Recipe #38: Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Time: 45 minutes

Ease: 2

Taste: 8

Leftover Value: 8

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

I made PW's mac and cheese before and wrote beside the recipe "Good".  This usually means it is worth trying again, but it wasn't amazing.

My opinion has since changed--now the recipe has "Yum" written beside it.*

You might recall that I am constantly searching for the perfect mac and cheese.  Though I do love Hubby's favorite, it takes a lot of prep that I don't always feel up to.  PW's mac and cheese is the simplest and tastiest mac and cheese I have ever made, and can only be compared to my slow-cooker mac and cheese.**

*I wish I could come up with a higher level of one word descriptions for recipes, but it is what it is.  My favorite is what I write next to a recipe that is a complete flop: "No".

**The difference?  Hubby likes the PW version.

As with most mac and cheeses, we start by creating a roux with butter and flour.  Adding the flour slowly and constantly whisking is the key to a great roux.  Milk is then added in the same fashion.  After a few seasonings and an egg, the main attraction is added.

I usually try to make macaroni and cheese happen in as little pots as possible.  If you have a lot of time on your hands this can be done by cooking your pasta first.  While it drains, the cheese sauce can then be made in the same pot the pasta cooked in.

PW says that the macaroni can be served immediately or baked.  I like for it to bake so that the sauce thickens a little more and loses some of that watery consistency that you can see at the bottom of the next picture.

But you do whatever floats your boat.

Of course, when you bake the macaroni and cheese you get to add more cheese on top of the macaroni.

And adding more cheese can only be a good thing, right?

I brought this to a pot luck Bible study I attend and everyone loved it.

It's homemade, quick to make, and tasty.  It's kind of impossible not to love.

Blasé Mac and Cheese

Recipe: Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Food Network Magazine

Time: 1 hr 5 min*

Ease: 2

Taste: 4

Leftover Value: 4

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Down the Drain

*Needs additional resting time at the end

I am always on the hunt for the perfect mac and cheese recipe.  I should probably just stop while I'm ahead.  I have two perfectly good recipes that I use, one which Hubby likes, the other which he does not.

I've been making Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese since we were first married.  It is, as with most things in the slow-cooker, insanely easy and incredibly delicious.  My family loves it, I love it, but Hubby is not impressed with it.

Then I discovered Healthy Mac and Cheese and he fell in love.  Nothing else can measure up to it now.

Though I love Healthy Mac and Cheese it requires a decent amount of active work, and I much prefer a mac and cheese that everything can be tossed into the pot and left to melt together into cheesy goodness.*

Only to drive myself crazy, I continue to experiment with different mac and cheese recipes.  I expected this recipe to be amazing because it was not only by one of the Food Network's famous chefs, but it was also listed as the most popular Food Network recipe of all time.  Of course, this was based on page views on foodnetwork.com and perhaps the viewers who actually made the recipe all had the same experience as me.

Or perhaps not.  We'll never know.

*That rarely happens with any mac and cheese recipe, save for boxed mac and cheese.

The major plus with this recipe was that the directions were easy to follow.  If you know anything about me by now, I followed them exactly.  My first issue was when it called for stirring in the cheese.  Most mac and cheese recipes will explain to let the cheese melt to a certain point of smoothness, this one did not.  So I let it warm and melt a little, but didn't wait until it was bubbling with cheesy gooeyness.

If it doesn't tell me to do it, I assume I don't need to waste the time.  In this case, it didn't seem to make a difference.

My last issue was the resting time for the dish.  After the macaroni is pulled from the oven the recipe states it should rest for five minutes.  I'm going to admit, the resting time is usually something that I fault on.  Instead of letting my meat rest before slicing, I dig right in.  Instead of letting bread cool to a temperature that will not burn human hands, I brace myself for burns and begin cutting.  Perhaps it is a patience issue, but I think it might really be a food/hunger issue.  However---this time, I waited the five minutes to let the mac and cheese 'rest'.

