Mac and Cheese like they do in the nice joints?

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

Hey guys,
I am tired of paying $10-15 on Mac and cheese in the restaurants. They have me every time. Anyone have some tips on how to make some mac and cheese? That is…above and beyond the regular Kraft recipes.

Thanks and [1928_middle_finger.gif]

2

Ray, search Food Network and Epicurious until you find one that looks good. If you subscribe to Cooks Illustrated they have one that was the result of their typical research methods - they made about 400 batches of mac ‘n’ cheese until they got it right.

3

Wow, sounds creatively boring…but I would be interested in the results. :slight_smile: Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers,

Ray

4

The key is the bread crumb crust.

5

This is the recipe they use at Tabu Grill in Laguna Beach for their Bleu Cheese Macaroni. Fantastic stuff.
It’s easy to make and I usually use Point Reyes since that’s pretty mild.

http://www.americascuisine.com/recipes/Pasta/982.aspx

Good luck in your quest!
Veronica

6

I think there are a couple of key things:

-Use good pasta that will absorb some flavor, typically the bronze die extruded pastas are the best.
-Use decent cheese and decent seasoning (not too much).
-A bread crumb crust is essential.

My mom always made homemade mac & cheese that was to die for, I can’t count the number of times I’ve had it, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had shitty mac & cheese.

Yay for moms!

BTW, Ray, there is a great, intimate, not too expensive place in The Mission called Mavericks that serves an honest, delicious $6 mac & cheese as one of their sides. I love that place, typical meal for 2 w/ corkage and tip is $80 and the food just makes you happy.
http://www.sfmaverick.com/

7

Ray, here’s the end result of the Cooks Illustrated exercise. Note there are two versions, one done in the oven and one done competely on the stove top. http://mysite.verizon.net/jserdmann/Recipe-MacaroniandCheese.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I’m sure you can find something more creative at Food Network or Epicurious or http://www.emerils.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. We have a restaurant that does a “mac ‘n’ cheese of the week”. I’ve only had it once but when I did it was jambalaya mac ‘n’ cheese with the mac substituting for the rice. It was good.

8

Thanks guys! Josh, we should hit it up when you are in SF. My wife and I go near there for playing pool. Let me know. Bob, thanks for the link…bread crumbs, gotta try that. Veronica, thanks for the link :slight_smile:

9

This is what I do for basic Mac and cheese -

I start with a Bechamel on the thin side then add (at least) 12 oz of the sharpest Cheddar you can find, a couple oz of grated Parm, black pepper and some mustard powder (1/4 - 1/2 t - the sharper the cheese, the less I use) . Salt to taste - an unsalted cheese sauce can taste pretty bland but sometimes the salt in the parm is enough, sometime you have to add a little more before the flavor really comes out.

Cook the Mac ( I use shells because the sauce gets into the shells) and drain. Mix the Mac and cheese sauce then put it in oven safe dish. Mix up some buttered bread crumbs and sprinkle on the top. Bake in a hot oven until the top gets crispy.

BTW, if you make the stuff a head of time, don’t put the bread crumbs on. Bake in a medium oven (or microwave) until heated through, then add the bread crumbs and bake in a hot oven. If you put the bread crumbs on before, you can’t mix it while it’s heating up.

Serve with a hot sauce on the side (Frank’s and Mac and Cheese is great together).


Andy

10

In their bland opinion, anyway.
I love their methods, but their tastes run a bit too white bread for me.

11

Good advice here already. All I can offer is the suggestion to add crumbled, crispy bacon before putting the dish in the oven.

12

Like the others said: Bread crumb crust is a small thing that makes a huge difference. I have a couple different recipes I would be happy to share.

One I kind of made on my own. I’ve made it for Kriss R. and he loves it. It doesn’t have any fancy cheeses in it, but it’s really good IMHO.

  • 1 box of elbows
  • jar of alfredo sauce
    Yes, I use a jar because it’s easier. Plus, you don’t have to get the plain alfredo if you want to add a different taste to it.
  • sliced white american
  • grated sharp cheddar
  • and I buy an ‘Italian mix’ of finely shredded cheese that my grocery sells
  • breadcrumbs

Yes, they’re are options (grating your own cheese) that could make this better, but for me it was more out of convenience. Also, I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I bake it in a stone baker.
Basically, you cook the noodles and then coat them in the alfredo sauce. I cook them pretty al dente since I know they’re going to be put in the oven. I put a thin layer of bread crumbs on the bottom of the pan. I then alternate layers: noodles; white american slices & sharp cheddar; noodles; italian mix & cheddar; noodles; etc. You can mix the cheeses however you want. I sprinkle a combination of the cheddar and the italian mix on top with a tiny sprinkling of bread crumbs on top. 20 minutes in the oven at 400 usually does the trick.


