Homemade Mac and Cheese?

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I got a craving today for some yummy, creamy, cheesy homemade mac and cheese. Everytime I try it, I get a separated lump of yuck.

Does anyone have a good recipe for me to try?

 

[MerryPoppins]

I don't have an exact recipe, but I make it the way my mom always has. This makes rich and creamy mac and cheese, but know in advance that all the yummy cheese make it messy to serve!

I boil macaroni and chopped onion, as directed on the macaroni package. Then drain. Meanwhile stir together sour cream (fat free works fine, too) with grated cheddar cheese. Then add to the macaroni and stir. (I think this is the trick because it keeps the cheese from lumping up when you stir it into the mac.) Add milk if needed to get desired consistancy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add onion powder. You can bake for a while in 350 oven after sprinkling the top with cheese or just serve after stirring up. Either way works. My family loves it!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Although I guess it depends on how much macaroni you make, what size sour cream do you mix in? I was thinking probably a small container.

It's nice to see that you can use the fat free kind of sour cream. My stomach wants great mac and cheese but my brain (and thighs) say you can''t eat that!! LOL! Not your recipe specifically, all mac and cheese in general! We gotta cut corners where we can!

Sounds great, I'm probably going to try it tonight. Also, one other question, if you bake it (I love those crunchy bits on top) should I add the milk to make sure it doesn't dry out?

I really am not a bad cook, just always dissapointed with my mac and cheese.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Amounts don't really matter all that much. Of course the more sour cream the better it tastes! I usually use about a small carton for a medium-sized bowl. The less sour cream you put in, the more milk you need to add to keep it from being dry.

If I am putting it in the oven, I would add a little more milk so it wouldn't dry out. You could also cover it with foil and then top it with cheese at the last.

Like I said, this recipe isn't an exact science. But the sour cream makes it really good. My kids don't like to eat boxed mac and cheese because they say it isn't like the *real* thing! They like all that stretchy cheese and sour cream I put in it. Hope it turns out the way you want it to taste.

 

[pumba]

Maries version of Macaroni and cheese

in a large fry pan......melt two or three tablespoons of margarine.....any kind will do....
when melted ....add two or three tablespoons of flour......mix into a good mixture.....
add two or three cups of warmed up milk.....Ido that in the microwave for a few......mix the
flour mixture and milk.....until it is well incoperated......
keep stirring........and this prevents lumps......
add one block of extra sharp cheddar cheese..made into small pieces...anything from ten to fourteen ounces
and keep stirrring on low heat.....
meantime......while this is going on......cook one box of muellers macaroni.......(cause hubby says
muellers doesn't swell up )
drain macaroni and put in large casserole bowl........
when the cheese looks like it is melted .....add the mixture to the macaroni and mix it in well.....
in a small dish.........melt three tablespoons margarine and add italian breadcrumbs to it....in
microwave.....maybe ten or more seconds........dab on top of the macaroni and cheese and cook
in oven for twenty or thirty minutes....until bubbly......
Hope you like it........

 

[piratesmate]

I do mine like Pumba does hers. One of the big differences, though, is that although I LOVE it with extra sharp cheddar, I found that it was a lot cheaper to use the cheese ends from our grocer's deli. They package all the ends that are too small to go through the slicer. They also add slices that were left-over. If you watch for them every week & freeze until you have enough, you can get some really tasty, creamy mac & cheese out of them. Sometimes we've found packages with a bit of Pepper Jack, Muenster, Swiss, Provolone, etc. in addition to the standard American. The variation in taste is really interesting - we especially enjoy it with the Swiss because it gets stringy. We also get ends of cooked ham and put that in.

I make a roux:
Melt 2 - 4 Tbl butter/margarine, then stir in 2 - 4 Tbl flour. (I use regular unbleached, but if you use Wondra, you're less likely to get lumps.) Stir it into a paste & then add milk. Sorry - I just pour it in until it looks right! I'd guess it's about 2 cups. I don't bother to warm it first. I use a whisk to fully blend the butter/flour into the milk.

Once it's warm (steamy, not boiling) I add chunks/slices of the cheese (the more the better, but at least 12 ounces.) If you cook it on medium, you don't really need to stir constantly. However, don't walk away from it, as you'll still need to stir a bit. Heat only until the cheese is melted.

I use a pound of whatever pasta I have available - shells, elbows, rotini. I also only cook it as long as the package says for al dente, as it will cook further in the oven. I don't rinse the pasta uless it gets done too long before the cheese sauce & becomes a big lump.

Dump the pasta in a large casserole & pour the cheese sauce over it. Stir until mixed well & bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 350.

I've never done it the was MerryPoppins does, but it sounds good - AND easy!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I can't wait until dinner! It's a beautiful day in Florida, DH is gonna put steaks on the grill, homemade mac and cheese....doesn't get any better than that!

Except for work tomorrow, oh well......

Thank you for all the responses! Now I now where to ask the real cooks out there!

 

[BusyMomof3]

Here's another recipe. I got this about 10 yrs. ago from my SIL and it's the only one I've made since. My kids love it, and I take it to pot luck dinners all the time.

3Tbls. Butter or Margarine
2 cups raw macaroni
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar or the Kraft 4 cheese blend)
1/4 - 1/3 of a small loaf of Velveeta cheese cut in small cubes - or you can use shredded Velveeta
5 1/2 cups milk ( you can use 1 or 2%, but not skim)

Preheat oven to 350. Place butter or margarine in a 9 x 13 baking dish and put in oven to melt while oven preheats. When butter is melted, spread raw macaroni over butter in pan. Sprinkle cheeses over macaroni and pour milk over all. Stir. Bake for 1 hour, until light brown on top.