TravelTalkOnline Forums People Talk Recipes mac & cheese

looking for some recipes. thanks

Deb makes a basic mac & cheese,
except she slices Kielbasa about 1/4" thick and adds that to the boiling water a few minutes before adding the macaroni...
Then cooks the macaroni til al dente...
That way the flavor of the Kielbasa penetrates the pasta...
Drain Macaroni & kielbasa and mix all together with the cheese sauce...
It's really excellent!

Lil' Smokies or any smoked cured sausage will work well...
I made it once with Chorizo... Yummm, if you want a Cajun flavor...
I have tried making it with those little cocktail hotdogs... it was only OK, compared to Kielbasa...

My basic recipe: in a large pot melt approx. 4 tablespoons of butter; turn down the heat; add a few heaping spoons of flour; stir to make a slight browned roux. Then turn the heat back up and dump in your shredded or cubed cheese(s) of choices. I like to use sharp cheddar along with smoked gouda, maybe some havarti. Slowly stir or wisk things together. Add some heated milk to thin things out a bit. When the cheese is melted to your liking, add your cooked macaroni or other pasta (I like to mix things up with bow-tie (Farfalle) pasta. Other add-ins are things such as peconic noted above, or perhaps some sauteed onion. Then pour into greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or so. Enjoy! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/chef.gif" alt="" />

When I bake it, I always add strips of American Cheese (the real stuff, not "American Cheese Food"! whatever that is?), to the top, then sprinkle some buttered breadcrumbs on top of that...

I also prefer to use a mild cheddar, it makes for a creamier cheese sauce... sharp & esp. ex. sharp tend to be grainy...

I actually prefer using the small pasta shells as opposed to macaroni, or wagon wheels...
they have more surface area for the cheese sauce to stick to...

This is the basic recipe I use for a Creamy Mac & Cheese (the evaporated milk is what makes it really creamy!):

Ingredients
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound elbow, shell or other bite-size shaped pasta
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound grated mild cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle.
Add salt and pasta.
Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente.
Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
2. Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling).
Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture.
Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes.
Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
3. Add drained pasta to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat.
Stir to heat through, and thin with a little milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

thank you for the recipes. my problem has always been making the sauce. what type of cheese, etc. peconic can you also bake that recipe. it does sound delious.

Yes, the recipe can be baked...
For cheese, I use what I have on hand...
cheddar, american, monterey jack, gouda, swiss... whatever, as long as it is a soft cheese...
if using swiss or gouda, since they are "stringier" I like to mix them with other cheeses, like cheddar or american...
also don't let the sauce boil, just a simmer, or even better use a double boiler when you add the cheese (then it will be really creamy!) or the cheeses will "break"...