Misophist discribes, but the greatest, THE absolute greatest Mac and cheese I've ever had was in a MALL RESTAURANT in Glasgow (that overlooked an indoor skating rink!!)

Can't remember the name of the mall, but I sure remember the Macaroni and cheese. For all I know, they may have used more Chemicals than Saddam, but the taste and colour and texture were perfect!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 09:57 AM

This is my mom's recipe, and for all I know, she got it from Betty Crocker. I used to love it - all but the crusty stuff on top. Now, I miss it. Note that the cheese is white Cheddar. I never knew there was such a thing as orange cheese until I was at least 10 years old, and then I became obsessed with the instant variety of mac & cheese.

Cook macaroni, rinse in cold water and drain
Alternate layers of grated sharp cheese and macaroni, covering with cheese
Beat 1 or 2 eggs and add to milk along with salt and pepper
Pour in the milk & eggs to almost (but not quite) cover
Bake at 350°F (177°C) until not too juicy - maybe 1 hour.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 10:28 AM

I got a great recipe out of the Fannie Famer cookbook; I believe it calls for onions and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. Heavenly. I think my mom used to use sharp cheddar; of course when I was a kid I would only eat the packaged crap.
Don't overcook the macaroni before you put it into the oven; it will absorb more liquid there.
Use as much flavorful cheese as you can stand; a blend of mild and sharp cheddar, parmesan and maybe a bit of mozzarella for the top...

and always eat a salad or crunchy veggies with this meal; pasta and cheese can be constipating!

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Troll
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 11:19 AM

Nobody mentioned the GARLIC! Macaroni and cheese without garlic is just macaroni and cheese.
You can also put in a large can of tuna. It then becomes "Tuna Hot Dish".

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 11:54 AM

Thanks for your recipe, Jeri! I hadn't thought about the addition of eggs. Tom insists on using a white sauce with cheese mixed in and I find that (and others made with white sauce) too flour-ey no matter how much cheese is added. Likewise bread crumbs.

I don't particularly care for Velveeta in any other context, but I do like it as the base, uh, "cheese" in M&C. Let's face it, it melts well and is a good sauce (like melted over french fries!), but since I like CHEESE I usually grate up a bunch o' cheddar to add to it.

Hmmm . . . I wonder what a blue cheese macaroni & cheese would be like? (Not as a substitute -- just as a variation.) And another one of my quick comfort foods is spaghetti with cream cheese.

The classic quote is from my ex-husband. After being married for about a year or two and eating the occasional M&C that I'd make, he looked up one day and said, "I finally figured out what's wrong with your macaroni and cheese; there's no tuna in it."

Uh huh. And that's nice, too, but it's not "macaroni and cheese."

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: JenEllen
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 12:04 PM

I've even tried the microwave version, and it isn't all that bad, but trust me, this one is worth the work involved:

1 lb pasta --cooked to just tender and tossed with 1T butter
2c grated sharp Cheddar
1 inch wedge of Roquefort crumbled
1c grated Parmesan
1 tsp dry mustard (Colman's)
2T flour
2 c warm milk
salt/pepper/garlic/cayenne

White sauce: Saucepan over med-low heat, melt 2T butter. When butter is foaming, stir in 2T flour. Cook for a couple of minutes (keep stirring) then add 2 cups warm milk and whisk into a sauce. Add mustard, and salt/pepper/cayenne/garlic powder to taste. Stir in the cheeses and keep stirring until it's all melted. Pour sauce over pasta BEFORE putting it in the casserole dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until the top is crusty.

~JE

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Ely
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 12:35 PM

I've got two methods, the fast one and the good one. The fast one--I always just eyeball this, I've got no recipe--is to heat some milk on the stove, then add a bit of butter, a couple of tablespoons flour and some strong-tasting cheese (I like sharp cheddar--mild cheeses' flavors don't hold up). Stir until it thickens, pour over cooked macaroni, and mix in.

