Need help making mac and cheese.....

[Nirvana]

So my mom used to make really good mac and cheese, and I kind of want to make it myself but don't know how. I have literally zero experience cooking, so I wouldn't know where to start. I want it exactly like she used to make it so I'll do my best to describe what it was like....

It was fairly plain, but it was so good. It looked kind of like this on top:

http://foodbabbles.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/img_0123-2.jpg

It wasn't anything like kraft dinner's mac and cheese, it was a casserole and it wasn't very saucy/creamy/runny/liquidish

Hot out of the oven it was more like gooey (the semi-molten cheese was stringy and holding the macaroni together) and greasy from the cheese. Texture was always perfectly chewy.

After being in the fridge for a while (I liked it best microwaved after having gone completely cold in the fridge), you could literally stick a big fork in the middle of the casserole, pull it out of the dish in one peice and suspend it on the fork forever without anything falling from it. So when refridgerated, it would become one big solid chunk. It would be chewy in a more rubbery way.

What I would do is when I wanted some I would cut it up into cubes that pop right into the mouth and microwave them until they were nice and warm without them turning gooey and falling apart. It was the best thing, I used to shovel those cubes into my mouth so fast that my chewing was in competition with my breathing haha.

So if you guys could share your insight, I would to try to recreate this. I've got no idea how this type of casserole is made. I guess you cook the macaroni first but then I don't know what was used other than the macaroni and sliced cheese. I seem to remember milk being used somehow, maybe also butter or eggs? Like I said it was fairly plain, no bread crumbs or other spices or anything, just gooey greasy cheesy goodness.

Feel free to ask any questions about texture or flavour, however I can help you help me =)

Thanks

 

[Addie]

First welcome to DC. I can promise you are going to get more information for mac and cheese than you thought possible.

I think just about everyone here will agree that you have to start with a béchamel sauce or a lot of milk to melt the cheese in. The macaroni is cooked separately, then the sauce is added and you can choose to place it in a casserole and bake it or not.

And nothing in this world is like Kraft mac and cheese.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Here is a lively thread about Mac & Cheese, have a look while you are waiting for some responses. Also try the search function, mac & cheese has been a popular subject over the years.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/paula-deen-mac-and-cheese-88184.html

If the Mac & Cheese of your memories was firm enough to cut into squares when it was cold it could have had a couple of raw eggs added to the milk so that when it baked it formed a custard.

 

[medtran49]

Your mom may have used Velveeta or something like it, possibly also some sliced/layered cheese besides what was stirred into the béchamel since you noted it was stringy. I only say this because you mentioned "sliced" cheese and "greasy" and "rubbery" in your post and I know a lot of folks use processed cheese in their mac-n-cheese. A Velveeta like cheese would also tend to be firmer and hold together like what you mentioned when cold. Just a thought.

When we make mac-n-cheese, it's almost always a combo of whatever little bits of cheese that didn't get used from another recipe and were thrown in a bag in the freezer. We've had some absolutely sublime mac-n-cheeses that we'll never be able to duplicate again since nothing ever gets measured ranging to okay ones.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I am more for a gooey center with a crispy top and bottom.
I guess it would hold together cold, but would not hot..

Chief had a recipe for the cheese sauce that used no flour. Just cream and milk. I want to try making it this way.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Nirvana
When I Google Chrome searched that photo you linked,
there are several recipes that come up "looking like that"
When you say "greasy", that's usually a lesser quality cheese
being used.
Depending upon your age, your Mom probably used
Velveeta cheese product and a store brand shredded cheddar,
probably an egg or two, as mentioned by Aunt Bea.
But Velveeta does have that way of solidifying when put in the the `fridge.
There are many different baked mac & cheese recipes from back in the day
that sound very similar.

 

[Nirvana]

Thanks for the help guys =)

No bechamel or Velveeta, never heard of either of those haha. It's always been a generic .5" x 4" x 10" block of cheddar cheese; cracker marble or some other generic brand. So 100% it was always processed cheese, and I'm sure you guys are right about the milk.

