What's wrong with my Mac & Cheese?

[Imzadi]

Not sure I see the cream of mushroom soup in a basic mac-n-cheese though????

I know a caterer who made a homemade roux/cream of CELERY sauce for his famous 5 cheese pasta & cheese. It was an adult gourmet version of mac & cheese. I've been trying forever to remember all 5 cheeses he used. The only ones I remember are asiago & monterey jack. That dish was exquisite.

 

[ronandannette]

This combination of cream of mushroom soup and cheese is delish!!!
This is the sauce I use to make a broccoli casserole. Only I just use a good American.... This over some steamed broccoli (do not overcook), mixed with a cup of cooked drained rice. Fold all gently together, pour into small casserole dish. Top with fresh bread crumbs out of the blender...

Really good!

Not sure I see the cream of mushroom soup in a basic mac-n-cheese though????

Help me out - what is American cheese? Is it Those slices that come wrapped in plastic?

 

[Mousemom234]

I'm not sure you did anything wrong, exactly - it's just a big difference in styles. Baked does tend to be less creamy thatn stove-top
You'll find with baked, you have to have the cheese sauce a lot 'looser', that is, thinner. The pasta soaks it up as it bakes, leading to a dryer finished mac & cheese.

Starting with the recipe given, I'd use a bit less flour, or more butter, and up to a cup more milk. If you want, add some extra flavorings, too; salt and pepper for starters, maybe a bit of onion or garlic powder, Mrs Dash, Old Bay seasoning...
Sometimes I stir in an egg or two, to make it more of a cheese custard (makes it easier to cut into nice blocks for serving).
Top crumbs can be anything. DH likes fresh crumbs from bread heels, my mom uses saltines and/or cornflakes.

Stirring in the cheese slowly will help, too, if it's a block of regular 'rat-cheese' cheddar. That tends to melt slowly, and sometimes oils if the heat is too high.
I often use a bagged preshredded cheddar, or a 4 cheese blend. I find those melt more evenly. Sometimes I get cheese ends at the deli counter, then Goofy only knows what cheeses are in there

I make it from the 'blue box' too, but even then, I use less butter and more milk - then eat it right from the pan

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I make two kinds of mac & cheese. Either the cheapo kind out of the blue box (actually my family likes the Walmart-Great Value brand better lol) OR I throw in a block of Velveeta, milk, butter into my macaroni. Easy peasy, good to go.

My DS15, came home the other day and said that I have to make his girlfriend's mom's mac/cheese. I said, "ask her how she makes it". So he came home with the recipe. I just made it now and I didn't care for it. It was really easy but something about it, I didn't like.

***Melt some butter, add little bit of flour, cook about a minute. Add 2 cups milk, bring to boil. Add in 3-4 cups of cheddar cheese. Put in 13x9 baking pan. Crumble Ritz crackers, mix with melted butter, sprinkle on top of mac/cheese. Bake @350* for 30 mins.

I just didn't like the taste or the texture of it. Taste wasn't all that bad but the texture just threw me off. It just wasn't creamy. I like creamy mac/cheese. Was it because it was baked? The cheese I used? Why did it taste so different???

For starters that is too much cheese and not enough milk. And yes baked tends to be less creamy. If you had made it on the stovetop, it probably would have been more creamy. You don't have to bake it.

That being said I use different cheeses that are more meltable because cheddar can be tricky. It can get gritty if it is too dry, low fat, etc. You would need to shred your own cheese and not use bagged cheese.

I like the Gruyere cheese and then I add in the Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup for the "cheddar" flavor. Probably not the most healthy but I also hate the grit.

 

[Gigi22]

Looking at the recipe, I think I would add 2 oz. (1/4 of a large package) of cream cheese to the bechamel sauce and let it melt in and then beat until smooth. That should add some creaminess. Also, for seasoning I like salt, pepper and a pinch or two of dry mustard, or a few drops of Tabasco. I have also been known to add 1 oz. of blue cheese to the mac and cheese to perk it up. (If you add blue cheese, don't let your kids know).

 

[tyniknate]

The recipe had WAY too much cheese for the amount of milk.

