Original Macaroni And Cheese With Variations Recipes

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the cheese, salt, mustard and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Drain pasta; stir into cheese sauce. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in tomatoes just until combined.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Place a quarter of the macaroni in the bottom, followed by an even layer of one-quarter of the cheese slices. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering three times. Pour evaporated milk evenly over the top of all.
• Bake, uncovered, for one hour, or until top is golden brown.

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in boiling water until almost tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, mustard, pepper and pepper sauce until smooth. Cook for 1 minute or until bubbly. Stir in the macaroni, milk and 4 cups cheese. , Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package.
• While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constanly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
• Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce.
• Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. While the water is heating, grate the cheese with a rotary grater and set it aside.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is barely tender, about 7 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
• Melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter in a non-reactive medium size saucepan over medium heat. When it is bubbly, whisk in the flour and cook for a few seconds, just until it is combined. Whisk thoroughly so you gather all the flour into the butter. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly so the flour paste absorbs the milk without creating lumps. When about half the milk has been added, you can add the rest at a faster rate, but continue to whisk constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly but not frantically. When it reaches the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, still whisking occasionally, until the sauce is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the grated cheese; whisk vigorously until the cheese has melted. Then whisk in the heavy cream, and season to taste with salt and cayenne.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauce with the drained macaroni. Transfer the mixture to a 13x9 inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, and dot with the remaining 4 Tablespoons butter. Bake until it is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• VARIATIONS:
• Ham, Macaroni, and Cheese: Fold in 1/4 pound diced smoked ham, or 2 ounces finely chopped prosciutto, when you combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce in step 5.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Macaroni and Cheese: Fold in 1/4 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes when you combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce in step 5.
• Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese: Fold in 1 cup diced cooked vegetables, such as carrots, when you combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce in step 5.
• Macaroni and Multi-cheeses: Instead of the plain Cheddar, use a combination of cheeses; Cheddar and Parmesan; Asiago, Cheddar, and smoked mozzarella; Cheddar, Fontina, chevre, and Parmesan; or another outrageously rich mixture.
• Note: This tends to dry out when reheated the following day, so it is best to reheat it, covered, in a microwave. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
• Monday to Friday Pasta.

Steps:

• In large pot, cook pasta according to package directions; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water before draining. In small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; stir in breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring, until browned, 2 minutes. Remove from skillet; reserve.
• For cheese sauce, in pasta pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat; whisk in flour, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Whisk in milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in 1 2/3 cups cheddar, fontina and reserved water until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta until coated with sauce. Serve sprinkled with remaining 1/3 cup cheddar, reserved breadcrumbs and parsley.
• For Mac 'n Cheese Pizza.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 12 inch round pizza pan with cooking spray.
• Toss 10 frozen cocktail-size meatballs (thawed and halved) with 1/4 cup pizza sauce and 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning; reserve.
• Prepare Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese, substituting spaghetti for cavatappi and omitting reserved cooking water and breadcrumb mixture; in cheese sauce, omit cheddar, stirring 1 cup mozzarella cheese into sauce along with the 1 cup of shredded fontina cheese.
• Spread pasta mixture in pan. Top with 3/4 cup pizza sauce then sprinkle with additional 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese. Top with reserved meatballs, cut sides down. Bake until cheese melts, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
• For South-of-the-Border Mac 'n Cheese Bake.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare Best-Ever Macaroni 'n Cheese, substituting wagon wheel pasta for cavatappi and omitting breadcrumb mixture; in cheese sauce, omit cheddar and fontina, substituting 1 cup jarred salsa con queso and 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, stirring all of cheese into sauce.
• Stir 1 link (4 oz) chorizo sausage, sliced, into sauce along with wagon wheel pasta. Transfer pasta mixture to 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 cups crushed white tortilla chips (about 20 chips). Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro.
• Each recipe serves 6 people.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Prepare the elbow macaroni according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in the flour until a cream colored paste forms. Then pour in the milk and stir constantly until this comes to a hard boil, then stir for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
• When the macaroni is cooked, spread 1/2 of it into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Then layer 1/2 of the grated onion, 1/2 of the salt and pepper and 1/2 of each of the cheeses. Repeat this one more time: macaroni, onion, salt and pepper and cheeses, and then pour the reserved white sauce over all. Top off with small pats of butter to taste.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.