But this still happened:

I'm pretty sure that there shouldn't be a lake in the dish after I scoop out a serving.  When I went back about twenty minutes later to give the mac and cheese a second try, it scooped out much cleaner.  That said, if you plan to attempt this recipe, let it rest longer.  It not only prevents cheese floods in your dish, but it also provides a better texture to the noodles.

Ultimately, no matter how long this dish sat it wouldn't compensate for the overpowering onion flavor and crunch of onions throughout.  I thought it was odd that the onions were added at the same time as the milk, typically they are fried alone so that they will soften before other ingredients are added.

The bread crumb topping was unnecessary additional calories.  While I love to use panko breadcrumbs in many different dishes, mixed with butter and sprinkled on top of oniony mac and cheese is simply a waste. 

Looks like my search for perfectly fabulous mac and cheese has yet to find an end.

Mac and Cheese That Is...wait for it...Healthy?!

Recipe: Healthy Mac and Cheese, with a twist
Source: Fitness Magazine
Time: 1 hour
Ease: 4
Taste: 9
Leftover Value: 9
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

I have made a lot of mac and cheese in my days as a wife, and even before that during my days as a college student.  Of course, it has not always been homemade.  In college, I thought nothing less of myself than to serve up mac and cheese from a box.  Today when I reach for that box of mac and cheese I always think, "You can do so much better".

Here's the catch.  Here's the reason that keeps me serving up boxed mac and cheese when it's 6:55 pm and I haven't started dinner yet and Hubby will be home in 20 minutes: Hubby loves boxed mac and cheese.  In fact, he constantly tells me that if he came home to hot dogs and boxed mac and cheese once a week for dinner, he would love it just as much as the semi-gourmet variety that I try to constantly set before him.

Hot dogs and mac and cheese...once a week?

My skin crawls at the thought.  It's almost as bad a thought as having a 'leftover night'.

I'm a snob, I know.  The first step to dealing with your issues is admittance, right?

The even stranger thing in this wacky world of mac and cheese is that any mac and cheese I have made without the box, Hubby has still preferred the box.  I was slightly offended, especially after I had made my slow cooker mac and cheese for Thanksgiving and my entire family tasted it then held hands and sang a song of thanks to the heavens for the deliciousness that was my mac and cheese.

Instead of sticking with this mac and cheese which all the normal people in the world said was perfection, I continued to seek out a homemade mac and cheese that would cause Hubby to resound my praises far and near.

I almost thought it couldn't be done.  Until we started this healthy kick to lose weight (20 pounds and counting...) and I scoured the internet for healthy mac and cheese recipes.

The secret to this delicious mac and cheese is Rocco's Secret Weapon.  Ordinary mac and cheese involves a lot of milk and sometimes, butter.  When flour is added to this it makes what is known as a Bechamel sauce  This adds texture to mac and cheese, but unfortunately with the additive of a lot of fat.

By the way, not to be a hypocrite or anything, I love fat.  I just don't love what it does to my thighs.

This puree is weird, it's smelly, but it works.

Cut up an onion, 9 cloves of garlic (ordinarily I use minced garlic because I always have that on hand), and 1/2 cup of water.  Place in a microwave safe bowl.

Here is where it gets a little strange, but I promise, well worth it.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes.

I never let mine go the total 10 minutes because of what starts to happen to the plastic wrap.

After it is done cooking in the microwave it should look something like this:

Next, blend it all together.  You can use whatever kitchen machinery you prefer to do this.  My preference is my immersion blender.

I absolutely love my immersion blender.  My life is complete now because of it.  I make the most delicious mashed potatoes with it, the smoothest smoothies, and this fabulous onion-garlic puree.

I'm planning to do a giveaway eventually of an immersion blender.  That's how much I love them.  Every kitchen in America should have one.

