Mac & Cheese Recipe
 

I like to cook and I've cooked a ton of mac & cheese recipes hoping to find the one that will 'trump' that Kraft blue box that I grew up with that was soooooo great...without success

I don't know if I need to double the amount of cheese in the recipes I'mn trying or what....maybe there isn't a recipe out there that can really make an adult feel like 'ya, this one tops that ole Kraft dinner' big time....

any recipes that you would care to share would be appreciated

Do not have a recipe but make a good tasting cheese sauce and pour it over the macaroni.

Do you have a smoker? There are some great recipes on youtube. Here's one of my favorites..

Smoked Mac & Cheese Recipe | Macaroni & Cheese on Smoker Malcom Reed HowToBBQRight - YouTube

nope, I don't have a smoker...thinking about it though, but it's still way out in the future

Here ya go. The real deal.
 

Hard-core BAKED macaroni and cheese, the way it's supposed to be:
Oven 400°

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cavatappi (spiral macaroni)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 c. milk
1 c. light or heavy cream (not whipping cream, not half-n-half, must be real dairy)
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
2 c. shredded sharp (or sharp/extra blend, or sharp/gouda blend) cheddar cheese
1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I use italian seasoned breadcrumbs)

400°
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water, til just a little MORE cooked than "al dente."
2. Set aside cooked drained pasta into a baking dish. I use a glass corningware 8x8 but you can use no-stick 9x11 if that's what you have.
3. Make a roux with melted butter, flour, salt, pepper. (google that if you don't know how to make a roux, it's important)
*4. Add cream & milk slowly, stir constantly.
5. Reduce heat after it boils, keep stirring and cooking for 10 minutes.
6. add cheddar and simmer til cheese melts
7. Dump cheese sauce over pasta, stir to coat well.
8. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
9. Bake 20 minutes or til top is golden brown.

* Adding the milk and cream to the roux makes a bechamel sauce - you can use that for all kinds of things, not just mac & cheese!
** You can swap out 4 tablespoons of the milk, and add a tablespoon of worchestershire sauce plus 3 tablespoons of cooking sherry if you want a "gourmet" foodie-type aftertaste. You can also add grilled boneless skinless chicken breast chunks, or a DRAINED package of peas if that's your thing. I'm a purist, I like it the original way, served molten hot in an ice cream bowl.

I make the cheese sauce with half and half and a smoked sharp cheddar cheese. But the real secret is to serve a scoop of BBQ pulled pork over the top. Trust me a great taste combination.

Thank you for taking the time to respond with this. It's almost identical to the one that I use....maybe I just need to double the cheese

Now that is an interesting twist

Without a doubt the best mac&cheese you’ll ever make. Lobster optional
 

Lobster Mac and Cheese Southern Style
Ingredients
For the Lobster
* 5 lobster tails Go up to 6 tails if you want it super meaty
* 10 tbsp unsalted butter divided
* 1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
For the Pasta
* 8 cups water
* 1 lb cavatappi pasta
For the Cheese Sauce
* 1 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar
* 1 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack
* 1 1/2 cup shredded gruyere
* 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 2 tsp minced garlic
* 1/2 cup all purpose flour
* 2 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 1/4 cup whole milk
* 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
* 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp dry mustard
* 1/2 tsp paprika
* 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
For the Assembly
* 2 large eggs beaten
* 1/2 cup panko crumbs
* Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Lobster
* Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut lobster tails in half vertically and place on a foil lined baking sheet.

* Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of lobster tails with butter then sprinkle with cajun seasoning. 

* Bake for 10 minutes or until they develop a beautiful color then remove from shells. Roughly chop lobster into large chunks in a medium sized bowl and pour remaining butter from the baking sheet over the lobster and set aside.

* Lower temperature on oven to 375 degrees.

For the Pasta
* Next add water in a large pot along with some salt and boil pasta according to the package. Drain and set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce
* Toss all shredded cheeses together in a large bowl and set aside.

* Add olive oil to pan and heat over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute then add 3 more tablespoons of butter to the pan and allow to melt down.

* Quickly whisk in flour and cook for approximately 1 minute.

* Pour in heavy cream and whole milk continuing to whisk.

* Next add onion powder , garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika and cayenne continuing to whisk.

* Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* Stir in half of shredded cheeses and allow them to melt continuing to stir.

To Assemble
* Once cheese melts down, turn off heat. Add beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of butter to pasta. Toss everything together until butter has melted. Add pasta to a 9x13 inch baking sheet and stir in beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of butter. 