The good one is as follows (adapted from Ellen Buchman Ewald's _Recipes for a Small Planet_ (1973), a great vegetarian cookbook if you can find one used):

1 (and a little more) cup dry macaroni, 1 cup bread crumbs (they don't have to be stale; I like wheat or rye), 1 1/2 cups hot milk (skim is fine), 3 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup chopped onion (or less, if you're not an onion freak like I am); 1 1/2 cups grated cheese; 1/2 tsp salt; pinch of cayenne; herbs to taste (the recipe suggests oregano, basil, parslet, rosemary)

Preheat oven to 325. Cook noodles in salted water, drain, and set aside. While you cook noodles, soak bread crumbs in milk. When bread is mushy, stir in eggs, onion, cheese, and seasonings.

Put the noodles in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Pour milk mixture over this but don't stir it in. Set casserole in a pan of hot water and bake for an hour, or until it's firm.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 01:48 PM

I don't have a hard and fast recipe--it depends on if I have enough of all of the ingredients; I always make it to accomodate the ingredient I have the least of.

I usually use 2 cups dry elbow macaroni to make about 6 cups cooked. I usually add some salt and a little olive oil to the water. I don't know if it helps, but it makes me feel good.

Make a MEDIUM white sauce, about two cups worth. Look in your recipe books, everyone will have it. This may be a little too much, but better too much than too little.

I use soy milk and soy cheese and it comes out just fine. I don't add salt to this dish because there's plenty of salt in the cheese.

Once the white sauce is made, I stir in (one at a time) slices of various flavors of cheese--usually predominately cheddar, but also parmesian, mozarella, provalone, to give it a complex flavor and some zingy sharpneess. I usually add a lot--perhaps 8-10 slices for this batch. Mix and match your flavors according to your own taste.

Prior to starting the sauce I will have taken two or three Italian sausage links (sweet, not hot) and peeled the casing from them then dropped bits of the ground meat into a skillet and cooked up the crumbled sausage. Drain it. Once the white sauce is ready, add the Italian sausage and mix it a little, then pour this over the macaroni that has been drained and is back in a pan on the stove. Heat it a little longer, on low so you don't scorch it. We eat it probably about 3-5 minutes after the sauce is poured over the macaroni.

This is already plenty fattening, so I usually stop at this point, we load our plates and inhale it. If you want the crispy crumbs on top, then put this macaroni mix into a baking dish, and heat the oven to about 350 tops. You will have taken some melted margarine in a skillet and mixed in a bunch of bread crumbs, coating all of the crumbs, which are then spread over the top of the macaroni and baked until the crumbs are toasted crispy.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Beccy
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 02:10 PM

Here's mine, since I believe I'm the offending party in bringing up the macaroni and cheese in the first place. This is the recipe that my parents shared with me (and that I ate as a child in lieu of the "blue box" mac that all my friends sadly ate.)

Beccy

Cheesy Macaroni (double if desired.)

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 03:10 PM

One of those "simple" dishes with a thousand variants! I have eaten and cooked many different types and I like them all.......except the packaged crap which my kids love of course. I love it creamy and cheesy and also light and al dente. I'm always amazed that every place has different mac-cheese and I like them all!

BTW, my kids want their box stuff covered in applesauce......I personally don't think it improves it, but it doesn't hurt it either. Gawd, but that stuff is bad...........

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 07:36 PM

Gotta agree with ya Spaw, the box stuff gives me heartburn just reading the label. Must be the preservatives. Can't (don't dare) eat it.

Lots of good recipes here, but we (SWMBO & I) can't figure out:

How do you grate Velveeta? (see recipe above)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 08:16 PM

LOL....yeah, I read that too and had two questions about grating Velveeta. First, how? Must make one helluva' mess in the grater. And second (and probably more to the point), why? It's processed goo to begin with and melts faster than warm butter!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Troll
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 08:17 PM

You don't grate Velveeta, you put it through a potato ricer. It comes out in nice little squiggles.
A potato ricer? Kinda hard to describe but here goes nothing.
Picture a large tin cup that has been punched full of holes, sides and bottom, with a long handle sticking out from the side and parallel to the table. OK so far?
Good. Now take a second handle and mount it opposite the first handle on a hinge so it can swing over and meet the stationary handle.
Now take a flat plate of metal that will just fit inside the cup, mount a stem in the middle that fastens to the second handle. Oh yes, bolt it on loose so that it won't bind on the sides of the cup when you press the two handles together.
Voila'! The Potato Ricer.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 09:46 PM

LOL again!! Geeziz Troll......I know what a potato ricer is but the thing you described sounds like something that just landed on Baghdad!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 10:36 PM

Velveeta?   Velveeta? Vel-VEETa????????

