Macaroni & Cheese...

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Much to my surprise, there was NO macaroni and cheese this year! First time for everything!

 

[DaisyD]

Not fancy enough? So turkey is considered fancy? Ham fancy? Those are easier to make then mac and cheese. Stuffing fancy? My daughter is a vegetarian and loves my homemade mac and cheese so its on our table for the holidays and everyone raves about it. Unless you are having some elite, hard to cook, over the top meal, then I think its fine.

 

[DaisyD]

Never personally did it or ran into it as a holiday thing. I think it's certainly less casual than green bean casserole made with tinned beans, so fancy isn't why I don't think, just general tradition.

Seconding that it's also super expensive and it's time consuming - but good.

Someone asked what cheeses - I like to mix, (in general, it's pretty forgiving whatever you like ime) well-aged cheddar (like 4 years), medium-aged cheddar (like 2), edam, some smoked gruyere, parm.

I have to add that I have made both the mac and cheese and the green bean casserole and the mac n cheese is a lot more involved. The green bean casseroule is dumping everhing in a dish and baking. Homemade mac n cheese takes a little more steps.

 

[marcyinPA]

Other. Not because it isn't fancy enough, but mac and cheeseis not a side dish in my family. It is a stand alone food, served with a veggie to make it a meal. It really never occured to me to serve it for a holiday. To me, it is just a weeknight meal.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would never have Mac and Cheese on a table at the holiday-its more of a kids birthday party type dish than a grown up holiday dish. I can't say I have ever been to anyones house where they served it with a meal either. I do make it homemade but just for me and my daughter on nights where I want to have just one thing, not as a holiday meal.

 

[tvguy]

I would never have Mac and Cheese on a table at the holiday-its more of a kids birthday party type dish than a grown up holiday dish. I can't say I have ever been to anyones house where they served it with a meal either. I do make it homemade but just for me and my daughter on nights where I want to have just one thing, not as a holiday meal.

I just got off the phone with a friend who travels frequently to Las Vegas on business, and she just laughed at the comments about Macaroni and Cheese not being fancy enough for a holiday meal. Apparently one of Bellagio's fine dining restaurants is known for it's Macaroni and Cheese......but at $45, I suspect it is a cut above what most of us make.

 

[tvguy]

Which cheeses do you like to use?
RECIPES please!!!
( I too prefer not to use velveeta!)

Mac and Cheese is NOT on our regular diet, for DH and I.
But a good hot delicious homemade mac-and-cheese sounds so good.
I need to make it more often for DS!

I occasionally whip up a mac-and-cheese in a pot.
(macaroni, butter, oil, deluxe real american, a little shredded mild cheddar, salt, pepper)

But I would love some good recipes for a better/fancier mac-and-cheese.

First, cook 1 1/2 cups macaroni.

Then make a roux (what some others are calling a white sauce). To make a roux, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, mix in 2 tablespoons flour.
Add 2 cups whole milk. For richer Macaroni and Cheese, use 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup half and half. Stick until thick and boiling. Mix in 16 ounces shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Stir it until it is all melted.
Mix in the cooked macaroni, put in a casserole dish. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350.

 

[Robbi]

Not fancy enough? So turkey is considered fancy? Ham fancy? Those are easier to make then mac and cheese. Stuffing fancy? My daughter is a vegetarian and loves my homemade mac and cheese so its on our table for the holidays and everyone raves about it. Unless you are having some elite, hard to cook, over the top meal, then I think its fine.

I agree with this. My mom bakes both ham and turkey fairly often. Mac n cheese is something I appreciate I seldom eat any type of meat-no pork, no fish, no poultry and very little beef. When we go to my parent's house for a meal, I either make a dish or salad to bring if she's not making a hearty vegetable or grain dish.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Other: We have not, at this point, served homemade mac & cheese for a holiday meal, but I'm not opposed to the idea.

We don't cook out of the box, though, basically ever.

 

[cornflake]

First, cook 1 1/2 cups macaroni.

Then make a roux (what some others are calling a white sauce). To make a roux, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, mix in 2 tablespoons flour.
Add 2 cups whole milk. For richer Macaroni and Cheese, use 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup half and half. Stick until thick and boiling. Mix in 16 ounces shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Stir it until it is all melted.
Mix in the cooked macaroni, put in a casserole dish. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350.

Whoa, a roux is not a white sauce, or a sauce of any kind. A roux is equal parts butter (or oil) and flour, cooked to whatever level the recipe or taste calls for, to thicken a sauce or dish.

The white sauce is a bechamel, it's one of the mother sauces (and it needs seasoning!).

I don't just use one cheese, and wouldn't use only very old cheddar if I did, it doesn't have a particularly smooth melt and gives up a lot of oil. I prefer a blend of cheeses, but that's obviously just personal preference.

Apparently one of Bellagio's fine dining restaurants is known for it's Macaroni and Cheese......but at $45, I suspect it is a cut above what most of us make.

You haven't eaten at my house.

 

[dreamin_disney]

We are African American and we serve macaroni and cheese at holiday dinners. We don't do the boxed stuff only baked. We were also given plates by our neighbors and it was on all of them too. Also, for a normal dinner, Mac n Cheese is ALWAYS a side and never an entree in most AA households.

