Unknownchef86s Dovetailed Macaroni And Cheese A Million Ways Recipes

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Make macaroni and cheese according to box directions except substitute the chosen liquid for the milk.
• Add meat, vegetables, spices and extra cheese to taste.
• If desired, bake in the oven at 325 for 30 minutes. IF baking in the oven, undercook the noodles by a minute or two to prevent overcooking in the oven. If NOT baking in the oven, you may wish to saute the veggies til done.
• Note A: Pick a liquid as part of or in lieu of the milk (tomato sauce, salsa, half & half, chicken broth, beef broth, condensed cream of chicken soup, condensed cream of mushroom soup, condensed tomato soup, etc.).
• Note B: Pick a meat/protein (cooked chopped bacon, chopped cooked ham, canned tuna, chopped cooked chicken, leftover taco meat, cooked (drained) ground beef, sliced pepperoni (cut into quarters), chopped cocktail wienies, sliced hot dogs, leftover refried beans/chili, chopped hardboiled eggs, etc.).
• Note C: Pick a veggie or two (frozen peas, frozen carrots, frozen corn, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped steamed/sauteed broccoli, chopped zucchini, chopped mushrooms, chopped olives, etc.).
• Note D: Pick some spices to taste (chili powder, curry powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, fresh-cracked pepper, etc.).
• Note E: Pick some extra cheese, grated (cheddar, havarti, swiss, parmesan, monterey jack, colby, velveeta, etc.).