Category: Grub Garage
This mouth watering dish will have your guests drooling!
What You Need
1 box elbow macaroni noodles
cheeses you plan to use, 1 pound
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
Salt to taste
Equipment
A collander
A pot
A sturdy spoon
A whisk or fork
A smaller bowl
Measuring cups
A cheese grater
2 8x8 inch baking pans or 1 9x13 inch baking pan
1 large mixing bowl
Optional
Breadcrumbs
Anything else you may wanna add...hot dogs, pieces of bacon, vegetables,
etc.
What to Do
Step 1. Boil your elbow noodles until they are soft enough, about 10
minutes.
Step 2. While your noodles are boiling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
If you have to shred the cheese manually, now would also be a good time
to grate the cheeses you are using.
Step 3. Drain your noodles, and let them drain for a few minutes. In a
small bowl, whisk together your egg and milk which will be a cheese sauce.
Set aside. If you don't have a whisk you can use a fork.
Step 4. Once your noodles are drained, pour them into a large mixing bowl.
Add your cheese and mix your noodles and cheeses together to allow the
cheese to melt. If you are using toppings such as hot dogs, add that in as
well and mix together.
Step 5. Pour your macaroni and cheese into a baking pan. Pour your egg
and milk mixture on top.
Step 6. If you are using breadcrumbs, sprinkle them on top first before
adding your egg and milk. You can also sprinkle some cheese on top if
desired.
Step 7. Bake for 30 minutes. If you plan to cover the pan, let it cool
completely first. If you don't, it will continue to cook and dry out.
Enjoy!
Not bad, Apple.
Now, when it comes to baked macaroni and cheese, I shall immodestly proclaim
myself to be the master. As proof, my daughter and all her friends begged for it,
and often, and finished the pot.
I never used the egg, though I can see how it would function as a binder.
Here's what I do though, and the results are going to be a little less mushy,
different but nonetheless just as good.
First, when you cook your noodles, don't forget to put the noodles into the
water only after it's boiling. I didn't know there were people that put them into
cold water, but there are, and there are good reasons for not doing so.
Grate your cheese ahead of time. Cook your Italian sausage -- my personal
favorite for doing this -- in a skillet. I use the ground sausage, not the links, but
you can use the links if you wish. Just slice them into thin coins first before you
brown them.
If kids aren't involved toss in jalapeño pepper slices in the sausage while it's
cooking.
Once you pull the macaroni off the stove, drain it using your pot's lid instead of
a drainer. You don't want the noodles to cool down. Instead of using a flat
baking dish, I use an oven-safe mixing / serving bowl, usually coated inside
with olive oil. Pour your macaroni into the bowl. If you drained it properly with
the lid, it won't have too much water, but a bit more than when you use the
strainer. That's ok.
Now empty the contents of the skillet into the bowl, use a fork to stir all that up.
the fork does a better job stirring because you can more carefully mix the
ingredients into one another. Then start "folding" in the grated cheese. Keep
some out for the very top.
Now, bake until you can hear it sizzling, I usually use 300 degrees, and no
cover, so that the noodles gain a bit of a crispy texture. Then put the remaining
grated cheese on top, pack it good like you're packing, shall we say, another
kind of bowl, and put it back in the oven until the cheese has melted.
Cheese has a certain amount of oils in it which will seep into the noodles as
well.
Your kids will pig out on it, chatter with their mouths full, and beg for some
more. And, it goes great with beer.
that sounds so good. I should make it.
Oooo yes, Leo. Must try this!
Leo... in regards to the sausage links. If you remove the casings, you can just put them
into the pan and break them up as you fry them, just as if you were going to fry up
some ground beef.
Thanks Leo, I'm hungry now! Yummy!
Yeah I wait until the water is boiling to put the noodles in. Yes, you
don't have to use the egg, but it acts as a cheese sauce. I wonder how
the mac and cheese would taste if I put cream cheese in as one of the
cheeses. Probably very good. I forgot to mention this, but I put a
little bit of olive oil in the pot right before putting the noodles in so
they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. You don't have to do this
though.
Cream cheese is part of the base used to make beef stroganoff.
If you use cream cheese, i'd recommend adding it as the first cheese, and be careful to stir it in really good.
Cream cheese is a soft cheese, so bear that in mind when you use it. Don't try to grate it, take a block of it and slice what you need into really thin slices. As much as possible. Add a little at a time and stir that in.
Your utensils will take extra work to clean afterwards. But I really do find cream cheese to be a nice addition. Rich, so a little goes a long way.
yummy, thanks apple and leo!
Yeah my friend made baked mac and cheese, she used 3 different cheeses,
mozzarella, cheddar, and cream cheese. Yeah when making dishes where you
need cream cheese I'd prefer to use the block because if you need 8 oz. you
know the block is 8 oz where if you get the tub, you have to guess, or
measure out a half a cup. I made baked mac and cheese in the past and
used shredded mozzarella cheese, next time I'll try it with all 3 cheeses
adding a little cream cheese at a time. I like my mac and cheese really
cheesy.