How To Make A Better Mac N Cheese
By nifty@50
Why We Love Mac N Cheese
Mac N Cheese is comfort food at it's finest, whether for a side dish or a main course people naturally love it. It's great for a home cooked meal, easy to make and economical. It is also a favorite for the church pot luck dinner or any get together .
There are a few simple steps to a great Mac N Cheese. As you have most certainly noticed, there are good and not so good Mac N Cheese recipes. One of the most common mistakes is not adding enough cheese, leaving the noodles dry and hard. On the subject of cheese use good quality cheese not the super cheap kind (it matters). The easiest and most fool proof method of making Mac N Cheese, is to first make the noodles and then make a cheese sauce to pour over the top, and then baking. The noodles should be swimming in cheese sauce. Adding flour in my opinion steals a lot of the flavor from the cheese. I prefer to add eggs which help thicken it. If you desire to make a runnier Mac N Cheese (Which is some times better as a side dish) use just one egg or leave them out entirely. Cheese is salty enough on it's own, no extra salt is needed in the cheese sauce!
Variety adds complexity of taste and that is why I like to add a blend of cheeses, but no more than 7, beyond that, your taste buds start getting confused. Some people use 14 or more different cheeses and the flavors start becoming indistinguishable. While adding powdered mustard adds depth of flavor, it is not needed when using a blend of cheeses.
The best noodles for Mac N Cheese are Elbows or large Zitis. Large works best.
My secret ingredient, and one you will see in very few recipes, is mayonnaise. It adds a certain smoothness to your Mac N Cheese that you just can't get without it, once you use it there's no going back to regular Mac N Cheese. Some people use sour cream, which is also good, but mayonnaise is less tangy, which I prefer.
Three Cheese Blend Mac N Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
1-16 ounce bag of elbow Macaroni
11/2-Cups of Velveeta cubed
3-Cups of Monterey jack & cheddar blend finely shredded
3/4-Cup Sharp Cheddar(topping)
4-TBS. Mayonnaise
4-Large eggs
2-TBS. Salted Butter
11/2-Cup half & half
2-tsp Salt
Directions
In water with two teaspoons of salt boil macaroni until slightly soft (past al dente), strain and leave in covered pot. Making sure to beat the egg whites separately, add all remaining ingredients except the 3/4 cup of Sharp cheddar, to a pan on low heat. Stir until completely melted (add more half & half if needed). When nicely blended, pour macaroni into a 9x13 in baking dish, that has been sprayed with butter spray. Pour cheese mixture over the top, then top with the 3/4 cup of sharp cheddar and bake at 350 degree preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly browned on top.
Other Nifty@50 recipes
Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Casserole
Classic Cuban Sandwich & Black Bean Soup
Red Beans and Rice Puerto Rican Style
Cuban Ham & Egg Melt Breakfast Sandwich
Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Four Fast & Fun Mexican Dessert Recipes
Comments
Mac N Cheese goes great with most any dish, ever try a chili omelet with cheese for breakfast or brunch? Thanks for your post Mentalist acer!
I'm really going to have to stop reading food hubs at night. That Mac n cheese looks phenomenal and now you've made me hungry. With my Hispanic heritage I never really learned how to make the Mac except for the box kind. I really do love it, I'll have to try your recipe soon.
Yum... there is no better comfort food than good old mac and cheese. You have some great recipes here, thanks for the share.
Thanks Bail Up!, for your kind words & Post! I must confess there was a time when I enjoyed boxed Mac & Cheese, but after you try this recipe, and you see how quick & easy it is, it will be hard to settle for boxed.
The only side that comes close is maybe scallop potatoes, but then again you can't serve it as a main course. Thanks wordscribe43 for your compliments & post!
What great pictures! And who couldn't love Paula Deen? I think your secret ingredient - mayonnaise - is vital to your rich, delicious dish.
OMG, I don't know why I always check in late at night when I'm hungry. This looks exactly like the mac and cheese my mom use to make. I've never gotten the recipe quiet right. Will definitely bookmark this one to try. Thanks for sharing Nifty and good to see ya. :) Rating up for you. :)
This looks so good! I gave you an awesome :)
i love kraft mac n cheese! best food on earth!