* Add pasta to 9x13 inch baking sheet. Next pour as much of the cheese sauce as you would like (for super cheesy, use it all) and half of the lobster to the pasta and mix super well. 

* Next spread remaining lobster over top of mac and cheese. Top with remaining shredded cheeses leaving the lobster pieces bare so they will be seen once baked. P.S. Add extra shredded cheese to the top of this dish if you want it to be super cheesy and have all the cheese pulls.

* Finally in a small bowl, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and add breadcrumbs and toss together.

* Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top leaving the lobster mostly bare so it peeks through and bake at 375 for 27-35 minutes.

* Rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle with parsley then serve.
:ho::read::read::boom:

Great Mac and Cheese recipes shared!
 

Great Lobster mac and cheese recipe . Thank yo ufor sharing. Also the original post of how to make mac and cheese was my original recipe. A roux is the best way.
Way to go Villagers!

If you are really looking to duplicate the Kraft blue box mac and cheese, what you need to do is cut the cheese down to almost nothing. And use emulsifiers instead of making a roux. That blue box product contains "cheese dust," not real cheese. Federal food programs do not even allow it to be used because it contains so little real protein.

Pick up a box at the grocery and read the ingredients. You will see what I mean.

I'm reading the ingredients off the box at home. It is a duplicate of what I found on the Kraft website, so I'll post a copy/paste here:

No cheese dust. It's cheese sauce mix. The ingredients to make the cheese sauce mix, are juuuuust about the same as the ingredients to make yellow cheddar cheese.

Very interesting. Based on quantities of each ingredient seems like there will be much more in the way of sauce than pasta. Thinking you could probably use 3-4 pounds of pasta for the sauce this makes.

One of the yummiest and cheesiest recipes I’ve used. Yum. From Pampered Chef.

THE BLEND OF FOUR CHEESES IS WHAT GIVES THIS CROWD-PLEASER A SPECIAL FLAVOR. IT’S LOWER IN FAT DUE TO THE AVAILABILITY OF TODAY’S LIGHTER CHEESES... PLUS A FEW OTHER INGREDIENT ADJUSTMENTS.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 ounces (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, grated
6 ounces light processed cheese product, cubed
2 ounces light cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 onion Melba toast, crushed (1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon 70% vegetable oil spread, melted
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare macaroni according to package directions; drain. Grate Parmesan cheese with Rotary Grater. Using Utility Knife, cube processed cheese and cream cheese; set aside. Combine flour and pepper in (4-qt.) Casserole. Add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with Nylon Whisk, until completely smooth. Gradually add remaining milk while stirring briskly. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; add cheeses, stirring until melted. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni. Pour mixture in Square Baker. Crush Melba toast in sealed plastic bag with Baker's Roller®. Combine with melted spread; sprinkle over top of macaroni. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Yield:
6 servings
Nutrients per serving:
Approximately 446 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving

Hi. Reading the responses to your post has been fun. I don't remember eating Kraft Mac and Cheese, but some of the commercially made dishes from restaurants where I have eaten have a tang to them. I would love to replicate that tang. Maybe some of the ingredients in the recipes provided will help me achieve that. Just my thought: more cheese won't achieve what you want. Thanks for posting.

Great recipe
Have you ever tried crushing Lays Potato Chip on top instead of breadcrumbs.......yummy

Everybody says they really like my Mac and Cheese. I make it for lots of pit licks and family holiday meals. Reading the recipes above this seems much simpler. I am not a fan of a very creamy mac and cheese. I also like a very sharp cheddar not a soft or sweet type taste from certain cheeses mentioned in other recipes.

About 2/3 box Barillo elbow macaroni. Cook al dente.
Grate 2 blocks of aged Irish cheddar cheese and 1 block of extra sharp cheddar. Best fresh grated not the pregrated pkg. Mix cheeses together well.
Mix and heat slowly about 2/3 cup of half and half, 2 tablespoons butter, and nutmeg to taste (about a 1/2 tsp) I do not use flour so it's not really a roux but you could. I don't feel it needs it.
Butter a glass baking dish. I prefer a deeper dish vs a longer one that will make a thin layer.
Cover bottom with one layer of Mac then a thick layer of cheese alternate layers of Mac and cheese until the dish is full and pour the warm milk mixture evenly over the top.
Bake at 375 for about 40-45 minutes until nicely browned.

Mac and Cheese tuna fish casserole. Prepare the mac and cheese as you normally do, then add a can of tuna fish - drained and chopped up - a can of cream of celery soup, and some milk and butter. Place in a casserole dish in the oven, add some grated cheese, and cook at 350 degrees until it is ready (about 30-45 minutes).

