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Macaroni and Cheese


Streetwise
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Food seems to be a fun side-topic on this forum. Cabot, our local Vermont/New York dairy cooperative, now has their own Mac and Cheese boxes. I got a couple of boxes to try, but I sent them with my friend who is moving back to Utah.

https://www.cabotcheese.coop/premium-macaroni-cheese/

I like mine al Dente with a bit of crispy bacon crumbles.

What do you like for this perfect food?

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I do an Älplermakkaronen style one with sautéed onions and a mornay sauce using raclette cheese (although when I can find it I prefer to use a very non-traditional esrom cheese - your house will smell like the cheese for a week, but it is so very worth it!).  To that I will sometimes add a little bit of shaved jamón ibérico, and then top with bread crumbs.  Bake until the top is golden and crispy, and the insides smooth and creamy. 

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My sauce is made from milk, cream, cream cheese, chicken base and a blend of cheddar, Jack, American and pecorino.

I find roux thickened sauces are prone to breaking if they are held or reheated than ones simply thickened with cheese. If my recipe starts to break a little heavy cream stirred in will fix it. 

I also like to top it with crumbled corn bread and brown it under the broiler. 

 

I think I know what I'm doing for family meal tomorrow! Thanks @Streetwise

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@H.K.Luterman de cecco is my favorite brand of dried pasta I stock up whenever it's on sale! It's a little too pricey otherwise.

@Hobbit any starch thickened sauce can break if held too long/overcooked. Starch molecules will absorb liquid as they are heated, but if they are overheated they will burst releasing all the liquid they absorbed. 

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@Streetwise I just checked 2 different brands from my cabinet and the sauce packets in both contain no starch just dairy products and stabilizers.

Most restaurants make Mac and cheese with a mornay sauce which is bechamel (roux+milk/cream) and cheese. 

When you reheat the mornay the starch molecules burst releasing all the liquid they've absorbed including the butter from making the roux. That's why restaurant Mac and cheese becomes greasy and stringing or clumpy when you reheat it. 

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Kraft Mac & Cheese (either original or fancy), using butter not margarine.  Topped with hot dogs cooked up in the toaster oven so they’re well done (not quite burnt but definitely colored up).  And if you have leftover Mac & cheese, may I recommend mixing it with Wendy’s chili?  It’s oddly good.

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On 6/22/2021 at 10:37 PM, ChefConfit said:

When you reheat the mornay the starch molecules burst releasing all the liquid they've absorbed including the butter from making the roux.

I had no idea why that happens.  Thanks! 

I've sort of resigned myself to the reality that leftover homemade mac & cheese is never going to be as good as on the first night.  But I've sort of gotten around the issue by making it a bit drier than normal when I know I'll have leftovers.  This seems to keep the sauce from turning greasy (perhaps less water for the starch to release when reheated?) and it keeps the pasta from turning into wallpaper paste.  Not a perfect solution, to be sure, as the first night is a bit less oozy and creamy.  But it makes the leftovers more palatable, in my opinion. 

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My relationship with mac n cheese is one of brutal.. brutal efficiency. In my college days I developed a recipe and strategy to maximize the dollar and minimize time needed for making it.

Recipe: 2 boxes kraft mac n cheese & 1 block of spam , tobasco (optional)

Follow the steps for maximum time savings.

1) Frist get fully hot water from the tap and fill a pot with an amount of water that looks about right.

2) Place the pot on a burner on high and dump in the noodles.

3) While that is heating up open up the spam, cube it, and throw it in the pot.

4) Next measure out the butter and milk being aware to stir the pot if needed.

5) Once the noodles are tender turn off the burner and turn on the sink faucet to cold. Then using a large slotted spoon to hold back the noodles pour out as much of the hot water as you reasonably can into the drain and shut off the faucet. Do not worry if it appears too much water is left behind, this will evaporate off in the next steps.

6) Place the pot back onto the originaly used but turned off burner, then push the butter to the bottom of the noodles and stir until melted.

7) Once the butter is near fully melted pour in the milk, give the pot a quick stir and then add the cheese powder and give the final stir.

😎 enjoy your most classy meal and leftovers, add tabasco to taste!

Edited by TheDukeAnumber1
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I indulge in the blue and the yellow box from time to time. HOWEVER I make my own pasta, generally though it's not planned, I just decide to do it- so I never have the cheese! Instead I always have sage (in my backyard), butter (um, permanent staple) and parmesan (dolls up a whole lotta things- it's almost like salt) and make brown butter sage noodles!

Resized_20201017_171522.jpg

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On 6/21/2021 at 5:38 PM, Streetwise said:

Food seems to be a fun side-topic on this forum. Cabot, our local Vermont/New York dairy cooperative, now has their own Mac and Cheese boxes. I got a couple of boxes to try, but I sent them with my friend who is moving back to Utah.

https://www.cabotcheese.coop/premium-macaroni-cheese/

I like mine al Dente with a bit of crispy bacon crumbles.

What do you like for this perfect food?

... moves involuntarily to the kitchen ... 

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