Fabulous Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.

Steps:

• Pour Alfredo sauce into a 3 quart microwave safe bowl and stir mozzarella cheese into sauce; microwave on 60% power for 6 minutes. Stir sauce mixture and microwave for 5 minutes more on same power. Add milk. Season with pepper and paprika.
• Stir 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese into mixture until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. Pour half the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat; pour in the remaining cheese mixture and stir again. Spread remaining cheddar cheese over macaroni
• Pour into a greased 9 X 13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes to 45 minutes. Let macaroni and cheese stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; F. Set a large pot of water on high heat.
• Meanwhile, begin the sauce by making a roux: in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue to stir this roux over medium heat for two to three minutes.
• The roux should be cooked and free of the flour flavor but still light in color.
• Gradually add milk, whisking briskly to maintain a smooth sauce.
• Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.
• When sauce thickens, add cheeses, salt and spices to the sauce, and stir until all the cheese has melted. I make my sauces in the microwave; turns out great and never scorches.
• Somewhere during this sauce-cooking process, your pasta water has started boiling. The original is made with Penne noodles. Add a generous amount of salt to the water and cook the pasta until almost but not quite al dente (two minutes before the package directions indicate). You want barely undercooked pasta so that it can finish in the oven later. Halt the cooking by draining the pasta and rinsing with cold water. Return pasta to pot.
• Pour sauce over pasta and stir until completely incorporated. The combination should be fairly saucy, almost soupy.
• Dish the mixture into a buttered 9-13 pan and sprinkle with extra grated cheeses and cayenne. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until you have beautiful, browned edges. Those edges will be a welcome and flavorful addition to each serving.
• Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. I divided this in 2 containers and froze one.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
• In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
• While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
• Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
• Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
• Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Steps:

• Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions and drain.
• In a large bowl combine sour cream, cheddar cheese and cottage cheese. Add cooked noodles to this and mix well.
• Transfer to a lightly buttered (or butter sprayed) 9x13 dish.
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs or a combination of both on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• If topping with cheese or breadcrumbs you may add a small amount of milk to the 2nd step depending on how creamy you prefer your macaroni and cheese. I have even added stewed tomatoes from time to time.
• You can even double this recipe by simply remembering that for every 8 or 16 ounces of macaroni you use, you will also use the same amount of cheddar and cottage cheeses as well as sour cream. Your baking time will also increase.