Who doesn't love Mac and Cheese? It has got to be one of those iconic, all-time favorite comfort foods. Ask a dozen different cooks, and chances are you'll get a dozen variations of this yumminess. It seems most of us who do any kind of cooking have our version of it that we whip up periodically.
Well, here are six variations to add to your Mac and Cheese line-up, including Slow Cooker Chili Mac 'n Cheese and Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Add a veggie and dessert, and voila! Enjoy!
HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE
I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.
1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.
Turn oven on to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.
Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.
This makes 4 – 5 servings.
Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)
BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE
For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.
1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni
4 Tbs. Benecol
3 Tbs. all purpose flour
3 Tbs. finely chopped onion
1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed
few drops Tabasco Sauce
1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C flavored bread crumbs
1 Tbs. olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.
In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber
PERFECT MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE WITH BREAD CRUMBS
This comes from Diana Rattray, who writes for The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “Lots of Cheddar cheese inside and on top make this a delicious, creamy macaroni and cheese. Serve this casserole as a main dish with a salad or serve it as a side dish.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Cook Macaroni: 8 minutes; Total Time: 58 minutes; Yield: Serves 4 to 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
8 ounces macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or a spicy brown mustard
2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup soft bread crumbs, tossed with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
Preparation
Heat oven to 375°. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with hot water.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth and bubbly. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Add the salt, pepper, cream, and milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add mustard and 2 cups of the cheese.
Continue cooking, stirring, until cheese is melted.
Combine the sauce mixture with the drained macaroni. Spoon into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Scatter the buttered bread crumbs evenly over the cheese layer.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.
GRANDMA'S MAC AND CHEESE
This comes from my e-cookbook, titled Off the Wall Cooking, found on Amazon.com.
Both of my grandmas were characters—I could write a book about either one. This is my dad's mom's version of the ultimate comfort food. She told me she made this for my dad and my uncle when they were kids. Very simple, but very good.
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 – 2 jars of Cheese Whiz
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Heat Cheese Whiz, either in microwave or boiling water. (Remove lids from jars first.) Drain macaroni, dump into a large bowl, add heated Cheese Whiz, stir, and PIG OUT!!!
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is from an old Weight Watchers' email. Serves: 8; 5 Points (old points value).
12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
8 oz low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain & transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside.
Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges. Reduce heat to low, add cheese & simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat & stir in mustard, salt, pepper & nutmeg.
Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs & Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
SLOW-COOKER CHILI MAC ’N CHEESE
This is from Judy Kim on Delish, and begins, “Put in a little bit of prep in the morning, come home to an insanely delish dinner.”
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4.
According to Delish, “Judy Kim is a NYC-based food stylist, recipe developer, and photographer. She also writes recipes for her website The Judy Lab.”
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. cayenne
2 lb. lean ground beef
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
15 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb. small pasta, such as macaroni or fusilli
2 c. shredded Cheddar
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Scallions, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream, for garnish
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until softened. Add chili, cumin, and cayenne until fragrant, 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
Transfer beef mixture to slow cooker along with tomatoes and kidney beans and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low, 6 hours.
When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add pasta and cheese to slow cooker and stir until melted. Serve with scallions, jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, sour cream and cheese.
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