real life test kitchen: rachael’s mac-n-cheese
This post was orginially published last September, but it’s just as yummy this year!
The beginning of fall is the time to start thinking of serious comfort food. Macaroni and cheese is a dish a can’t remember NOT eating, and while I usually skip the boxed variety (unless of course, it’s organic) I am not afraid to whip up a cheesy, gooey feast. When I want it in a hurry, I use a recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray, mainly because it takes no effort and it reminds me to put in a can of chopped jalapenos. I usually adapt her recipe slightly, adding in some parmesan as well. For the top, I also like to add in a sprinkle of panko Japanese breadcrumbs, to help make it extra crunchy. That’s the best part, don’t you think? Click through to the next page for details on this recipe, and please tell me: How do you make macaroni and cheese? — Angela M.
The basic ingredients are: elbow macaroni, 2 & 1/2 cups of milk, 2 tbl butter, 2 tbl cornstarch (flour will work ok), a 4 oz can of chopped jalapenos, and 2 8ox packs of two type shredded cheese, like sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack. That’s Rachael’s recommendation, but if you splurge and by some quality cheese and do the shredding yourself, the results are better.
First, cook the pasta as directed, but make sure it’s only al dente. While that’s cooking, heat two cups of the milk in a saucepan with the butter. Off to the site, whisk the remaining milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. Then, slowly add that to heated milk-butter, constantly stirring. Start adding the cheeses, but be careful not to dump them all in at once. Save some for the topping. Stir constantly. Once you have a nice consistency, you’re pretty much done. I add the chilies last. When the pasta is done, put it back into the pan you cooked in and pour in the cheese sauce. Then put the whole thing in casserole dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese with some breadcrumbs on top, and broil or bake at high temp for a few minutes. I prefer baking it for about ten minutes at 400, so it gets really heated throughout and not just on top. Serve hot!
To see the recipe in full at Rachael’s site, click here. To see more Real Life Test Kitchens click here.
September 12th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Having married into a family of born-and-bred New Yorkers (Brooklynites, technically I guess) I can only serve up the official automat recipe, which is actually very good, and sounds similar to Rachael Ray’s recipe except without the jalapenos and with a little worcestershire. I am definitely going to try adding a little panko topping next time though!
September 12th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
My mom and I both make “Ronald Reagan’s Favorite Mac and Cheese” which was published in the LA Times back when Reagan was president. I may not like his politics but the mac&cheese is delicious! Here it is, a little adapted:
½ pound elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 cup milk
Corn flakes or bread crumbs to sprinkle on top
Cook macaroni in water until tender; drain thoroughly. Return to pan. Stir in the butter and the egg. Add most of the grated cheese to macaroni, reserving some of the cheese [at least a half cup, if not more] to sprinkle on top. Pour cheesy macaroni into buttered casserole dish.
Mix mustard and salt with 1 tablespoon hot water; then add mustard water to milk. Pour milk mixture over macaroni; sprinkle the top with reserved cheese. Add crumbled corn flakes or bread crumbs to make a crunchier topping. Bake at 350º 45 minutes or until custard is set [and bubbly hot] and top is crusty. (You can cover the pan with foil for most of the cooking time but take it off for the last 10 minutes or so.) Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Very rich and cheesy the way this is - You can add more milk and more macaroni in proportionate amounts to make it not-so-cheesy-rich.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
On the subject of comfort food…have become obsessed with a recipes for the perfect buttercream frosting. I find the magnolia bakery frosting way too sweet as are most I have come across. I made one I liked but the consistency was a little chunky. Any tips? Recipes? Ideas? Anything cupcake related would be great.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
mine is very similar to rachael ray’s mac and cheese, except GAH–no cornstarch, ick! (I don’t like the way cornstarch thickens stuff into a clearish goo)
I make a basic cheese sauce using a roux–melt about 2 T of butter, sprinkle an equal amount of flour on it, stir over heat until turns a light brown and has no lumps. Add milk, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and any additional spicy stuff if you want, dump in shredded cheese, stir until completely melted, and add cooked mac. Stir well, and dump in a casserole dish, top with buttered prefereably fresh breadcrumbs and bake at 350 until top is browned.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:17 am
I’m also a fan of Ronald Reagan’s Favorite Macaroni and Cheese; the recipe is reprinted in the book Dear S.O.S.: Thirty Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times. Here it is without alterations (or extraneous political comments):
1/2 pound macaroni
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
1 cup milk
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until tender then drain. Stir in butter and egg.
Mix salt and mustard with hot water and add milk. Add cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top.
Turn macaroni mixture into buttered casserole. Add milk mixture. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty. Makes 6 servings.
September 13th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
laura K, I’m with you. Magnolia’s frosting makes my teeth hurt. I much prefer the butter-cream served up by the Cupcake Cafe. Maybe their cookbook has the recipe?
September 13th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
I made Cooking Light’s Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese and LOVE it. It has spinach in it and reheats well later. It isn’t your traditional mac & cheese, but it is good to try something different sometimes!
September 14th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
I was forever a blue-box girl until I tried this recipe. Passed on by a friend, it was originally attributed to P. Diddy and we call it P. Diddy’s Mack’n Cheez. It is always served next to a full-color photo of the Didmaster.
1 16-oz box of macaroni
2 lb cheddar, shredded
1 lb mozzarella, shredded
1 stick of butter
2 eggs
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 12-oz can condensed milk
pinch or so of flour
Preheat the oven to 300*.
Boil the pasta.
In a separate bowl, melt together the butter, cream and 1 lb of cheddar. Add a bit of flour to thicken if necessary.
Drain pasta.
Mix pasta into the cheese sauce.
Stir in the can of milk and eggs. Mix well.