Try this:
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
4 cups milk (can add a little more if you like it creamy)
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 pound cooper sharp cheese (Cubed)(it is the creamiest cheddar cheese)
1/3 deli sliced (not plastic wrapper) american cheese

melt butter and stir in flour, add salt and pepper. Do not let it cook....immediately add in the milk and allow it to slowly heat, stirring constantly. When you can see the steam beginning to rise from the milk, add in the cheese. If you add cold cheese to boiling milk, the whole mixture will curdle. It's still OK to eat, just not very appetizing to look at. Your final cheese sauce should be a thin "gravy" consistency. By allowing it to be thin, the al dente pasta will finish cooking in the sauce and not go all mushy.

Add this mixture to an al dente cooked 1 lb box of pasta in a prepared 9X13 pan.

Sprinkle with extra cheese (parmesan) or bread crumbs or ritz crackers or just bake plain.

Bake 375 degrees for 35 mins.

I have tried hundreds of different combinations of cheese and this is by far the best as far as creaminess. I make it whenever I take a covered dish somewhere and never come home with leftovers. Good luck!

PS - you can add dry mustard or tobasco or garlic to the sauce if you like any of these flavors. This is just the base sauce that works the best.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Help me out - what is American cheese? Is it Those slices that come wrapped in plastic?

Sorry, forgetting that anybody outside of the States might not know exactly!!!!

American cheese does often come that way...
Like Kraft wrapped slice singles.
It is like the very mildest and creamiest cheddar.

Kids love it... We use it for Mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and just about everything.

For anybody here who thinks, just grab some singles...
BE CAREFUL. Most of those are nasty fake cheese-food-product.
I'll use the Kraft DELUXE, which is the real cheese.

You can get it white - but most often it is a yellow cheese.

I'll start with an easy type of Bechemel with butter, oil, warmed, then add flour pre-dissolved in milk... then American Cheese and some Sargento Mild Cheddar. Salt, and pepper... Simple but good.

My son insists on the creamy stove-top kind !

 

[Wishing on a star]

Try this:
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
4 cups milk (can add a little more if you like it creamy)
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 pound cooper sharp cheese (Cubed)(it is the creamiest cheddar cheese)
1/3 deli sliced (not plastic wrapper) american cheese

I'm not familiar with the cooper sharp cheese...
I don't think I've tried a sharp cheese that is really creamy???

Recipe sounds good!!!!
I just fully dissolve the the flour in the milk, then add to a WARM pan with the butter/oil, bring to a slight bubble... No need to 'fry' the flour... which can also impart a toasted/burned flour tastes.... this is SO easy... no lumps..

 

[Casperina]

Some people prefer packaged food, some people prefer homemade.
Just a matter of personal tastes I guess.

 

[richmond282]

The bechamel as you're describing it sounds super-bland. Think about trying this instead: just heat a can of condensed cream-of-mushroom (don't dilute at this point) and add a good sized tbsp. or two of garlic butter. Once it's hot add your shredded cheddar (get a nice sharp one but not extra-old as it will be oily as it melts). Thin if necessary at this point with milk or cream and season with black pepper (I actually use 1/2 tsp of Mrs. Dash). Add the macaroni and pour into a baking dish. Top with a heavy layer of grated parmesan - it'll form a rich, crunchy crust when heated under the broiler. This will BLOW AWAY GF's mother's version - DS will be begging you to let her stay for supper

P.S. I do this more as a pasta entree than a side by adding cooked ham or crisp bacon, sauteed celery and green onions and a cupful of frozen peas. Good, very good.

How much cheese and how much macaroni do I use for this recipe? It sounds really good.

 

[willowsnn3]

I make two kinds of mac & cheese. Either the cheapo kind out of the blue box (actually my family likes the Walmart-Great Value brand better lol) OR I throw in a block of Velveeta, milk, butter into my macaroni. Easy peasy, good to go.

My DS15, came home the other day and said that I have to make his girlfriend's mom's mac/cheese. I said, "ask her how she makes it". So he came home with the recipe. I just made it now and I didn't care for it. It was really easy but something about it, I didn't like.

***Melt some butter, add little bit of flour, cook about a minute. Add 2 cups milk, bring to boil. Add in 3-4 cups of cheddar cheese. Put in 13x9 baking pan. Crumble Ritz crackers, mix with melted butter, sprinkle on top of mac/cheese. Bake @350* for 30 mins.

I just didn't like the taste or the texture of it. Taste wasn't all that bad but the texture just threw me off. It just wasn't creamy. I like creamy mac/cheese. Was it because it was baked? The cheese I used? Why did it taste so different???

When I do baked mac/cheese, I use mostly Velveeta in the flour/milk/egg mixture with a little shredded cheddar, then at the end I spred some more shredded cheddar on top to melt.
That being said we usually do the velveeta shells & cheese.

