This is by far a staple in our house. It's on the menu atleast twice a month, mostly because it's yummy, versatile, and cheap to make, and oh so much better than the boxed stuff! I've tried several different mac & cheese recipes, and I always go back to this one because it's the best I've tried (if you have a better one let me know!). The recipe doesn't call for any meat (what? who says it's a meal if there's no meat!) so I always add meat to it. Our favorite is chopped ham steaks or cubed rope sausage (like Hillshire Farm rope sausage), but we also like breakfast sausage, hamburger, hamburger with taco seasoning, and bacon. You can also play around with the cheese. I almost always use sharp cheddar, but try mixing in some pepper jack or gouda or mozzerella or whatever you have. Also, we play around with different pastas: rotini, macaroni, farfalle, penne, etc. The recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you can make more pasta than it calls for and then put in more if there is more sauce to use. If I have plain pasta leftover (like I made too much pasta) then I just put it in the fridge and have it for lunch the next day with spaghetti sauce. I really like this recipe: it makes a lot and even Bryan (who has referred to Kraft Mac & Cheese as "yellow death") likes it too. Enjoy!
2 cups uncooked pasta
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk (any kind, except chocolate. haha)
2 1/2 cups cheese of your choosing
salt and pepper
Meat choice: ground beef, taco meat, sausage, rope sausage, ham, bacon, etc.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Cook and stir butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour and whisk constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Return to heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and boiling. Stir 1 more minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups cheese until melted. Add noodles and meat choice. Place in ungreased 13x9 pan and add the 1/2 cup cheese on top (I sometimes also sprinkle with parmesan too). Cook uncovered at 375 for 30 minutes or so.
8 comments:
This will be so great to make! Especially when I need a last minute meal (which I always do). I should host a show called last minute meals instead of 30-minute meals.
And, maybe I'll try chocolate milk. After all, my husband is Brent.
Haha... Stina, you're funny. This sounds yummy. I made homemade mac and cheese once but it was gummy and gross. I'll let you know how this turns out, and I love the idea of putting meat in it. I never thought to do that.
I'm so excited for this recipe. I tried one from Ina Garten and I actually wasn't that impressed. I love that you love it, so I'm eager to try it. What cheeses have you used?
I rarely make homemade mac n cheese. I am the lazy one that will make Kraft! I like the idea of using some different cheeses to make it feel more "grown up"! I love to top mine with fresh parmesan, it makes the top crispy. Mac n cheese is such a rich creamy sauce that my girls will eat it with whole wheat pasta as well…bonus!
I've only tried two cheeses - sharp cheddar or extra sharp (either one, it's my favorite) and I got a garlic white cheddar from the Tillamook cheese factory and it was way too much. I think I'll try it again if I go back to Oregon, but this time mix it with some mozzarella or something. I haven't really branched out so if you try some new cheese let me know. And I forgot to mention that when I use smoked sausage ropes or ham that I cube them and brown them in a pan first to carmelize them a little bit.
I made this tonight with a mix of what I had in my fridge- sharp cheddar and an Italian blend, with a little swiss too. We added hamburger and really liked it. I also put parmesan on top. It was yummy and made a lot and my kids liked it.
so I made this tonight but I didn't have time to put it in the oven. It tastes just as good without putting it in the oven, you just don't get that extra cheesiness on top that I love so much. So if you're in a hurry for dinner, this is still an excellent option (ps I added peas to mine).
So I've made it too without cooking it, although I prefer it cooked (it congeals better - good word, huh?). Congeals. Anyways, one time I made it and the cheese sauce was done waaaay before the pasta, so by the time I stirred the pasta in with the sauce, the sauce had thickened quite a bit and I didn't need to cook it. Just a tip :)
Post a Comment