Seriously Useful is a selection of kitchen tools from Amazon that I can't cook without.
Macaroni & Cheese
Cheesy Is as Cheesy Does
As you can see from the cheesy photo above, I still don’t know what year it is. And I want to assure you that I don’t actually put pimento-stuffed Spanish olives in my macaroni and cheese so if you recoiled in horror at the thought, relax.
There are a few recipes I make once a year and only once a year, every year. They all meet my definition of “seriously good” and yet, are so loaded with things like saturated fats that I limit my intake to one batch annually. Oddly, most of them involve lots of cheese, bacon, or both. There’s Cheddar Chowder, Stuffed Potato Skins, German Potato Salad, two or three others, and Mac-n-Cheese.
And, because I only
make them once a year, I don’t futz around much. The purpose with these dishes is the exact opposite of experimentation. They’re a way of asserting order in an unruly universe, an affirmation of tradition, a return to childhood in some cases. Consequently, this recipe is exactly what I make every year with one exception — I couldn’t find large elbow macaroni except in a brand I don’t like, so I substituted penne.
Traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese3 c milk
2 oz Parmigiano — grated
1 tbsp shortening
5 strips bacon
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp ground mustard
2 squirts Worcestershire sauce
3 squirts Tabasco
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 oz sharp cheddar — shredded
12 oz macaroniHeat oven to 400F.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until done but not crisp. Drain and chop coarsely.
Warm the milk in the microwave to about 90F (about 2 minutes in a 1000 watt oven) — this will speed up thickening the mornay sauce.
Grease a 2 quart casserole dish with shortening and dust with grated Parmigiano as you would a cake pan. Add remaining Parmigiano to the cheddar.
Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk. Pour in milk and continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Add 2/3 of the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring constantly and thoroughly melting cheese before adding next handful.
In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions. When done, strain out water, then, in the pasta pot, add bacon and sauce. Stir to mix thoroughly.
Pour mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes until topping cheese begins to brown.
Update: I just checked out my so-called partner’s mac-n-cheese post and if she thinks fancy slide shows and a delightfully inventive tasting menu of macaroni and cheese variations is going to cut it out here in the heartland of Amurica where the grass is green, the skies are blue, the mountains are magic-sticks, and the cheese is yeller then she don’t know mac-n-cheese. Hmmph!
Technorati: Food | recipe | macaroni and cheese | mac-n-cheese | mac-n-cheese-off
35 Responses to “Macaroni & Cheese”
Leave a Reply
Disclaimer: Most quantities in recipes are approximate. Adjust as needed according to your taste and experience. Unless otherwise specified, eggs are large and butter is unsalted.
I love the “06″; that’s a nice touch. The up-close photo shows the cheesiness off to advantage. Fun. Thanks for the idea.
I recoiled. I relaxed. I… wait, bacon?No fair! You cheated.
Ah, bacon makes everything that much better! How is the Worcestershire sauce in the mac-n-cheese? I would have never thought of that! This was a totally fun idea! come visit my mac-n-cheese at http://LannaeLong.blogspot.com
Lisa,Yeah, it’s not the cheesiest photo I’ve taken, but it’s pretty bad — and getting the year wrong helps.CC,Did not! Bacon is <>always<> fair, ask Biggles.Lannae,You don’t taste it directly, but it’s a source of unami and so makes a savory dish more so.
Kevin, I’ve got < HREF="http://inadvertentgardener.wordpress.com/2007/01/05/mac-and-cheese-like-you-never-tasted-before/" REL="nofollow">my recipe<> posted, too. I love the idea of throwing in a little Worcestershire sauce for flavor — that’s an addition I’d never thought of.And I agree…mac and cheese is such a treat, but if done right, should really only be occasional. I probably make it more than once a year, but not more than twice. I already had a commenter on my blog moan about the saturated fat in my version…well, that’s why I also serve salad! It’s all about balance.Genie< HREF="http://www.theinadvertentgardener.com" REL="nofollow">The Inadvertent Gardener<>
Fabulous! Love the whole look–and it looks really creamy. And I like the idea of the Worcestershire. My family in the South always add it and Tabasco to almost any savory dish.
Magic-sticks?? What are you smoking, Kev? That must be some head-bendy mac-n-cheese recipe, dude.(I’m trying it!):-D
If you were a True Believer, you’d use bacon grease (or lard) for the pan instead of that crap hydrogenated shortening. :DBut really, yum. We were going to put Fatted Calf ham in ours, but decided that would just be tooooo much. (We ate it alongside instead. Mrowf.)