If the Mac & Cheese of your memories was firm enough to cut into squares when it was cold it could have had a couple of raw eggs added to the milk so that when it baked it formed a custard. Today 06:00 AM

Yea that sounds about right. Not only was it firm enough when it was cold, but just being out of the oven for a while and nearing room temperature it was pretty much a solid chunk of mac and cheese haha.

I think I remember her adding layers of sliced cheese like medtran49 mentioned. That's how she got it to look like the picture I linked.

So I guess the list so far is simply:
elbow macaroni
table salt to boil the macaroni
block of cheddar
eggs
milk

So I would boil the macaroni, then mix it up with some amount of milk and molten cheese (would I completely melt it in the microwave or?). Then put it in the casserole dish with 2 or 3 layers of solid slices of cheese and let it bake.

Anything obvious I might be missing here? Or do you think I should go ahead and try this out?

Most recipes say bake at 350 for about a half an hour, I guess it depends on the size of the casserole as well?

As far as amount of each ingredient...feel free to share good ratios, I'll try to look up some recipes online and get a good average. I guess perfecting everything will just come down to experimenting and personal preference.

I'm going to have to buy a pot and casserole dish; how/what would you use to melt the cheese?

 

[forty_caliber]

Sounds like you are working way too hard....

Try this one. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/no-boil-mac-and-cheese-84382.html

.40

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

A mac'n cheese recipe that was used frequently in the era mentioned (and your description of your brick of cheese reminded me of it) was to grate about two pounds of USDA American cheese from big bricks that could be purchased very cheaply, and was used as an inexpensive meat substitute. The macaroni was pre-cooked and placed in a bowl. The shredded cheese, and a 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 stick of butter was added, and mixed in. The whole thing was placed in a casserole dish and heated until the cheese melted.

As your mac'n cheese is stringy, any medium to sharp, store brand cheddar would work. Mind you, cheese isn't inexpensive like it used to be. It runs around $4 per pound in my town. And you need about two lbs. of cheese. It will be stringy, cheesy, and greasy, just like you want.

Hope that helps.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Zhizara]

Instead of making a bechamel sauce, I like to use a can of cream of chicken soup to melt the cheese(s) in.

 

[medtran49]

You need to make a béchamel/white sauce to melt the cheese. I personally start out with 4-5 tablespoons each of butter or margarine (not the tub stuff, solid sticks) and flour. Melt the butter over med-low heat, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes at least until you have a smooth just barely starting to turn golden/tan. You can add a bit of dry mustard powder if you want, while you are stirring. I don't measure, just shake a bit in, maybe a 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp. Then, you start adding in milk a bit at a time so mixture doesn't lump. Again, I don't measure, just add in and cook until I get a runny sauce thickness after it comes to a simmer. Stir VERY frequently while mixture is coming up to a boil. You can add in a few shakes of hot sauce too if you want or some cayenne pepper. Start adding in grated cheese by the handfuls until it's nice and cheesy tasting. Salt and pepper a bit as you go until it tastes good.

Oh, if you want to add the eggs to the béchamel/white sauce, beat them in a bowl, add a bit of the white sauce and mix immediately to warm them up so you
won't have scrambled eggs in your mac.

While you are making the sauce, you need to have the pasta cooking. Drain it and mix the sauce and the pasta together. If you are going to add in a layer of cheese, put half your pasta mix in the casserole dish, add your layer of grated or sliced cheese, reserving 1/3 to 1/2 for top, top with remaining pasta mix, then remaining cheese and bake.

Sorry I can't give you amounts. I've been cooking for 35+ years and there are quite a few things I just don't bother with measuring anymore. Any basic recipe though will do to start you out and you can adjust from there to get to a mac-n-cheese like your mom's.

And while I had seen the no-bake mac-n-cheese recipe previously just recently in the Yahoo newsfeed feature (and do intend to try it in the future) I don't think it is going to give you what you are looking for just by looking at the recipe.

Chief's recipe might work though. You are just going to have to trial and error until you get what you want.