I thought this was about Macaroni and CHEESE!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 12:39 AM

Description of a potato ricer

Photo of an odd-looking ricer

Julia Child's ricer.

But I wouldn't insult my ricer (found for a couple of bucks in an antique store) by putting Velveta in it (let alone bringing the stuff into the house. Certainly Dreaded Guest can find a conspiracy theory regarding Velvete polluting the American food supply?)

It sounds like some of these recipes are more along the lines of custards, while others use sauces. Interesting. The PBS test kitchen program they play these days did mac and cheese and did more of the custard approach. Sounded way too complicated for a dish that should be fast, easy, and cheap.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 12:56 AM

If SPAM is "Something Posing As Meat," then Velveeta has to be "SPAC."

It does melt down real nice for dip at those parties where you're not really trying to impress anyone, but a little overheating and it's instant pure vulcanization.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 09:06 AM

STERLING MOSS' RICERS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,jaze
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 10:43 AM

Another variant-for those who don't like spagetti sauce(like my kids when they were little): spagetti mixed with cottage cheese. I personally cannot eat cold cottage cheese, but heated in a pot with just cooked spagetti is incredibly good!

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 10:50 AM

Ah geeziz Rick......That was awful. I might add that great as he was, Stirling (note the spelling) turned quite a few racers into ricers. He almost turned himself into a vegetable as well going off at Goodwood.

Terrible pun man..........I salute you!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 11:37 AM

Rick,

I found those car references when I did my search--and as I know absolutely nothing about whatever that is, assumed the "ricers" was an odd spelling for "racers?" Is it slang? (I guess!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 12:27 PM

the one thing Velveeta is good for is making hot nacho dip: melt it and mix with your favorite salsa and dip tortilla chips in it. I get a craving for this about once a year. It is a BIG mess to clean up, and probably very bad for you, but my, is it tasty!

All the time I have spent in England over the years has made me a fan of "cheese on toast" which is nicer than the regular grilled cheese sandwich...
I toast the bread first, then put a bit of butter on it. Then put grated or slice sharp cheddar on top, put it under a hot broiler, and eat with a knife and fork or my hands, depending on how hot it is or how solid the bread is...

I often make a casserole recipe from the Moosewood cookbook (the old version full of butter and cheese and sour cream). It's made with sauteed broccoli, onion and mushrooms. You mix that into "al dente" egg noodles and toss with cottage cheese, sour cream, an egg, white wine, salt and pepper and grated sharp cheddar and breadcrumbs on top; then bake for a bit on the oven. It's delicious (fills that "mac and cheese void"), not too fatty and a nice way to get your veggies. You can vary the recipe and add spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, or kale instead of or in addition to broccoli.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Dani
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:54 AM

My mother's trad recipe was the shred, dump, pour and bake one. None better. She swears it won't work unless you use Creamettes pasta and Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp.

One variant we like: replace some cheddar with a GOOD Monterey Jack, and stir a can of Ro*tel into the pasta. Yum.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,Geordie
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 10:06 AM

I use a white sause and add some Wendlydale cheese as well. I often add a tin of whole tomatoes,,,yum.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: MMario
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 10:08 AM

Our neighbors used to make mac and cheese with tomatoes in it (!) Just didn't seem "right" somehow.

We used to grate up a bunch of the "rat cheese" my Dad would bring home - he never would tell us where he got it - but it was XXXX Sharp cheddar - sort of - maybe -

grate it, mix it with just barely cooked elbow macaroni in almost equal qantity, cover with milk and then bake until bubbly and browned on top.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Catarina
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 10:47 AM

I must say you guys eat the most extraordinary things. I'll try some of the M&C recipes, they sound (or look) quite yummy...
I thought about teaching catters to make a portuguese pot boil (it's delicious!) but you probably wouldn't find most of the ingredients... and then again, who knows? Anyway I'll have to look up the right words, or I'll get you all to boil the wrong stuff ;-) Maybe one of these days...

