Talk of The Villages Florida - Mac & Cheese Recipe

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Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 1837941)

What size are these "blocks" of cheese you're talking about? The packaged "block" of cheese in the supermarket is 8 ounces. That's half a pound of cheese. You're suggesting putting 1.5 pounds of cheese in a sauce to for less than a pound of macaroni.

I'm assuming your idea of a "block" of cheese is not what sells as a block of cheese in the supermarket.

The recipes that people have given us are for very very cheesy mac and cheese.

For those of us who have to watch our cholesterol a cardiologist dream or at least allows him/her to be a snowbird.

If you want an 'ALMOST' Kraft recipe, there is one on Pinterest. I use it when my grands are in town cause they won't eat anything but the box (when they know). I think it uses Velveeta if I remember right.

Yum sounds delicious and should cause your arteries to clog just the same as Kraft. 😜

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 1836952)

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.

To replicate the taste of Kraft for children or your own preference, try a cheese powder such as Hoosier Hill Farm. Comes in "orange" and natural color cheddar. :-)

I like penne pasta and generally add salsa to mine. Heretic!

I start by melting 1/2 box of Valveeta cheese, 1 can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup and 1 can of milk (use the soup can). Melt this on a sauce pan and then pour over some cooked macaroni, or I like to use the Wagon Wheel pasta. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. If I happen to have some good Vermont Seriously Sharp White Cheddar, I put some of that in too.

Secret Ingredient

3-4 drops of Tobasco Sauce added to the cheese mixture will give it a mild tang.

There was a very good one in the Daily Sun last year, 3 cheeses, delicious! Try calling them.