Here is my simple recipe. Leave pasta in strainer for a minute.
Add 2 Tbsp butter or Margarine to same pot used to cook pasta. Add 2 Tbsp flour (in my case white rice flour) stir until butter melts a bit & is consistency of play dough.
Add 1/4 C milk, wait until mixture thickens add favorite cheese, in my case 3 slices American cheese, & a chunk of cheddar, sometimes a bit of pepperjack, (whatever is in the fridge) I add leftover hot dog or ham too. Put pasta back in pot & stir. I don't even turn on oven unless it's winter & we could use the heat. This recipe is from my MIL and it is absolutely fantastic and worth the little bit of extra time. 4 Cups UNCOOKED creamettes (A 16 Ounce box will work) 3 Tablespoons Butter 1 Small Onion, finely chopped 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup. (Real Soup.
Not low fat.) 1 Soup Can Milk (Skim, 2%, whatever) 16 Ounces of Velvetta Cheese Product cut into chunks Optional: Bread crumbs and parmesan cheese for topping Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking use a large pot to melt the butter. Cook the onion in the butter until it is translucent.
Add soup, milk and Velvetta to the onion. Cook on low, stirring often, until the Velvetta is completely melted and smooth. Put the cooked noodles into a greased casserole dish. Gently pour in the Velvetta mixture.
Stir until the noodles are covered. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 45 minutes. If people in your family are not fans of recipes with Cream of Whatever Soups, still give this a try. You do not taste the soup.
It's more of a base. My favorite mac and cheese comes from the Barefoot Contessa. It wasn't a recipe as much as a technique.
I just boil the macaroni (whatever amount you need for your family) and while its cooking make a roux with butter and flour. To the roux, I add some milk to make it like a thick gravy and then add shredded sharp chedder cheese, shredded swiss cheese and shredded Monterrey jack cheese. Stir into a cheese sauce. Pour over the macaroni and stir together.
Then make some small slices (matchstick size) of swiss and chedder cheese and stir in (do not stir until melted, you want this to melt while it bakes) Melt another tablespoon of butter and add some breadcrumbs and cook for a minute or two. Crumble on the top of the macaroni. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375. Bubbly, creamy and very good. Recipe makes enough for 8x8 pan.
I always double the recipe for a 9x13 pan. 1 and 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni salt to taste 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk pepper to taste Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water in a medium saucepan until just tender. Do not overcook. Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a bowl and mix well. (note: we like crumbs made from French bread, but any bread crumbs, even saltine crackers will do.) Shred the cheddar cheese and reserve 1/2 cup for the topping.
Drain the macaroni and return to the saucepan. Add 1/4 cup butter and the remaining cheddar cheese and mix well. Add the eggs and mix well. Stir in the milk, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Grease 8x8 inch pan and pour in macaroni mixture.
Sprinkle with the reserved cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Top with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 15 minutes longer (sometimes I brown for a very short amount of time to darken bread crumbs). To change the personality of your mac n cheese, simply substitute different kinds of cheese. We like a combination of mild and sharp, but if your family prefers a creamier, milder flavor, stick with american cheese.
For the biggest cheese taste, combine classic New York and Wisconsin cheddar cheeses. Can be assembled a day ahead, refridgerated, and then baked just prior to serving. I am a big fan of Paula Dean's Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese: Creamy Macaroni and Cheese 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups) 4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup sour cream 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Directions Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.