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 11:39 AM

Made a big mac and cheese yesterday: with elbow twists (not sure of Italian name but these are like double elbows; interesting shape!), sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, romano and parmesan cheeses. Also white sauce (butter, flour, milk), sour cream and yogurt, with buttered bread crumbs on top. Yum. Lunch for the next couple of days.
It's cold and actually a bit of snow here in Boston. Good comfort food weather; I have to stay in and do some work today.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Blues=Life
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 01:37 PM

I use Cabot's Hunter's Chedder (The Seriously Sharp variety) along with a white sauce. It's the little crusts of cheese on top that make this so good.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Little Robyn
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 02:21 PM

We had spaghetti squash for tea last night - like macaroni cheese but instead of pasta elbows, you use a vegetable spaghetti. I learnt about this when NZ TV showed a Julia Child cooking series many years ago, when I thought spag. squashes were just yellow stringy overgrown courgettes. Now they're my favourite vegetable! And they have more vitamins than pasta.
Yum.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 07:20 PM

Cabot's Hunters' Cheddar RULES!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 01:15 PM

I'm refreshing this because I just got the urge. I'm combing the recipes. Think I'll pass on the "onion" one.......giving the "eggs" ones a long look, but also the "white sauce" ones.....hmmmm. I'll keep ya posted.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 01:32 PM

Rick;
as stated above, when I gave in and made one a few days ago, I used a white sauce recipe, and also added some sour cream and yogurt...no eggs, though but I think I will add one next time...very tasty...

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 02:22 PM

Awww shit! Went the "white sauce" route, had it goin' nicely....and it curdled or separated or whatever. I guess it'll still taste OK but that's not what I had in mind. What'd I do wrong Peg, or anyone out there!

Rick (cheesed off)

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 02:39 PM

Rick; making white sauce (or "roux") is one of those things it sometimes takes a bit of practice to get the hang of...like making an omelet, or a quiche.

Make sure the butter does not turn brown as it melts; stir in the flour. Add the milk *slowly* and keep the heat low and STIR CONSTANTLY! Using a small whisk is helpful to keep lumps out but a wooden spoon is fine too. Make sure you are using a stainless steel saucepan (non-stick ones are not all created equal and enameled or glass are a bit of a mess to clean up)

I would say, if you find this step frustrating you can certainly make a mac and cheese without it!
Just add butter, milk, and cheeses (plus sour cream and eggs if you're using them) to the cooked macaroni (al dente or still firm is best, as it will absorb more liquid while baking) and stir well before pouring into a buttered casserole...

best of luck!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 03:00 PM

Mac and cheese in my house, HAS to have cut-up hotdogs in it...

And not those 12 for a buck hotdogs either... The serious, big as a babys leg dogs...

Mmmmmmm....

Green onion... now there's a good idea too...

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 07:01 PM

Clinton...ONIONS? I'm gonna barf!

Well it tasted fine Peg....but perhaps I did get a bit impatient and turned the burner on full after I'd been stirring for what seemed like a long time (ten or more minutes)

Hmmmm, I also put some table cream in ....might that have had anything to do with it?

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 07:10 PM

Rick, if you used cream instead of milk (is that what "table cream" is?) that would certainly affect the consistency..but if it tastes all right, well...

hot dogs? I remember Mom would cook them up in a casserole with sauerkraut...her version of German cuisine, I guess. If I were to add meat to mac and cheese I think I'd add andouille sausage or ground beef or tuna.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 08:14 PM

Mmmmm... Tuna...

:-P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I suspect the hot dog thing is a carry over from childhood.. the occasional craving for Crap-dinner and Dogs...

And well Rick... there's not a lot I don't like Green Onion on...