The other recipe I actually found in a book; I’ll dig it out and post it here for those that may be interested. It’s a lot creamier. While the recipe is for a small portion, it’s a little more work than the one above. It was quite tasty. I believe the cheeses for those interested were sharp white cheddar and pecorino.

13

This is pretty much exactly what I do but I prefer penne for a pasta. The little bit of mustard powder works very well.

14

This is a version that I posted on another site:


Ingredients

  • 1 bag of large elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 cups whole organic milk
  • 1/2 cup of organic cream
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 6 tablespoons European style butter (Plugra brand)
  • 1 cup of Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 1/2 cup of Grafton Village “Grafton Gold” 3 Year Old Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 slices of Velveeta or similar cheese product
  • Fine sea salt and white pepper to taste
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cook macaroni al dente according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Add butter to large saucepan under medium low heat and stir in flour, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
  3. Slowly add milk to flour mixture and continue to stir until blended. Add cream and continue to stir mixture and increase heat until it boils.
  4. Immediately reduce heat to lowest setting and add 2 cups of cheese and Velveeta slices and continue to stir until the cheese is fully incorporated.
  5. Remove saucepan from burner and fold macaroni into cheese sauce.
  6. Transfer macaroni and cheese sauce to a greased baking dish.
  7. In a medium saucepan, add butter and melt. Then add panko breadcrumbs, remaining cheese and cayenne pepper (to taste) and mix quickly under low heat until all ingredients are incorporated.
  8. Crumble panko mixture on top of macaroni and cheese and place baking dish in oven; cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
15

Ray, here is my version. Just a warning - this one is anything but delicate, it has tons of flavor and is really too rich to serve by itself. I normally do this with prime rib during the holidays.

Four Cheese Mac with Spanish Chorizo

4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I use Cholula)
8 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated fontina cheese
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning
1 cup 1/4 inch pieces of Spanish Chorizo

In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, hot sauce and 4 ounces of the grated parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is very al dente. Drain and return the macaroni to the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the bechamel sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Using the remaining tablespoon of butter, grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole and set aside.

In a large bowl combine 4 ounces of the remaining parmesan cheese, cheddar, fontina and gruyere cheeses. Toss to combine.
Place half of the macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the mixed cheeses. Sprinkle one half of Creole Seasoning on top, add all chorizo in one layer. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. Sprinkle the second half of Creole Seasoning on top. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 ounce of grated parmesan. Sprinkle this over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

16

Buy a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese. Open up the box.

In a microwaveable dish, add 1-1/3 cups hot water. Pour the pasta from the box into the hot water (be sure to remove the packet of cheese sauce first!). Stir the pasta and put the uncovered dish in the microwave oven. Cook for 7-9 minutes on HIGH. You must stir the pasta every 1-2 minutes to avoid having the pasta stick together which will ruin the meal. You will know it has cooked long enough when there is no longer water in the dish. Make sure to check it often, and do not overcook!

Once the water is absorbed, remove the dish from the microwave oven. Add 1/4 cup butter or margarine and mix together with the pasta. Next add the cheese sauce that was included in the box and 1/4 cup milk. Blend all of the ingredients together until the pasta is well coated with the cheese sauce.

Eat it.

17

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18

When in the mood for ridiculously decadent mac and cheese:

6 cups chicken stock
2 cubes chicken base
2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges)
3 tablespoons Pomace Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter – divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked pressed and sliced in small bite size pieces (reserve the fat)
1/2 onion – minced and sauteed in bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic pressed and sauteed with onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh croutons

Bring 6 cups chicken stock and 1 1/1 cubes chicken base to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl, toss with Pomace Olive Oil and lemon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Stir in onion, bay leaf, sugar and Tabasco. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish (or 3-4 ramekins) and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cube chicken base in small skillet over medium heat. Add croutons and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered crumbs and Reggiano Cheese over top of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until croutons are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

19

I do a pretty basic mac and cheese, but I love it. I prefer cavatappi (as a few others have mentioned, I think) to elbow macaroni. A few things I do to deepen the flavor–

• when I make my roux, I allow the butter to brown a little before I add the flour, and then I allow the roux to deepen in color again (with bay leaves and whole peppercorns for flavor) before I add milk. Sometimes I add a little mustard. I always add a dash of cayenne pepper.

• cheeses are sharp cheddar and gruyere, coarsely shredded and stirred into the pasta after it’s coated with the bechamel.

• topping… a not-so-subtle layer of panko tossed with melted butter so all the crumbs are buttery. Then grated (NOT shredded) parmigiano.

I like mac and cheese better the next day, when it’s more firm than oozy. And it’s not complete without some cholula!

20

Sounds great, but why use Pomace Olive Oil? Pomace is so not healthy and bla flavor???