Macaroni & cheese recipe (vegetarian, vegan, pan, cheddar)

[cutequeenslady]

Originally Posted by le roi

yeah, i'm from the south and we always had eggs in mac & cheese. baked is the only way to go .

Same here, that's the way to do mac & cheese lol

I do have a question about a post in this thread from much earlier - a recipe from Southernlady mentioned using a crock pot. I always bake mine but would like to try the crock pot. Anyone else using one for mac & cheese? Is southernlady still around?

[cutequeenslady]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I got the new Paula Deen Bible of Southern Cooking for Christmas, so I decided to try a few of the mac & cheese recipes. They all contain eggs, and I'm thinking, Huh?
I have made two recipes out of the book, and they are OK, but as soon as they cool, they congeal. The eggs make it firm up. Lose the creamy, ya know?

I have made mac & cheese from scratch for years, but I had NEVER put eggs in before.

This begs the question, have you found the perfect recipe for macaroni and cheese?

In the south people make mac & cheese that you can cut into. I make mine cheesy so it is always creamy but it's not (for lack of a better term) wet. Does that make sense?

I start a huge pot of water a-boilin'.
I grate my own sharp cheddar cheese and also cut some into chunks while the water is a-boilin'.
I take out a half a stick of butter so gets softer.
Once the water boils, I add macaroni and continue grating and chunking cheese.
Once the macaroni is cooked al dente, I drain it and put it in a baking pan. The heat from the macaroni melts the cheese. I stir it all in and season with a little seasoning salt or adobo and black pepper. I add 2 eggs and a can of evaporated milk - maybe a little more, depending on how it looks.
Depending on who's coming to dinner, I might add bread crumbs on top.

[grneyedmustang]

It must be a regional thing, I'm from the south too.

[gentlearts]

Ok, I get it. I will take the parts I like from her recipes, but lose the parts I don't. Eggs, no; sour cream, yes!
I'll look forward to trying some of everyone's suggestions

[cutequeenslady]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Ok, I get it. I will take the parts I like from her recipes, but lose the parts I don't. Eggs, no; sour cream, yes!
I'll look forward to trying some of everyone's suggestions

Never heard of using sour cream in mac & cheese. Maybe I will try it.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

I don't eat mac and cheese, ergo I don't make it. But everything I've ever made from the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks rocked. I've heard people say Ina's mac and cheese recipe is tops and it has a five star review on the Food Network website, with more than 650 people weighing in with opinions. You might want to check that out. (No eggs.) She also has variations, including a lobster mac and cheese.

Mac and Cheese Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network

I use a hybrid combination of a few different recipes to make my own (I didn't even know how to make a roux until a year ago, so the recipes I use are mostly just a guideline to remember not to forget the cheese, or to keep stirring, or to use LOTS of milk with just a little roux, etc).

When I saw this recipe though, it sounded SO amazing that I printed it out. Will let y'all know how it ends up when I try it, probably in the next month. Mac & Cheese is a delicacy for me, because I'm 1) allergic to dairy and 2) am trying to eat fewer fats. So I only make it once every few months.

[Tracysherm]

I did a search to see if there was a single thread with just tons of macaroni & cheese recipes, but did not find one.

I LOVE homemade mac & cheese, but everyone makes it differently. Also, everyone seems to like it a different way.

Please share your recipe for mac & cheese, and include whether it is creamy, crunchy, stretchy, very cheesy or less cheesy. Whether it is baked in the oven, with crispy edges, or more of a creamy wet pasta dish.

Does your version have extra surprise ingredients like mustard, onions, bacon, crab? Are you a fan of topping with breadcrumbs or not?

My dream is to try every recipe out there and find the best!

This is a recipe I just recently tried from Wine Spectator and it was NOT good. It was not very cheesy but more oily, and not very flavorful. I had to add a lot more salt & pepper, and more cheese on top, and bake it longer, but it wass till disappointing. I like REALLY cheesy mac and cheese.

From Wine Spectator:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 7 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1⁄2 pound macaroni elbows
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a pan that is large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the onion, and cook, stirring; do not brown. Sprinkle in the flour while continuing to stir. Add the milk, and stir briskly with a whisk for several minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, and add the mustard, cheddar and mozzarella, stirring until smooth.
2. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until it is almost done. Drain, and fold it into the sauce while hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to a casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

[lubby]

Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe : : Recipes : Food Network I have made this one and it's very good. I have also done my own version too:
1 lb elbows
1 jar cheese wiz
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup shredded white cheddar
1 cup plain panko bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients together with hot pasta. Place in casserole dish. Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs and bake on 375 until bubbly and panko are golden brown.

[Beretta]

Anymore tried and true recipes out there? I am looking for creamy, luscious, and not at all dry mac and cheese.

[lubby]

My SIL adds a little bit of ricotta to her mac and cheese as well as cheddar and american.