 

[Addie]

The block of cheese your mother used sounds like the USDA surplus cheese. I know it well. Makes great grilled cheese sandwiches as well as mac and cheese.

 

[CharlieD]

Mac and cheese is a foreign substance to me and is about on the same level as Big Mac, which makes it a big no-no. That means i do not ever make it. I much prefer plain cheese noodles. But every so often if I am not home DW will make it for kids, make it from the box, brrrr......
I do have question though. Sometimes I see it either in a commercial or pictures of it and there are some crumbles or bread crumbs looking things on the top of Mac and Cheese. What is it stuff?

 

[Andy M.]

Charlie, there are two basic types of mac n cheese. One type is assembled in a casserole dish and baked in the oven with a breadcrumb mixture on top. The other is stove top mac n cheese that is usually creamier/more liquid and is not served with breadcrumbs.

 

[medtran49]

Exactly that, bread crumbs. You mix them with butter and maybe something like parm cheese and sprinkle on top to give a crunchy top coating.

BTW, there is absolutely nothing wrong with homemade mac-n-cheese and I would never equate it to a Big Mac. Maybe the box, but not homemade. Yes, it can be pretty heavy on the carbs and calories, but it's also got lots of calcium and protein and you can always serve a salad on the side. And I don't know if you are still keeping kosher or not, but you can also throw in chunks of ham or chicken (bar-b-que leftovers would be good I think). We even make a glorified one with shrimp, tasso and spinach, which definitely isn't kosher, but it makes a delish mac-n-cheese for those of us who don't keep kosher.

 

[CharlieD]

...

BTW, there is absolutely nothing wrong with homemade mac-n-cheese and I would never equate it to a Big Mac. Maybe the box, but not homemade. ...

Oh, yeah, of course I was comparing the box stuff.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

A different view on Mac & Cheese

I've seen some recipes that use Ritz crackers as the topping, MMM
(note self, try this next time)!
The two Mac & Cheese recipes that I really like are from America's Test Kitchen:
Classic Macaroni And Cheese Americas Test Kitchen) Recipe - Food.com
(the stove top style)
as well as Martha Stewart's recipe... her's is a a bit more indulgent ...
Martha Stewart's Mac and Cheese Recipe by dianelee | Epicurious.com
(the baked version)
I haven't made it in awhile, mainly because after making this huge casserole of goodness, I find out after 26 years that
DH DOES NOT care for it, WHAT?
I order it at restaurants, especially if there's BACON or LOBSTER involved
oh my gosh, so ONO(that's delicious in Hawaiian)~licious!!!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Ok, i'm an impatient guy and don't always have the time to heat up an oven, and wait for a casserole to bake. I've adapted multiple casserole dishes successfully to the stove top. With that in mind, I give you last night's successful attempt at making mac'n cheese on the stove top taste like the baked version.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese (store brand), finely grated
1 inch-thick slice Velveeta, cubed
1/8 cup milk
3 tbs. butter
Water

Place about 2 cups of water into a saucepan along with the pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring after the first two minutes. Boil for 8 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, add the milk and butter to another saucepan and bring to a simmer. add the Velveeta and stir until a smooth sauce is formed. Remove the pan from the heat and add the grated cheddar. Stir until it forms a silky-smooth sauce. By removing the pot from the heat source, you won't overheat the cheese sauce, causing it to break. It will be smooth and creamy.

Drain the pasta and combine with the cheese sauce. Stir until well mixed. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

If you truly want to get that baked flavor, pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and place under the broiler for about three minutes.

Yep, it works, and is done in twenty minutes total.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

Velveeta brings back horrible memories from from my childhood. One in particular called baked spaghetti.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Ok, i'm an impatient guy and don't always have the time to heat up an oven, and wait for a casserole to bake. I've adapted multiple casserole dishes successfully to the stove top. With that in mind, I give you last night's successful attempt at making mac'n cheese on the stove top taste like the baked version.

...snipped

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Photos, photos Chief ...