The onion-garlic puree can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.  I never do this, but I should because for as much as I love it, it is quite a process mixed in with the other steps of this recipe.

Start the recipe by boiling water.  This next step I added.  I recognize that it makes this 'healthy' mac and cheese a little less 'healthy' in a health nut's standards, but for me it makes it perfect (and without adding too many extra calories).

Fry some bacon.  I try to only fry four to six pieces.  Four for the mac and cheese, and two for me to nibble on.

Bacon.  The soul reason I could never be a vegetarian.

I ask you, is there a more enticing sight?

The answer is no.

If you're trying to be outrageously healthy, use whole wheat pasta.  I tend to hate whole wheat pasta because it tastes like cardboard rather than the glorious complex carbohydrate that it should be.

So sometimes I'll use the good stuff that wasn't too unhealthy in my grandma's day.

After the pasta is done cooking, using the same pot that the pasta was cooked in (because it's all about less dishes at the end of the night, right?) simmer the onion-garlic puree with 1/2 tsp of dry mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Once combined, add one cup of shredded cheddar.  Wait a minute, this is healthy mac and cheese and all so make sure it is reduced-fat cheddar.

But I won't tell if you let some of the good stuff slip in though.

It'll be our secret.

When the consistency looks like this:

remove the pot from the heat.  Whisk in 1/3 cup of nonfat yogurt.

The recipe says to use the 'Greek' stuff, but any ole nonfat yogurt will work.

Once the sauce has reached a smooth consistency, toss the macaroni into the pot with the sauce.

*Note: If you've noticed that my pot changed, you would be right.  It has taken me several makings of this recipe to finally have pictures for the most important steps.  I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I left out the mixing of yogurt and cheese.  You understand, I'm sure.

Mix the macaroni and the sauce together until the macaroni is well coated.

You have two choices of what to do with your bacon.  What I do completely depends on my mood.  Sometimes, I'll mix it in with the macaroni and cheese.  Other times, I will pour half of the mac and cheese into the dish, top it with half of the bacon, then repeat.

Either way it will all flow together into a beautiful combination kissed from the angels in heaven above.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish that you already sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  (See again, healthy.  Most mac and cheese recipes will tell you to rub the dish down with, gasp, butter!)

Again, let me reiterate, butter is my friend.

I love butter.

Sprinkle a handful of Panko crumbs over the top, if you're into that sort of thing.  I find that it adds the perfect subtle crunch to the final product.

Then, sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.  I highly recommend using freshly grated Parmesan.  It is incredible.  Please, promise me you won't use the stuff that Kraft has pre-grated for you.  It is not the same.

P.S.  There is a time and place for everything.  I love my grated Parmesan cheese, but it does not belong on top of my mac and cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425.

Oh my goodness.  It is the baked ziti of mac and cheeses!

This recipe makes four servings, a serving weighs in at 438 calories.  Put a little greens on your plate and you can feel content that you've eaten dinner for under 500 calories.

That is, so long as you only have one serving.

Which, tonight, I found it extremely hard to do.

'Blah' Baked Corn Mash

Recipe: Baked Corn Mash

Source: The Orange Strainer

Time: 45 minutes total

Ease: 2

Taste: 3

Leftover Value: 2

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Down the Drain!

I gave myself a longer break than normal from posting.  I have my reasons.  After a few unsuccessful recipes, I didn't have the heart to post about my failures right away.  This recipe is one that works great when you follow the original recipe and cook it in a slow cooker, however, my rendition was just blah.  And yes, I have dubbed 'blah' to be a new cooking term.  In fact, in my recipe books, when I don't like a recipe I write 'blah' next to it.

I'm not kidding.  I seriously do that.

Here's what you need**:

1 can creamed corn
1 can frozen corn*
1 cup corn meal*
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar*
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

**Now, I know you're thinking, 'This recipe was a complete flop, why give the recipe?'.  What I want to make very clear is that this is an awesome recipe when you change three of the ingredients and throw it all into a slow cooker on low for 3 hours.  I've made it for Thanksgiving for the past two or three years and it's a hit.