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Little Robyn
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 08:58 PM

Rick, that's why I do mine in the microwave - it's not likely to go curdled like that.
But also I mix it with a whisk to stop it going lumpy from uneven cooking - ie the middle still runny while the edge is trying to go solid.
Better luck next time.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 11:37 PM

Rick, I wonder at some of the kitchen disasters you've described. This doesn't sound too bad, but I think you were rushing the sauce and got into trouble. Maybe you need to get out on the road performing, and at each stop stay with a Mudcatter who knows how to cook amd can teach you the fundamentals of each dish. It's kind of like waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering what your next cooking question will be. . . ;-)

It is vastly entertaining, but I always fear that the next report will bring an account of a recent housefire. So on that note, do you have at least one good fire extinguisher nearby in your kitchen?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Cluin
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 12:17 AM

You get a box of this stuff called "Kraft Dinner" and you follow the directions on that. I don't know why you folks are making it more complicated than that. It's never gonna taste any better; as a matter of fact it only tastes good at about 3 AM when you're drunk or stoned.

Or else whatever is left, fry it up the next day and coat liberally with seasoned salt. But you have to be really hungry.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Peg
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 01:27 AM

I suspect Rick's next gastronomic feat will either be an angel-food cake made from scratch, ratatouille...or home-brewed absinthe.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 08:26 AM

Rick, you could always dump some cheese fondu or rarebit in a bunch of macaroni. My mom's recipe calls for cheese, milk and and egg or two. You could probably just do melt some cheese, thin it with milk to make it runny enough, season as you like and pour it on. (The best stuff I've ever made was with some sort of smoked soft cheese with a name I can't remember.) Buy some "Anni's Shells & Cheddar." It's instant, but if you look at the ingredients in the dehydrated stuff, it's cheese - you add the milk (and butter, if you like).

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 11:02 AM

Well....

Well.....

Today is another day. The remains of my macaroni and cheese has just been eaten by Heather. I BEGGED her to at least put some milk in it before microwaving, but once again I was admonished for trying to excercise to much control!!

"Stop telling me how to eat"!!! she purred.

Now, one thing I should make clear here, is that I describe my disasters in comedic detail for comedic reasons. In fact, my cooking is generally very inventive, (thanks to a bad memory and never using recipes) and non-toxic (most of the time).

The great "SAUSAGE MASACREE" of 1983 (where I actually threw the whole friggin' mess out the window) was an anomily.

The "SPAM ATTACK" (served as a joke to my new wife Heather, who said that in Glasgow, Spam was actually considered a 'foodstuff') was unfortunate I admit. I really should NOT have looked closely at it. Ten to one, if I'd looked the other way AND held my nose while eating it, the whole "vomit thing" would NOT have happened.

The "Hot Chili" incident could have happened to anybody. The damn top from the dried chili peppers simply came off. What the hell was I supposed to do? Hunt around spooning flakes out, or chucking an otherwise great-looking chili in the garbage? Most of our guests recovered, and we didn't need that cat anyway.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Nemesis
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 09:17 PM

I do the white/cheese sauce version but always add a 1 tsp of dry mustard powder when making the roux. Sprinkle with a little Paprika before putting under the grill (broiler?)

And diced up fatty smoked bacon, fried up with a chopped fine Red onion (dry-fry together - the fat from the bacon is sufficent to cook the onion together with it) is lovely stirred in.

Bacon makes it fairly salty so, apart from the salt to cook the pasta with, don't add any more to the sauce.

Serve with vine-ripened tomato salad .. a little Olive oil and black pepper dressing

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Susan from California
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 10:27 PM

I go the white sauce route, medium, 2 cups of milk, and Tilamook Cheddar. On the top I sprinkle wheat germ. Yummy. Just the thing for a rainy April evening.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,Sharon G
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 01:43 PM

Like several other posters-
I make macaroni and cheese with white sauce (melted butter & flour, whisk in the milk as described above), and lots of grated cheddar cheese. Don't leave the white sauce cheese mixture on the heat too long after it's melted- thicken the sauce first somewhat, then add the cheese.

My favorite new addition:   Mix in green chile salsa (like the Trader Joes fire roasted green chile salsa) for a really interesting variation.


My mom used to bake hers in the oven for about an hour, with breadcrumbs and tomatoes on it. I've never done that... I'm too busy to wait another hour for it to be ready!

Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 04:52 PM

I agree about adding some mustard to the roux. For cheese I use any good English Cheddar, Lancashire, Wensleydale or Carephilly. To turn into a meal to die for add a good quality pancetta.

With my cholesterol it is a meal to die for but my salmon and asparagus risotto is a heavenly substitute.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 06:29 PM

I've definitely got that white sauce covered now. I simply wasn't paying attention to the instructions of the folks who KNOW HOW!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,kimmers
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 09:39 PM

2 cups of medium white sauce, 2 cups (or a little more) of cubed cheese... I never bother to grate it. A little nutmeg is good; so is Worcestershire, or dry mustard. Mix with 1 pound cooked pasta; I use Ronzoni Penne Rigate. Extra cheese on top; bake at 350 till bubbly.

I sometimes add ripe cubed tomatoes, or leftover meats. Sliced-up hot dogs are fun; we called it M&C with polka dots!

This is the dish that I am trying to teach Beth to cook. Beth is our housemate who lives in the basement. She's 24 years old, a college student and Wal-Mart wage slave... and cannot cook anything except toast and Minute rice. She had to ask me how to microwave a potato. Oh, the pain. So far, I think I have taught her how to cube the cheese and stir the sauce.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 09:51 PM

I taught my NYC roomie how to make Mac and Cheese from scratch many years ago. His mother approved--it meant he could at least cook one thing. My daughter seems to have some kind of bragging rights about it at her high school--we're the only family she knows who make it from scratch.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: GUEST,Nicklz
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 07:03 PM

My mother and grandmother made it from scratch and used New York State extra sharp cheddar, mixed it in a white sauce , and baked it til it was bubbly and browned around the edges.
Delicious.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 09:21 PM

Maybe this thread will lure Rick Fielding to the computer. . . 'tis the time of year he usually participates in the cooking discussions.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: LadyJean
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 11:46 PM

I still have mom's copy of "The Joy of Cooking" and her recipe for baked macaroni and cheese. Layer good quality grated cheddar (NOT VELVEETA!!!!) over cooked maccaroni. Pour a milk, egg, and paprika batter over the whole thing, and bake. I put a little parmesan on the top.
NOW
Here is the secret to mega macaroni. Once it's baked, wrap up the casserole, and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. The maccaroni will soak up the cheese and spices, and the end result is sublime. Mom would make it 24 hours in advance, if company was expected, and reheat it for guests. Otherwise, we dined sparingly on the mac and cheese, knowing how much better it would be at lunch the next day.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Frivolous Sal
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 03:39 AM

You all abviously (with the exception of the velveeta person) can make mac and cheese. I truly think the right cheese can make all the difference if you want magic.
I have also had the cheese separate when I made very large batches. I forgot what the chef I asked told me, and it is too late to wake him up. Now I make smaller batches.
I think gruyere adds something, as one of the 3-4 cheeses. I think my standard recipe (out of my head) is 1 c raw mac to 1 c white sauce to 8 oz. cheese. Yes on the onions (grated very fine, the mustard, the tabasco, sometimes the crumb topping, and, in my house with no kids, baby peas.
If I spare some Couger Gold for it (hard to do) I choose my recipe carefully and plan ahead.
My favorite tuna hot dish has cheese, green pepper, peas, pimento, celery, and cream of celery soup. It is truly wonderful, no matter how it sounds.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: mg
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 09:41 PM

nothing but nothing, makes for good macaroni and cheese like Velveeta..the finest of aged cheddar made by elves in the Alps...mozarella made by the pope himself...Wisconsin's finest..not even Tilamook...only Velveeta.

mg

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: LadyJean
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 12:31 AM

I had a housemate, who loved my mac and cheese, but he was on an antidepressant called Parnate. Cheese is poison, literally, to anyone on Parnate, except for the stuff he called "Processed Canadian". What I'd do for him was put a couple of slabs of the plastic cheese on top of the cooked macaroni, and pour on the batter.
Eventually, he went on a different antidepressent, and ate grated cheddar again. He also ate "Processed Canadian", apparently, he liked the stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 10:52 AM

Mary Garvey said "Velveeta"! Don't talk durrrrty!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Macaroni and Cheese
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 02:54 AM

waht does SWMBO MEAN?