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Mac and Cheese help

post #1 of 16
1/26/11 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
I want to make some major comfort food for dinner tonight since it's snowing like crazy and DH is at work and will have to plow when he comes home. Our pantry is pretty limited right now, but we do have macaroni, hamburger, a few cans of seasoned diced tomatoes, velveteta and shredded sharp chedder cheese and I was thinking about making a casserole. The problem is, I have never made homemade baked mac and cheese in my life! What are your suggestions? I know enough to cook the macaroni and hamburger first, but do I add milk or butter? How would brocholi taste added in?

Does it even sound good to anyone?
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post #2 of 16
1/26/11 at 11:54am
I like mac and cheese with hambuger in it, if you have taco seasoning or chilli pepper or something like that hanging around use that to season it. It's quite good.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Pasta/...heese/Top.aspx

That website has many different recipes on how to add milk and butter etc. Hope that helps you out. You're dinner sound very good by the way.
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post #3 of 16
1/26/11 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hmmmm...that WOULD be good! In fact, I DO have a pack of taco seasoning. I also have a container of taco meat from a few weeks ago I froze for when we wanted tacos again. Didn't even think about that.
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post #4 of 16
1/26/11 at 1:19pm
The way I learned to make mac & cheese, you heat up a little evaporated milk and melt the velveeta cheese into it. I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to keep the cheese from clumping. I don't know how regular milk would work if you don't have evaporated milk.
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post #5 of 16
1/26/11 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sassylemon View Post
I was about to suggest that site.

It is the bible of cooking. I always have it up when I'm making stuff in the kitchen that requires more than pressing 3 on the microwave or preheating the oven!
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post #6 of 16
1/26/11 at 6:26pm
I hope it turned out well. I usually make a white sauce then add shredded cheeses usually a blend of sharp cheddar, monteray jack, american cheese and parm cheese.
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post #7 of 16
1/26/11 at 7:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GailC View Post
I hope it turned out well. I usually make a white sauce then add shredded cheeses usually a blend of sharp cheddar, monteray jack, american cheese and parm cheese.
That's how I do it as well. It's pretty easy really.
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post #8 of 16
1/26/11 at 10:38pm
I tried a little Tapatio in my mac and cheese awhile back and now put it in everytime!
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post #9 of 16
1/27/11 at 12:40pm
My wife (kara_leigh) makes bacon mac and cheese, it is awesome. I will see if I can get her to post it up.
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post #10 of 16
1/27/11 at 1:03pm
My mom always made the easiest baked mac n' cheese when we were kids, and I still break it out from time to time. It's so easy -

-Cook up the macaroni noodles according to the package.
-In an oiled casserole dish, layer the noodles, cheddar cheese, noodles, cheddar cheese, until the dish is as full as you want it.
-Pour milk into the casserole - I've always just "eyeballed" it, but if you use a glass casserole dish I'd say about 3/4 - 1 inch of milk.
-Bake uncovered at 350 until the cheese is all melted (and just a bit longer if you like the crunchy cheese and noodles on the top like I do!).

It's a bit bland, but I like to eat it with black pepper. Good luck!
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post #11 of 16
1/27/11 at 4:14pm
If you have Velveeta is there a recipe on the box?

My quick base for mac and cheese is a can (or 2 for a bigger batch) of cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery, asparagus, etc). Just cook up the noodles ahead of time. It helps to warm the soup, with usually a little less than a full can of milk added and melt the cheese into it. I think the rule of thumb is 2 cups shredded cheese per can of soup. Mix the cheese and pre-cooked macaroni. Bake at 350 for maybe 30 minutes. Not hard at all!

I do use betty crocker's recipe for mac and cheese when I have time/energy to make my own cheese sauce and it is delicious! I love to mix up my cheeses too. Especially using half pepperjack and half cheddar! I often do a double batch so it will last. I also keep the soups on hand. I've seen Rachel Ray add horseradish to her mac and cheese! Keep forgetting to try that but it sounds sooooooo gooooood! I'm a mac n cheese fanatic sometimes.... I like adding peas too. The frozen ones; not canned.

ETA: This is the recipe I use when cooking it from scratch. The Worchetshire (sp?) sauce does add a very nice flavor to it! http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/...f-9516a74c0628
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post #12 of 16
1/27/11 at 6:10pm
I'm a mac and cheese snob because I consider mine the best ever. It's called "Aunt Gigi's Famous Macaroni and Cheese"

However it takes hours to make. The white sauce has to be brought to a boil which, even with a pampered chef non stick pot, takes 2 hours of constant stirring on low heat. If you stop stirring the bottom burns or lumps form. Then it has to boil for one minute. This prevents the sauce from separating when the casserole is baked.

Since I make large batches and freeze them unbaked to give as gifts to my family at Christmas, this step is very important.

The sauce contains butter, flour, milk and my secret ingredient, celery salt.

I use Cabots sharp cheese, and lots of it, and Barilla Cellentani (a corkscrew pasta) instead of elbow pasta.

A layer of pasta, topped with cheese, pour on some sauce, another layer of pasta, cheese, and sauce, then a final layer of cheese on top.

I recommend people to top it with chunks of italian bread for the last five minutes of baking, the chunks get a little toasty.

I like to throw some tomatoes in, when I'm having it at home, and I know various family members like to garnish theirs up when they bake them, too.

I love it leftover too, I heat leftovers up in a saucepan with a little butter and some milk, (bread and all) and it is oh so creamy and saucy that way.

Yummy.
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post #13 of 16
1/27/11 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral View Post
My mom always made the easiest baked mac n' cheese when we were kids, and I still break it out from time to time. It's so easy -

-Cook up the macaroni noodles according to the package.
-In an oiled casserole dish, layer the noodles, cheddar cheese, noodles, cheddar cheese, until the dish is as full as you want it.
-Pour milk into the casserole - I've always just "eyeballed" it, but if you use a glass casserole dish I'd say about 3/4 - 1 inch of milk.
-Bake uncovered at 350 until the cheese is all melted (and just a bit longer if you like the crunchy cheese and noodles on the top like I do!).

It's a bit bland, but I like to eat it with black pepper. Good luck!
That's basically what my mom did (& how I make it) except she always used a stick of butter (or margarine) to coat the sides & bottom of the dish and then in between the layers sprinkled salt and dotted with butter. Yumm-o!
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post #14 of 16
1/27/11 at 8:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
.....I like to throw some tomatoes in, when I'm having it at home, and I know various family members like to garnish theirs up when they bake them, too.
I forgot tomatoes! Love adding them in before baking! Or just serving with stewed tomatoes.
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post #15 of 16
1/28/11 at 11:07am
I know this is a little late for your dinner, since you posted a few days ago, lol. But crockpot mac and cheese is fantastic. I found a recipe with an online search that called for canned cheese soup. I was doubtful, but it turned out to be the best mac and cheese I've ever eaten. I wish I still had the recipe so I could post it for you, but I think a search of of crock pot mac and cheese will reveal many delicious recipes.
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post #16 of 16
1/29/11 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
Wow, thanks guys! Dinner actually was a success. I just cooked the mac and hamburger, added cooked diced tomatoes that were chili seasoned, melted the velveeta with some milk and poured it over, mixed it up and added more chili powder and put a healthy does of shredded sharp chedder cheese on top. Covered in foil and baked for 20 minutes. DH loved it enough to take it to work for lunch for 2 more days! woohoo...success!

Maybe I'll try evaporated milk next time. I was a bit watery, but I thought it was because of the tomatoes.
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