 

[willowsnn3]

When my boys were little they liked the cheapo boxed kind with the orange powder. The runnier the better, lol.

 

[tasha99]

That sounds a lot like the mac and cheese I make, at least ingredients-wise. I don't measure anything, so I couldn't say about that. To give it more flavor, I chop up some very, very fine onion and saute it with the roux. I also add some nutmeg, and sometimes a bit of dry mustard (but not always on the mustard).

I think it's just a difference in taste. If you're used to processed cheeses like Velveeta or American, cheddar is going to taste funny and not very creamy in comparison.

 

[tyniknate]

I'm not familiar with the cooper sharp cheese...
I don't think I've tried a sharp cheese that is really creamy???

Recipe sounds good!!!!
I just fully dissolve the the flour in the milk, then add to a WARM pan with the butter/oil, bring to a slight bubble... No need to 'fry' the flour... which can also impart a toasted/burned flour tastes.... this is SO easy... no lumps..

Cooper is the brand name and it is a totally different consistency than traditional sharp cheese. It is much softer when you cut it than the normally crumbly sharp. It is DELICIOUS! Hope you can find it somewhere near you....it's definitely worth the search.

 

[ORMom2Four]

I bet the roux was not the right amount.

For my mac and cheese, I don't measure, so I can't give the exact amounts.

I make the roux, add milk and let it thicken before I add the cheese (I use sharp cheddar). If there was too much milk added, it will not thicken and your cheese sauce will not be creamy! That's happened to me. I just make more roux, then add the milk mixture that was not thick enough to the new roux.

Mac-n-cheese in the blue box is, imho, not real mac-n-cheese

 

[U2_rocks!]

That sounds a lot like the mac and cheese I make, at least ingredients-wise. I don't measure anything, so I couldn't say about that. To give it more flavor, I chop up some very, very fine onion and saute it with the roux. I also add some nutmeg, and sometimes a bit of dry mustard (but not always on the mustard).

Around here it is made with onions as well, and many people also add pepper sauce made from hot red peppers and mustard (though for kids that would be left out). We use English or New Zealand block cheddar, which is a very pale yellow cheese rather than a yellow or orange one. It has a robust flavour but is also very creamy, not crumbly.

 

[tvguy]

I make two kinds of mac & cheese. Either the cheapo kind out of the blue box (actually my family likes the Walmart-Great Value brand better lol) OR I throw in a block of Velveeta, milk, butter into my macaroni. Easy peasy, good to go.

My DS15, came home the other day and said that I have to make his girlfriend's mom's mac/cheese. I said, "ask her how she makes it". So he came home with the recipe. I just made it now and I didn't care for it. It was really easy but something about it, I didn't like.

***Melt some butter, add little bit of flour, cook about a minute. Add 2 cups milk, bring to boil. Add in 3-4 cups of cheddar cheese. Put in 13x9 baking pan. Crumble Ritz crackers, mix with melted butter, sprinkle on top of mac/cheese. Bake @350* for 30 mins.

I just didn't like the taste or the texture of it. Taste wasn't all that bad but the texture just threw me off. It just wasn't creamy. I like creamy mac/cheese. Was it because it was baked? The cheese I used? Why did it taste so different???

That's pretty much my recipe, expect you HAVE to use the sharpest cheddar cheese you can buy, and you HAVE to use at least whole milk, preferably half and half, makes the creamiest best mac and cheese ever. No Ritz here, but I have seen it with Blue Cheese on top, MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Velveeta is cheese food, not cheese. It makes a much creamier textured mac and cheese.

 

[3Paige14]

I found an awesome mac and cheese recipe out of one of the "healthy cookbooks" we've been using since my dad's bypass back in may.

I've made it about three times (I'm getting more experienced in the kitchen) and I think my mom and I are going to start tweaking it a little to fit it more to our tastes.

Will post what's in it later (I don't have the recipe right in front of me at the moment).

 

[maslex]

OP here. Thanks for all of your replies. I've come to the conclusion that...

1--I didn't use enough milk
2--I didn't use whole mile or 1/2 & 1/2 (We only have skim in the house)
3--Probably used too much cheese
4--And I don't think I used much in the way of spices (did put some S&P in the sauce though)


Her original recipe did call for sauteed onions but I thought that was a bit weird, so I didn't do it. But maybe next time I will.