Plain Macaroni And Cheese Recipe That Your Family Will Love
Macaroni and cheese is one of those traditional comfort foods. It was something your mom made frequently for dinner and it may have been one of your favorite dishes. Most kids love macaroni and cheese but kids today seldom see it when it does not come out of a box. A old fashion macaroni and cheese recipe makes a creamy concoction that usually has a bit of crust on top made with either buttered bread crumbs or potato chips.
Sharp cheddar is the cheese of choice when making mac and cheese but other cheeses can be used. Use mild cheddar for a milder taste or use Swiss or Provolone cheeses. Other things can be added to the dish to make it a whole meal. Cube some cooked ham and combine it in the recipe and some shredded chicken will really make a meal. Use some frozen broccoli or cauliflower that has been thawed and drained in the mix. Other things you can do to make an interesting combination is to add some drained diced tomatoes or try some frozen chopped spinach that has been drained well. You may get your kids to eat vegetables easier this way.
Kids love the plain recipe. The only thing you need to make them happy is elbow macaroni, some cheese and a little bit of milk. There are those that think the dish must be very dense and thick so you can cut it in squares and it stays that way while others think it should be looser, so when you put it on the plate is spreads all over. Many recipes call for a crunchy topping made from either potato chips or bread crumbs combined with butter. Each family has its favorite way to have old fashion mac and cheese.
To make a good plain recipe, bring water to boil and add one half pound of elbow macaroni and boil it until it reaches an al dente stage then drain. Take three tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and melt it while the macaroni is being boiled. After the butter melts, add three tablespoons of flour and one teaspoon of dry mustard. Start whisking this all together to make a smooth paste and keep going for about three to four minutes. You have just made a rue and that is what will thicken the sauce. Make sure there are no lumps.
Measure out 3 cups milk and slowly pour it in the rue while you whisk over heat. Mix it in well. To make your recipe very creamy use evaporated milk or one can of evaporated and the rest regular milk. Remove about one half of a cup of cheese from a 12 ounce package of shredded sharp cheddar and set it aside. Put the rest of the package into the sauce and whisk until it melts. Crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk it up well. Spoon in a bit of the cheese mixture to the egg and whisk rapidly. Do this a second time. If you were to add the egg to the cheese mixture without doing this, your egg would scramble and there would be little bits of scrambled egg in your dish. Pour all of the egg mixture into the sauce and whisk it all up.
If you like your macaroni and cheese to have a little bite, stir in 1 teaspoon of paprika. Taste the sauce and if you feel it needs a little salt add some. Most cheese is salty enough. Add the drained macaroni and stir the sauce in well. Place in a greased two quart casserole and sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
If you want a topping, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and add a cup of very fine bread crumbs. If you want a really crunchy topping use Panko crumbs. Place this all over the top of the mac and cheese then bake in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 30 minutes or until the topping gets brown and the sides of the casserole are bubbling. Take it out of the oven and let it sit on the counter for about five minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken. This is a recipe the whole family will love and ask for over and over. If you take it to a friends house or to a pot luck dinner, you might want to double the recipe and you still will come home with a clean dish.
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