Sher,I hope you’re talking about the closeup and not the banner shot.{g}CC,Hey! That’s Amurica the Beautiful your dissing, missy. I don’t know what magic-sticks are, but I know our god-fearing fourfathers (George Washington, Adam, Thomas Jefferson, and George W Bush) wouldn’t have nothing to do with no drugs! You just be respectful, you hear?
Anita,It shames me to admit it, but I was out of bacon grease. Nevertheless, Crisco is traditional here in the South.As for ham, it’s great on the side, but in the dish I really prefer bacon.
Lol! You and Cookiecrumb are cracking me up Kevin. I decided I had to play along at the last minute today. I have no doubt that mine is not authentic mac-n-cheese. But there is cheese…
Erika,I can’t take CC anywhere.{sigh} But, then, since she’s about 2500 miles away that’s not surprising.
I agree, bacon is always fair (to everyone but the pig). Thanks for co-hosting. This was fun!
I also went a nontraditional path with this one. Mac & cheese & arugula & pine nuts..and more! Came out quite tasty I must say, though the traditional version here looks great too!
Ooh, arugula. Pine nuts.And, Kevin, no — you can’t take me anywhere. I’m already there.(Let’s talk Crisco some time.)
Tammy,I’m sure the pig, were it sentient and not facing canibalism, would adore bacon. It’s exactly why humans and pigs are so alike.CookingChat,I see CC agrees with your take — infidels.CC,Let’s do talk Crisco. I’m not sure this new version works as well as the old version — the melting point seems to be noticably lower. And now that I have several pints of homemade lard in my fridge, I may not be using it again anytime soon.
< HREF="http://www.belly-timber.com/2007/01/05/mac-n-cheese-the-final-frontier/" REL="nofollow">Mine’s still the prettiest!<> Or if not that, at least the smallest, and, I might add (feeling just a wee bit subversive), it isn’t at all yeller or ‘murkin. :-)
Yum! Everyone’s look so good. I went for a healthy approach and made a low-fat version of < HREF="http://rachelsbite.blogspot.com/2007/01/healthy-four-cheese-macaroni.html" REL="nofollow">Four-Cheese Macaroni<>.
wow, there are so many great versions out there. i have to try a meaty version with chorizo or bacon. while ignoring kevin’s once a year rule (mine, which is on my blog, is laden with double cream as well as cheese…)!
Okay I posted my recipe here http://www.deadbeefcafe.org/archives/61. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures. I really should fix that.
Abby,Double cream. Mmmmm.DM,Thanks!
as an avid CC reader, what can you expect from a gal living in the uber cool Bay Area? Thanks for the fun project, my family loved the cheese, and taking pictures of their plates for posterity. My 2.5 yr old is a photographic wizkid, who knew?
Hello! Quick question: I was all set to make this, then realized that milk figures prominently in the recipe, but doesn’t appear in the list of ingredients. How much?Thanks! It looks fabulous.
Anon,Whups! Recipe corrected, see above.
Dude, that’s HOT.
S’kat,Thanks!
What a great kitchy cheesy dish!! I love it.
Mmmmmm, bacon… sounds good to me, Kevin. Macaroni and cheese has to be my favourite dish. It’s the ultimate comfort food. I just had some for lunch yesterday…. You <>don’t<> put cocktail olives in your macaroni and cheese? Goodness, how sad!One of my favourite ways to prepare macaroni and cheese is with butter, grated cheddar, solid white tuna fish chunks, cocktail olives (the kind stuffed with pimiento), sliced mushrooms and chopped onions all topped with breadcrumbs, sesame seeds and butter and baked in the oven til the topping is golden. I’m so sorry I missed this event! Glad to see that so many didn’t miss it so I can get more preparation ideas for my favourite dish.-Elizabeth
Elizabeth,I put both cocktail olives and tuna in my tuna caserole — which also includes cheese.
sounds good……………………………..later on its realy delis and bacon rules
I like the idea of using bacon in the mac and cheese never really thought of using that before, I normally add a couple of slices of tomato, but going to give this a try next time I make it, thanks.
Kevin
This has to be my biggest down fall in life, comfort food and mac and cheese has to be my biggest comfort food especially in winter, its funny my family just love having it with a sprinkle of crispy bacon. Not many people like it with this, so this was good to see.
Double cheese always goes down well with this dish, but doesn’t go down very well with ones hips ha ha ha but then again thats why we have gyms
Kevin, dude this has to be every womans down fall, and yet they will complain about it as it goes straight to their hips go figure
Vinny,
I made a batch last night. Jeez I love that stuff.