Dannys Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper, jalapeno, garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and heat until starting to bubble around the edges. Add the processed cheese and stir until melted. Add the Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheeses, pepper, kosher salt, seasoned salt and hot sauce to taste. Stir until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a splash of milk if the sauce seems too thick. Fold in the cooked macaroni and serve.
• Reheating instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the mac and cheese in a baking dish, cover with foil and heat until warmed through, about 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
• In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup grated Cheddar for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated Cheddar, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
• Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; F. Set a large pot of water on high heat.
• Meanwhile, begin the sauce by making a roux: in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue to stir this roux over medium heat for two to three minutes.
• The roux should be cooked and free of the flour flavor but still light in color.
• Gradually add milk, whisking briskly to maintain a smooth sauce.
• Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.
• When sauce thickens, add cheeses, salt and spices to the sauce, and stir until all the cheese has melted. I make my sauces in the microwave; turns out great and never scorches.
• Somewhere during this sauce-cooking process, your pasta water has started boiling. The original is made with Penne noodles. Add a generous amount of salt to the water and cook the pasta until almost but not quite al dente (two minutes before the package directions indicate). You want barely undercooked pasta so that it can finish in the oven later. Halt the cooking by draining the pasta and rinsing with cold water. Return pasta to pot.
• Pour sauce over pasta and stir until completely incorporated. The combination should be fairly saucy, almost soupy.
• Dish the mixture into a buttered 9-13 pan and sprinkle with extra grated cheeses and cayenne. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until you have beautiful, browned edges. Those edges will be a welcome and flavorful addition to each serving.
• Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. I divided this in 2 containers and froze one.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
• Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
• Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.

Steps:

• Boil pasta according to package in salted water.
• For firmer pasta reduce boiling time by a few minutes.
• Drain.
• Grease a deep casserole dish (I use a spray).
• Place a layer of macaroni, enough to cover the bottom, in the casserole dish.
• Add a layer of cheese slices covering the macaroni.
• Very lightly season with salt and pepper (I actually skip this and we add salt and pepper to taste on our individual servings).
• Repeat these layers until you are out of pasta.
• Pour milk over the casserole until the milk almost reaches the top of the casserole dish (It doesn't take much because the dish is already full of pasta and cheese).
• Bake covered for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven.
• You'll know it is finished cooking when the milk is no longer liquid.
• Sometimes I add leftover ham chunks to the layers.
• Cook time and servings are approximate!

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-inch square (or 2-quart) baking dish with butter.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until is al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions, and drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the flour, onion powder, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Whisk in the condensed tomato soup and milk and bring to a simmer, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, then stir in the Cheddar and American cheese with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
• Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish pan. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with your hand, then sprinkle over the pasta.
• Bake until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.