Great idea about the mayo and seperating the eggs. It really worked well. Thanks very much.
Thanks Truckstop Sally for you kind words & post! Mayonnaise as you said, is absolutely essential to this recipe. My wife made Mac N Cheese and forgot the mayo and we both agreed something was missing. Paula Dean hasn't made a recipe that I don't like. Three years ago we tried to eat at Lady & son's(her Savannah restaurant) but unfortunately it was closed for remodeling.
Thanks Money Glitch, for yours compliments & post! Sounds like you understand there is Mac N Cheese and then there is really good Mac N Cheese. Once you taste the latter there's no going back to the former. Great seeing you again!
Thanks Cookie411 for your post! An Awesome is just that! Thank you!
Thanks for your post Gearhead2012! I totally agree Mac n Cheese is great, very few dishes make a great main course & side dish.
The two ingredients eggs & mayo work very well together because mayo is essentially eggs whipped up in vegetable oil. Whipping the whites separately really does make a difference. Thanks wanderingchef for your kind words & post!
Another great mac n cheese recipe to try out. Thanks for sharing nifty!
Oh this looks mouth wateringly good! I grew up with macaroni and cheese, made of course with Velveeta and boy does your recipe bring out the hunger pangs! MMMM I've never tried it with mayo but it does sound good and rich. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Thanks for the kind words TajSingh! My wife & I have eaten about 2/3 of the Mac N cheese and even the cats seem to really enjoy it!
Can't leave out the Velveeta, that is my not so secret ingredient! LOL! Thanks Pegcole17, for your compliments & post!
Thanks for the recipe. This is my son favorite..
Thanks jojokaya, for your post! Mac N Cheese is a kid's favorite that adults never seem to out grow! At least, I haven't!
This is comfort food at its best and your recipe looks like a winner. Am impressed with your picture taking also! Useful and up ratings!
Thanks Peggy, for your post & kind words. I got a Kodak easy share Z981 for Christmas (under $200.00)that is a snap to use. I would recommend it for most picture taking.
My son LOVES mac n cheese. I will be trying out this yummy looking recipe this week!
Thanks MsHoliday, for your post and kind words. I'm sure he'll love it.
My mac n cheese has always been rather hit or miss. Sometimes it's excellent, but the very next time it might have the consistency of attic insulation. Your recipe looks like it would give dependable results every time!
Thanks dearabbysmom, for your kind words & post! I have come to create this recipe through a lot of trial & error. Now I always refer to this recipe. The Monterey Jack gives a lighter color and more delicate taste to the cheese sauce & the sharp Cheddar gives a nice dark look to the top as well as a crisp bite to the taste. The egg & mayonnaise blend well together to give added body & smoothness.
This looks wonderful and I have always loved mac 'n cheese. But I have to aks, what is velveeta and half and half? I have never heard of either?
Will try this as soon as I know!
Love and peace
Tony
Thanks tonymac04 for your post! Velveeta made by Kraft foods Company, is a the brand name of a popular ( At least in the United States ) processed cheese that tastes like American cheese, but it has smoother texture and melts better than conventional cheese. Other processed chesses can be substituted in the recipe, but I have found Velveeta to be of very high quality. Half & half refers to a mixture of half cream and half milk, which can be purchased this way, already mixed or made by mixing the two, fifty percent milk and fifty percent cream. Thanks for asking these questions tonymac04, sometimes we forget that the rest of the world is not Americanized!
I love the baked cheese and surely want to have it! yummy
Thanks for your post gruyere cheese! I agree, a world without cheese would be a sadder place!
I love macaroni and cheese. Thanks for sharing your "secret ingredient." I will try your recipe.
Thanks James, for your kind words & post! Mac & cheese is sure to please... kids, but who isn't? LOL!
Your mac and cheese looks wonderful! I agree with the addition of both Velveeta and cheddar cheeses for flavor and creaminess. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks vespawoolf, for the kind words& post! Velveeta, cheddar and don't forget the mayo!
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Mentalist acer 15 months ago
Mac n Cheese with chili puts me in comfort-food heaven,thanks for you helpful recipie Nifty@50.;)