The Cheesiest Mac N' Cheese
S loves Mac n' Cheese (which kid doesn't?). Anytime we eat out and the restaurant happens to have it in the menu, guess what she's ordering? So when she declared that "Mama makes the best Mac n' Cheese in the world", I took that compliment seriously. The girl knows what she's talking about. Incidentally, adults seem to like my recipe too. Whenever there's a pot-luck party, oftentimes, this is the dish that people would request me to bring in. The great thing is - it's super easy to make!
Start with the cheese. Lotsa lotsa shredded cheese. I use a mixture of mild cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, sharp cheddar (Crackel Barrel's pretty good)... Practically any cheese you want - muenster, gruyere... If you want to use only one kind - pick the sharp cheese. I also need 2 eggs, a small container of sour cream, a box (or two) of elbow macaronis, onion powder, bread crumbs, a small can of evaporated milk, fresh cows milk, a stick of butter, salt, and white pepper.
Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box, undercooking it by 1-2 minutes. On a separate saucepan, make the cheese sauce (melt butter with milk and about 2 cups of cheese). When I'm in a rush or in a tight squeeze, I use 2 bottles of Velveeta (or Kraft) cheese sauce straight from the supermarket aisle instead (no one would know the difference). Meanwhile, pour the evaporated milk in a small bowl. Add 2 beaten eggs to it and season with onion powder, salt and white pepper. Set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat bottom and sides of baking pan with butter. Drain the macaroni (don't rinse) and place in a large bowl. Pour in the cheese sauce, evaporated milk mixture and then add the sour cream. Mix well, making sure all the macaroni is well coated. Now the fun part: layering. First, put a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom of the baking pan, then add a thin layer of macaroni on top. (For full "gooey effect", I usually put the mozzarella cheese in the middle layer). Repeat until baking pan/container is full, topping it with a generous heap of sharp cheese. Sprinkle some bread crumbs evenly on the top. Bake uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and crispy, and cheese is bubbly.
Start with the cheese. Lotsa lotsa shredded cheese. I use a mixture of mild cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, sharp cheddar (Crackel Barrel's pretty good)... Practically any cheese you want - muenster, gruyere... If you want to use only one kind - pick the sharp cheese. I also need 2 eggs, a small container of sour cream, a box (or two) of elbow macaronis, onion powder, bread crumbs, a small can of evaporated milk, fresh cows milk, a stick of butter, salt, and white pepper.
Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box, undercooking it by 1-2 minutes. On a separate saucepan, make the cheese sauce (melt butter with milk and about 2 cups of cheese). When I'm in a rush or in a tight squeeze, I use 2 bottles of Velveeta (or Kraft) cheese sauce straight from the supermarket aisle instead (no one would know the difference). Meanwhile, pour the evaporated milk in a small bowl. Add 2 beaten eggs to it and season with onion powder, salt and white pepper. Set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat bottom and sides of baking pan with butter. Drain the macaroni (don't rinse) and place in a large bowl. Pour in the cheese sauce, evaporated milk mixture and then add the sour cream. Mix well, making sure all the macaroni is well coated. Now the fun part: layering. First, put a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom of the baking pan, then add a thin layer of macaroni on top. (For full "gooey effect", I usually put the mozzarella cheese in the middle layer). Repeat until baking pan/container is full, topping it with a generous heap of sharp cheese. Sprinkle some bread crumbs evenly on the top. Bake uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and crispy, and cheese is bubbly.
Serve warm.
posted by Angel | 7:56:00 PM
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