So, if after reading this post, you think you'll be more successful with the slow cooker just change the items with a * to:

1 quart frozen corn
1 box (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
2 Tbsp sugar

Now, back to the 'blah' recipe...

Start with a can of creamed corn.  I never tasted the uniqueness that is creamed corn before going with my husband.  And when I had it, I couldn't understand why anyone would want to eat corn like that.  But, it definitely works great in a recipe like this one.  The original recipe calls for a quart of creamed corn, but I never put that much in.  It is too much wet ingredient for me.

Because I was baking this, and had chosen a smaller baking dish, I used less frozen corn than normal.  Normally I will fill the creamed corn can twice.  For this recipe, I filled it once.  However, I'm positive this is not what lead to this recipe's downfall.

Toss in the frozen corn.

This is, I'm sure, what lead to the lack of flavor in my corn mash.  I used a cup of corn meal rather than a box of cornbread mix because, well, I didn't have any cornbread mix.  I realize they are two totally separate things, however, how would I really know if I didn't try?  

Pour the milk all over.

Beat the egg in a separate bowl and then pour all over.

Lightly mix the ingredients together.

Sprinkle the seasonings all over and lightly mix them in.

Top with the butter.

And bake for 45 minutes or longer.

Here is what I have to say in favor of this recipe.  If you, yourself, and yours like a good bland cornbread, this is actually pretty good.  But, if you like something that has a flair of cornbread, but is not dry and bready like cornbread, then make this in the slow cooker with the adjustments at the top and you will not be disappointed.

P.S.  Make it for Thanksgiving along with my slow cooker mac and cheese and everyone will think you've worked so hard all day long.  They'll give you just as much credit as the turkey cooker.  Then you'll smile to yourself thinking about how easy it was to make.

And feel just a little bad that you weren't the one making the turkey.

Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese

Source: The Orange Strainer

Time: Between 3-6 hours, depending on how soon you want it done.

Ease: 1

Taste: 9

Leftover Value: 9

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

This is the closest I've come to a homemade macaroni and cheese that I like...and I've tried many.  

First, let's get a few things clear: I do not like homemade macaroni and cheese to be too saucy.  I do not like it to be too orange.  I do not like the noodles to be too rubbery.  

As I've said before, I know I have problems.

This post is lacking a lot of pictures like the ingredients family portrait, noodles boiling, and an egg being cracked.  You'll just have to forgive me.  My Wonder Woman cape was being dry cleaned that day and I'm always a mess without it.

The other thing I love about this recipe, aside from it's taste, is it has such a smaller number ingredients.

Here's what you need:

-6 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Because I don't like a too orange sauce, but because I feel bad for the orange cheese, I do about 4 cups of white cheddar and 2 cups of orange.  Don't judge).

-4 cups of milk

-2 large eggs, beaten

-2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

-16 oz macaroni, cooked a little less than al dente

First, combine all the ingredients (except the macaroni) in the slow cooker.  Set the slow cooker to high and leave it alone for an hour or more.  Don't be like me and peek in and check on it every 20 minutes.

While waiting for the cheese sauce, cook the macaroni.  Remember, a little less than al dente.  Those noodles are going to get plenty of extra cooking time in the cheese sauce!

You probably could try this without cooking the noodles, but I never have because I'm a creature of habit.

After the sauce has cooked for an hour, add the macaroni.  

If you are wondering why my macaroni looks like shells, it's because my macaroni is shells.  Sorry for the confusion.

This is where hopefully you learned the important virtue of patience.  However, there are two options.  One for the less patient and one for the more patient.  You can set the slow cooker to low for four hours, or set it on high for two hours.  (Yes, I usually cook it on high for two hours).

If it can't be boxed macaroni and cheese, this is where it's at.