Mac and Cheese
So Mac and Cheese has been coming up on Stacey's blog as of late. Let me preface by saying we are BIG mac and cheese fans at Domestic Goddesses. At least, I know Stacey and I are...
Anyway - mac and cheese. Who doesn't love this, quite possibly the ultimate in comfort food? But do we resort to the nuclear-colored love that Kraft provides? Well... to be honest, yes, I do enjoy the nuclear orange fuzziness that coats my belly that can only be found in a box of Kraft (the Kraft Blues Clues mac and cheese is really good... and the paw prints are blue...), but I digress. So to celebrate the opening of Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese in NYC, I bring to you, the mac and cheese recipe given to me by my own mom, given to her by my Nana. This recipe has brought joy to the faculty and staff at P.S. 139 and my own family. Enjoy, be creative, and customize where you will - and let me know what you do and how it comes out:
Roe's Nana's Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Boil up a 16 oz box of elbow-shaped pasta. I use Barilla, but I've used Rienzi and Ronzoni - basically, if you like the pasta, use it.
Shred a block of cheddar cheese (sharpness is to your taste. I happen to like sharp.) and a block of Monterey Jack cheese (an addition of mine, not part of the original recipe), set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups milk and a stick of butter. Let the butter melt, keep the heat low enough to heat and melt but not boil - you don't want scalded milk here, you want to create a nice roux. Slightly thicken about 1/2 cup -1 cup of milk with flour - you don't want to create spackle here, you want to thicken up the milk a little bit so your mac and cheese won't be runny. Add to the roux along with a small handful of the cheese you just shredded. DO NOT use a lot of the cheese - you need it for the main course, this is just a flavoring agent.
Boil the pasta 'til it's al dente (a little firm - you're going to cook it after this, so you don't want it mushy when it comes out of the oven). Drain. Get a casserole dish and spray or butter lightly so your pasta won't stick. Spread some pasta over the bottom of the dish, then layer with the roux sauce you've just created, and enough cheese to cover the first layer. Repeat twice more or to the size of your casserole dish. Pasta, sauce, cheese.
Take some bread crumbs - again, flavoring is your call - I've used plain, but I find using the seasoned one gives it a little extra taste. I've also combined plain with parmesan cheese to give it a different taste - and sprinkle over top of pasta so it will crust up nicely. If you'd like, sprinkle any cheese you may have left over the top of the bread crumbs. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 deg. for about 30 minutes or until done. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then dig in and enjoy!
My husband loves ham (ugh... or SPAM...) and I will occasionally throw the ham in when I'm layering - so it would be pasta, ham, sauce and cheese... On these occasions, I make two trays - one for Mike, the other for me, Will and Alex. Feel free to experiment and enjoy.
Viva Mac and Cheese!
Some Mac and Cheese-related links:
Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese (it's a Roe post, you didn't expect an Alton reference.?)
Emeril's Macaroni with Four Cheeses
Behind the Bash - Macaroni and Cheese in Parmesan Cups
Calorie Commando's Creamy Four Cheese Macaroni
Quiz: Which Macaroni and Cheese are You?
Anyway - mac and cheese. Who doesn't love this, quite possibly the ultimate in comfort food? But do we resort to the nuclear-colored love that Kraft provides? Well... to be honest, yes, I do enjoy the nuclear orange fuzziness that coats my belly that can only be found in a box of Kraft (the Kraft Blues Clues mac and cheese is really good... and the paw prints are blue...), but I digress. So to celebrate the opening of Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese in NYC, I bring to you, the mac and cheese recipe given to me by my own mom, given to her by my Nana. This recipe has brought joy to the faculty and staff at P.S. 139 and my own family. Enjoy, be creative, and customize where you will - and let me know what you do and how it comes out:
Roe's Nana's Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Boil up a 16 oz box of elbow-shaped pasta. I use Barilla, but I've used Rienzi and Ronzoni - basically, if you like the pasta, use it.
Shred a block of cheddar cheese (sharpness is to your taste. I happen to like sharp.) and a block of Monterey Jack cheese (an addition of mine, not part of the original recipe), set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups milk and a stick of butter. Let the butter melt, keep the heat low enough to heat and melt but not boil - you don't want scalded milk here, you want to create a nice roux. Slightly thicken about 1/2 cup -1 cup of milk with flour - you don't want to create spackle here, you want to thicken up the milk a little bit so your mac and cheese won't be runny. Add to the roux along with a small handful of the cheese you just shredded. DO NOT use a lot of the cheese - you need it for the main course, this is just a flavoring agent.
Boil the pasta 'til it's al dente (a little firm - you're going to cook it after this, so you don't want it mushy when it comes out of the oven). Drain. Get a casserole dish and spray or butter lightly so your pasta won't stick. Spread some pasta over the bottom of the dish, then layer with the roux sauce you've just created, and enough cheese to cover the first layer. Repeat twice more or to the size of your casserole dish. Pasta, sauce, cheese.
Take some bread crumbs - again, flavoring is your call - I've used plain, but I find using the seasoned one gives it a little extra taste. I've also combined plain with parmesan cheese to give it a different taste - and sprinkle over top of pasta so it will crust up nicely. If you'd like, sprinkle any cheese you may have left over the top of the bread crumbs. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 deg. for about 30 minutes or until done. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then dig in and enjoy!
My husband loves ham (ugh... or SPAM...) and I will occasionally throw the ham in when I'm layering - so it would be pasta, ham, sauce and cheese... On these occasions, I make two trays - one for Mike, the other for me, Will and Alex. Feel free to experiment and enjoy.
Viva Mac and Cheese!
Some Mac and Cheese-related links:
Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese (it's a Roe post, you didn't expect an Alton reference.?)
Emeril's Macaroni with Four Cheeses
Behind the Bash - Macaroni and Cheese in Parmesan Cups
Calorie Commando's Creamy Four Cheese Macaroni
Quiz: Which Macaroni and Cheese are You?
posted by Roe at
11:28 AM
2 Comments:
Ok, now I'm psyched!
By
Stacey, At
12:57 PM
Mac and cheese... people will one day realize it is the perfect food. It can bring world peace.
By
Roe, At
2:19 PM
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