Simple Macaroni And Cheese Recipe That All Will Adore

When you think of macaroni and cheese you might feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is a recipe that your grandma probably made from scratch. Today we just pull out a box and make what they call mac and cheese with processed cheese product and pasta by adding just a little bit of butter and milk. This is totally different from the macaroni and cheese recipe your grandma made because it is far from luscious creamy casserole you loved as a kid.

Most cooks use cheddar cheese when making macaroni and cheese but this can be interchanged with other kinds of cheese like Swiss or Provolone. You can add several things to the recipe to make it a little more interesting. Add cubes of cooked ham or shredded chicken. Some vegetables are perfect to include in a gourmet macaroni and cheese. Use frozen cauliflower or some broccoli. Other good things to put in the dish are chopped spinach and diced tomatoes.

Those that want to make that old comfort food just need to stick to elbow macaroni, some milk and butter with just a few more ingredients. Some people like a real thick mac and cheese that can be cut into squares and they stay that way on the dish. Other people like it a little more creamy so it spreads all over the plate once you dish it out of the casserole. Plain mac and cheese is great but even better when a topping of either breadcrumbs or crunch potato chips are put on top before it is baked. Try it several different ways to see which way will be the favorite of your family.

To make a good plain recipe bring water to boil and add one half pound of elbow macaroni and boil it until it reaches an al dente stage then drain. Take three tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and melt it while the macaroni is being boiled. After the butter melts add three tablespoons of flour and one teaspoon of dry mustard. Start whisking this all together to make a smooth paste and keep going for about three to four minutes. You have just made a rue and that is what will thicken the sauce. Make sure there are no lumps.

The next step is to whisk in 3 cups of milk until completely incorporated with no lumps. If you desire a real creamy dish use evaporated milk or a mixture of evaporated and regular milk. You need a 12 ounce package of sharp cheddar cheese and reserve about one half cup of it and pour the rest in the pan and whisk until it melts. Take one egg and break it into a bowl. Whisk it well and add a little bit of the cheese mixture to the egg and whisk well. Add a little more and whisk well again. You can then pour the whole egg mixture into your cheese mixture. If you do not do this the egg will scramble and get chunky.

If you like your macaroni and cheese to have a little bite stir in 1 teaspoon of paprika. Taste the sauce and if you feel it needs a little salt add some. Most cheese is salty enough. Add the drained macaroni and stir the sauce in well. Place in a greased two quart casserole and sprinkle the reserved cheese over top.

In a small saucepan melt three tablespoons of butter for the topping. Measure out one cup of fine bread crumbs and add it to the saucepan. Regular bread crumbs are fine but if you want a real crunch use Panko crumbs. Spread this mixture over the casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for thirty minutes making sure the top gets brown and sides are bubbling. Take the casserole out of the oven and wait five minutes until you serve. This will allow the sauce to thicken. The family will go crazy over this old fashion dish and if you take it to a church dinner you will have nothing to bring back home with you.

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