Would love to get your recipe. It would be nice to have a traditional african american version. I've looked for regular recipe but the cheese were some i nver heard or the ingrediants all added up to be expensive. The only mac and cheese i've made was kraft box. I dont think i'd like velveeda cheese. I had it once and my stomach hurt.


I'm mexican american so Thanksgiving is just turkey, ham, mash potatoes/gravey, corn, salad, rolls, sweet potato and pies

Christmas Eve

When i use to make it i'd have baked ham, mash potatoes/gravy, corn, rolls, salad

Christmas Eve at dh's nana's house
tamales, menudo, ham, desserts

christmas eve at dh's cousin house
this year they had tamales ,enchilladas, rice, beans
but they usually do ham
they also had potato salad, chips and dip, cheese, crackerand salomi platter and a bunch of desserts

christmas day at my nephews house
tamales, pozole, chips and salsa and desserts

seems like more are just having potlucks and variety of foods. Thanksgiving is the only meal we all sit down together

 

[Art 1]

I just got off the phone with a friend who travels frequently to Las Vegas on business, and she just laughed at the comments about Macaroni and Cheese not being fancy enough for a holiday meal. Apparently one of Bellagio's fine dining restaurants is known for it's Macaroni and Cheese......but at $45, I suspect it is a cut above what most of us make.

My wife cooks gourmet often and is well known for her cooking.Mostly all from scratch, even the ingredients from scratch when possible. She would laugh at that too. Her mac and cheese is better and more complex then most meals it seems people here have eaten.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Baked mac and cheese is a staple where I live - it's full of real cheddar and other cheeses, and well seasoned. It is definitely not just for kids, and it's not that gooey fake stuff either. It is easy to make big pans of it and stick it in the oven, so it tends to be a very popular dish at any large gathering.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Not on my Christmas table, because I need the leftover ham from Christmas to make it a few days after. (Homemade/Alton Brown's recipe, not Kraft dinner)

 

[tvguy]

Whoa, a roux is not a white sauce, or a sauce of any kind. A roux is equal parts butter (or oil) and flour, cooked to whatever level the recipe or taste calls for, to thicken a sauce or dish.

The white sauce is a bechamel, it's one of the mother sauces (and it needs seasoning!).

I don't just use one cheese, and wouldn't use only very old cheddar if I did, it doesn't have a particularly smooth melt and gives up a lot of oil. I prefer a blend of cheeses, but that's obviously just personal preference.



You haven't eaten at my house.

Okay, never heard of a bechamel, however I googled it, and it said it's a roux Oh well.
If you are patient enough, mixing in the cheese slowly, you can get a pretty smooth melt. But you're right, it is personal preference. Like when my kids were in daycare, and the cook made macaroni and cheese from scratch, and the 3-8 year old set hated it. They grew up with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and like the taste better. Just like I read somewhere that kids today as so used to margarine, they think butter tastes funny.

 

[Janepod]

Okay, never heard of a bechamel, however I googled it, and it said it's a roux Oh well.

Although Yahoo Answers is usually pretty useless, they got it right here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080106020844AAkhfdS

I am surprised by the number of people unfamiliar with Bechamel. What else would you call that kind of white sauce?

 

[Robbi]

LOL, in south Louisiana, a roux is oil with flour added to make a paste and then cooked until it turns the color of peanut butter. Add onions only after it's reached the correct color. Let them cook until they're translucent and then add water. It's the base for gumbos.
I have noticed on some cooking shows, they've co opted the term for a Bechamel sauce.

 

[Minnesota!]

That's pretty much my experience too. Mac & cheese was something for the picky kids, but nobody served it as part of a holiday meal.

When I was a kid and Catholics were still forbidden to eat meat on Fridays, a fairly common meal was some type of fried fish with mac & cheese and stewed tomatoes as side dishes.
My wife had a bad experience with mac & cheese. Apparently the lunch lady once forced her eat the school's gross M&C and to this day gets the willies just THINKING about it.

Jim

This is a staple at our house. Mac-n-cheese and stewed tomatoes. I grew up on it. It's SO good.

I make a hot dish - home made mac-n-cheese, stewed tomatoes, peas. Bake with bread crumbs on top. Serve with buttered rolls and a salad. So good! My DH and kids love it, too...

 

[Carrie_Cat]

No, would never expect to see that at all here. It's not a dish that you'd see on a festive table

Re the Pigs in Blankets - In the UK they are small pork sausages wrapped in bacon not the US version.

Look like these at the top of the plate of a full Christmas lunch

 

[cornflake]

Okay, never heard of a bechamel, however I googled it, and it said it's a roux Oh well.
If you are patient enough, mixing in the cheese slowly, you can get a pretty smooth melt. But you're right, it is personal preference. Like when my kids were in daycare, and the cook made macaroni and cheese from scratch, and the 3-8 year old set hated it. They grew up with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and like the taste better. Just like I read somewhere that kids today as so used to margarine, they think butter tastes funny.

Dunno what result you got or looked at first. I just tried googling bechamel and the Wiki comes up first, and leads with -

Béchamel sauce also known as white sauce, is made with a roux of butter and flour cooked in milk. It is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine...

I've heard that before about kids turning down 'real' mac & cheese because they only like the boxed - it is what you're used to.