Several dear friends of mine, who have recently moved to NC and TX, have been asking me for weeks (okay maybe months) to please send them this recipe. So Caitlin, Nancy and George....this post's for you!
But I figured I may as well share the love with everyone else while I'm at it.
A little history behind this deelish dish:
My dear friend and "other mother" as I call her, Karen, gave me this recipe about 2 years ago when I started down the road of "homemaker/wife/chef/etc). It is her great grandmother's recipe, which makes it at least 50 years old. It certainly has stood the test of time. This is my favorite mac and cheese in the WORLD and I am picky about my mac. Guess you could say I'm a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to comfort food. Don't even get me started on mashed potatoes and gravy.....we could be here ALL day!
On to the dish! This following is the exact original recipe but I put a little bit of my own spins on it, as any good chef does. My spins on the various parts of this dish will be in parentheses. I hope you enjoy it.
Fall is the perfect time to make mac & cheese for someone you love, or yourself. <3
World's Best Macaroni and Cheese:
Cook 1.5 cups of elbow macaroni (I use straight cut macaroni, but you can also use penne) in lightly salted boiling water til tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt 3 TBS of butter, then using a wooden spoon, blend in 2 TBS of all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt and a few dashes of pepper (to your taste). If you use salted butter, leave out the 1/2 tsp of salt.
Add 2 cups of milk (you can use any milk you like, I always use 1 cup skim milk and 1 cup heavy cream, if I have it on hand....yes, this dish is fat free! haha) cook and stir constantly until THICK and BUBBLY.
DO NOT WALK AWAY AT THIS STEP! Yes, it's going to take a while for that cold milk to get hot and do it's magic in the pot to make this sauce, but I am telling you, the minute you turn your back it will scorch and you will be sad....and so will I. Yes, I will know when you are making this dish and I will know if you walk away. I have a 6th sense about this dish. Don't disappoint me! :) The mixture should coat the back of the wooden spoon and when you run your finger along the back, it should leave a distinct line.
Now add 12 slices (8 oz) of processed American cheese singles (stacked and cubed). Yes, good old Kraft (or generic) cheese singles. You could use more expensive cheese or sharp cheddar if you wanted, but trust me, it tastes best with the Kraft singles. That's the way Karen's grandmother intended it to be.....and once you taste this dish, you will see why. Stir all the cheese in until melted and fully incorporated, then mix the sauce with the pasta and pour it into a 1.5 quart glass baking dish (then I like to top it with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs) and bake at 350 F degrees for 35-40 min or until browned at the edges and bubbly. Serve!
NOTE: This recipe "serves 6" but I almost always make a double batch. It reheats well, but I doubt there will be any left unless you are only making this for yourself. I used to make this often to take to my neighbors for dinner and there were 5 of us. I always made the double batch which is supposed to "serve 12".....and there was maybe a small corner left each time after we ate it. For quick reference, I have written just the ingredient list below. Cut and paste the instruction for this post into a word document and you will be all set! Happy Cooking and Happy Fall!
Ingredients: 1.5 cups macaroni (or similar pasta)
3 TBS butter
2 TBS AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cups of milk (or similar combination of milk and cream)
12 slices (8 oz) processed American cheese slices
1-1.5 cups breadcrumbs for topping (if desired)
1.5 quart baking dish (or a 3 quart dish if you double the recipe)
xoxo
J Lo