In a HUGE casserole (5-6 qt works well, or two regular casseroles), spoon in about 1/4 of the pasta. Spread 1/4 of the cheddar and 1/4 of the mozzarella. Repeat layering, be sure to end with cheese on top!
Throw it in the oven for about 45 minutes.
This is so sinfully good and cheesy, you won’t even believe it.
September 14th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
It is a rainy, chilly, gray day here. I’m going to order all the ingredients from FreshDirect and bake up some authentic comfort food. Thanks!
By the way … does anyone know the “official automat recipe” Sarah mentions? I still remember that stuff fondly.
September 15th, 2006 at 7:41 am
I have also been on the hunt for the perfect mac n cheese recipe…the Ronald Regan one looks sinful! I love Duke’s mac n cheese (NYC) and it sounds like Regan’s is pretty similar. I will def try it out tonight!!
As far as cupcake frosting, here’s the recipe for Cupcake Cafe’s…which is by far my fave!!!! I also threw in the recipe for their vanilla cake. Try adding some rasberry filling in between the layers. yum.
Cupcake Cafe Vanilla Cake and Buttercream Frosting
Serving: 1 cake
Vanilla Layer Cake
3/4 pound softened unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
9 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Layer Cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two deep (approximately 4 inches) 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer cream the butter, add the sugar a little at a time, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and the vanilla. Reserve the egg whites.
3. Into a bowl sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites until they just hold their shape. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately into the butter mixture. Do not overbeat. Fold in the egg whites.
5. Divide batter between the pans, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely.
6. Fill, frost, and decorate the cake with the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1. In a 2-to-3 quart saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to boil. When the mixture boils, cover the pot for a few minutes. Cover now and again to wash the sugar crystals back into the syrup.
2. Simmer the syrup until it reaches 236 degrees F on a candy thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, test the temperature by letting some of the syrup drop off a spoon back into the syrup. It should fall a bit slowly, the drops coming together to form one drop that should lengthen and just begin to form a thread; do not cook longer. Remove from the heat and cover.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until combined. With the mixer running, add hot sugar syrup in a slow stream until mixed. Cool to room temperature.
4. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat the butter until it is smooth. Gradually add the egg mixture until it is completely absorbed. This can take anywhere from 2 to 6 minutes. Add the vanilla.
September 18th, 2006 at 11:38 am
[...] We’ve been wanting to come up with a fun Shelterrific contest, and we promise we will one of these days (maybe we should have a macaroni and cheese recipe contest!). But Holly over at Decor8 has launched one that sounds right up our alley. She’s asking people to submit photos of their officespaces, whether it be a cubicle, a studio or a corner of your kitchen (like the one above, where most of Shelterrific gets written!). Click on over to Decor8’s contest page and read all about it. Even if you don’t enter, be sure to check out Fabulous Stationary, the aptly named site that is supplying the prizes. We’ve also been meaning to write about their affordable, clever and colorful customized cards. So there. We just killed two birds with one stone. And have used one too many cliches…. Decor8’s contest ends September 28. Have a great weekend! [...]
September 19th, 2006 at 8:10 am
thank you so much Danielle! I am really grateful.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:44 am
add slices grape tomatoes to your mac and cheese (before baking). seriously, it’s gooooooddd….
December 2nd, 2006 at 9:50 pm
[...] Thursday, September 14, 2006 This is interesting - What’s the deal with whole wheat white flour? Question about make ahead and freeze meals, sans canned soups. Luscious looking mac and cheese recipe at Shelterrific. I really like the winner of the Craftster Little Tiny Challenge, the tiny fast food looks familiar (Martha Stewart Weddings 2003) and the little soda cup is smart. [...]
March 20th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Mustard in mac n’ cheese?!?!? God help us all!
May 17th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
[...] thinking about how it would be recreated at home: I’d probably start with some cold, day old macaroni and cheese, roll it into little balls, and then batter it up with an egg dip and some flour. But would a deep [...]
July 20th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Hi Laura- Sept. 14th, 2006.
I love the recipe that you have posted- but I use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk. It tastes perfect. I didn’t want to try condensed milk because it seemed strange. I wonder if it’s a typo on your part?
Just wondering… thanks-
Dana
September 26th, 2007 at 7:38 am
I’ve made this one from the New York Times several times. I love that it uses uncooked pasta, thus cutting out a step, and that the cheese to pasta ratio is 2 to 1. It ain’t lowfat, but it’s delicious.
October 1st, 2007 at 11:12 am
[...] that the cheese to pasta ratio is 2 to 1. It ain’t lowfat, but it’s delicious. Click here to see more mac and cheese suggestions. [...]
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Yes, the P Diddy Mac n Cheese should have evaporated milk in it, not condensed. My son is coming home from college this weekend and has requested this recipe! LOL!
November 1st, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I made the P Diddy Mac n Cheese and it turned out awful. For some reason, my cheese got real weird after baking it. Please help!!!
August 20th, 2008 at 5:13 am
[...] I’m afraid I haven’t had much time for cooking the past few weeks… well, not for me anyway. Isadora has started eating food, and so my Sunday culinary adventure consisted of steaming and pureeing fruits and veggies for her virgin palette. I’m using a great book, Cooking for Baby from williams-sonoma.com. It is so inspiring! I’ve started with sure-fire hits: sweet potatoes, apple sauce, and peas (which get a mixed review). Cooking our own baby food sounds a little high-maintenance, but it’s not really. And I never eat canned or jarred veggies, so why would my baby? The cookbook makes it easy, breaking it down month-by-month on what flavors and food can be introduced when. I’m personally looking forward to “amarath and plum swirl” (month eight) and “minced pork and pear” (nine to 11 months). Before long, we’ll be moving onto the joys of homemade macaroni and cheese. [...]