I boil my Barilla elbows for 5 minutes only, drain them and pour in heavy cream (I don’t measure) add about 3/4 of a quart, mix well and turn half into baking pan, add your cheese ( I use cheddar and a small amount of mozzarella) pour rest of elbows and add the remaining cheese. Pour rest of cream over top, bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, around 25-30 minutes. I’m constantly asked to bring this dish to parties and a request from my son’s when they visit.

Not sure if you're looking for macaroni and cheese straight up, but I personally love to do the usual cheese sauce (bechamel and cheese) and add sauteed onion, garlic, broccoli and bacon which I season well with various herbs and some balsamic vinegar. SO FREAKIN GOOD. My boyfriend asks for it regularly.

An expensive dish to make around $80.00 but worth every penny. 1 used 1 lb of frozen lobster meat thawed.

Why a recipe? Pasta, milk, and any of the wonderful cheeses that are offered in the grocery store. Asiago, gruyere, Parmesan. Season to taste. Experiment with different cheese. Kraft MAC and Cheese probably isn’t real cheese.

My kind of cook:icon_wink:

Standard white sauce with 3 or 4 different cheeses. We like the combination of sharp cheddar, Swiss, and American (or a small amount of Velveeta for creaminess). Sprinkle with bread crumbs or Panko mixed with Parmesan. Sometimes I sneak a little Blue cheese instead of Swiss for zing.

Sounds delicious!
Thanks for sharing

Cardboard and government cheese will trump the boxed mac n cheese. You've set a low bar.

Mac N Cheese
 

I do not like flour in my Mac n cheese recipes. This one is the most recent recipe I have tried. It is good and super easy.

Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
If you're looking for a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe like grandma used to make, this is it! Spice it up by using different cheeses like Pepper Jack!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
16 oz. box elbow macaroni
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (reserve 1 cup for the top)
2 cups milk
4 eggs beaten
1/2 stick of butter
4 oz. cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare macaroni according to instructions on box.
Drain and return to pot.
Add 3 cups of cheese, milk, eggs, butter and cream cheese.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

I like Guy Fieris Mac Daddy’s Mac n Cheese recipe. I use significantly more bacon/bacon grease than the recipe calls for. Yum.

An alteration I came up with several years ago.

Mac-n-cheeseburger

Ingredients
1lb ground beef
Cheese sauce
½ cup yellow mustard
2 tbs La Victoria brand Salsa Jalapena extra hot (optional) or diced jalapenos
2/3 box macaroni

Cheese Sauce
16 ounces Velveeta, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup fat free milk
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup La Victoria Salsa Jalapena or small can diced jalapenos

Preparation
Prepare macaroni & set aside. In medium saucepan, combine cheese, milk and pepper. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted, stirring regularly. Brown ground beef, drain. Add mustard and salsa or diced jalapenos. Add salsa jalapena or jalapenos. Add to elbow macaroni, stirring until pasta is well coated.

For something different I'll add ground beef to regular mac-n-cheese, or bacon, or chopped up pepperoni.

Reading all this has made me hungry. Who's making Mac & Cheese for tonight and where do you live? What time is dinner? Maybe what we need to get out of the doldrums is a Mac & Cheese Cook-off. Hoping Oct 5 and having more recreation opportunities will help our dispositions. :)

Hello, when I am looking for a new recipe, I google the item, then look over all the recipes, copy to a Word file the ones that interest me, and choose the one that seems best. Also, I may tweak the recipe adding or deleting anything that I think will make the recipe better. Good luck and YUM!

Instead of trying to replicate the Kraft mac and cheese, why not simply buy a box and make it?

Thank you...I'm now thinking that maybe it's the lack of really sharp aged cheddar that I may be missing....

Thank you....I'll try this one

Hello, what is a "block" of cheese?

Thank you everyone for your many suggestions, advice and recipes!

my wife is allergic to lobster (like a trip to the ER) otherwise I'd be all over that one

A chunk

Please let us know how it turns out Dave.

My boy Alton ;)

Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese Recipe | Alton Brown | Food Network

No, they're not. The first ingredient listed for the cheese sauce mix is whey. Whey is the stuff that cheesemakers throw out after the cheese has curdled. Farmers spread it on their fields for fertilizer. (I once worked for a cheese company in Wisconsin.)
Its a cheap ingredient yet its listed first. In a proper cheese sauce, cheese would be listed first. And a proper cheese sauce doesn't need paprika, turmeric, and annatto for color. The cheese has its own color.

As I said, Federal lunch and food service guidelines don't allow the boxed product to be used because it contains so little protein.