Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

[JasmineEvans]

My kids simply love that kind of macaroni. I usually prepare them with a sauce prepared of butter, process cheese and a little milk. You can add for example some yellow cheese or Parmesan. I think the kids will like them cause they are really delicious!

 

[TaraPA]

I was on a try out panel for the Homestyle Mac and Cheese:

It's pretty good and better than the real stuff to kids. Somewhere between the real stuff and the box stuff!~

This is sooo good! It's super easy although you still have to make the roux, but you only need butter & milk. My kids think this is the best stuff since sliced bread, they never cared for my home made recipe. I make this in bulk for the snack stand for sporting events & most people think it's home made.

 

[gracie1]

All the kids in my family love my mac and cheese, especially my 7 year old nephew! All I do is cook a pound of elbow macaroni, cut up 2 blocks of cracker barrel extra sharp cheddar cheese and add some milk in the bottom and bake it. It is yummy and simple

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Crock-pot Mac & cheese

Not sure if you have made up your mind yet.

Here it is~

1~16oz pkg macaroni (cooked, rinsed, & drained)
2~Tblsp. veg oil
2~13oz cans of evaporated milk
3~cups of milk
1/2~tsp salt
6~cups of shredded cheese
1/4~cup butter

Toss cooked macaroni in oil. add all remaining ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock-pot. Stir well. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally.

Happy cooking.

Yum

I am trying to figure out (a) why the recipe calls for *cooked* pasta? and (b) how does the pasta not turn into absolute *mush* being it's cooked for such a long period of time?

Did you ever make this in the oven (I love a crunchy top)?

 

[dngnb8]

Just because they're children doesn't mean they don't deserve food.

Who said it isnt real food? Kinda jumping the gun there a bit skippy, arent ya?

I'd do about 1-2 qts bechamel to a lb of pasta, I tend toward a drier mac n cheese.

Pasta
Make a bechamel (melt some butter and stir in an equal amt. of flour to make a roux, cook for a minute, slowly add milk and stir). Add cheeses (whatever you've got works - shred some cheddar, gruyere, jack, add parmesan. If you have something smoked, shred it in too, all the better.), lot of pepper, little garlic.

Pour over pasta in a baking dish, add a couple handfuls of shredded cheese for good measure. Stir to combine. Top with a mix of parmesan and well-seasoned breadcrumbs, moistened with a little butter. Bake until bubbly and with crispity edges. Voila.

You do realize she is cooking for a classroom full of kids, right? While that is very similar to how I make it at home, you have no clue what these kids have eaten. My daughter has a global discerning palate because that is how I cook, what she was raised to eat. Her friends, not so much. Part of being a cook is knowing your audience.

It reminds me of that Cosby show where Cliff takes Rudy and her friends out for burgers. He takes them to this upscale burger place and they are like, What? These aint hamburgers. The waiter runs across the street, gets McDonalds, puts it on fancy plates, and the kids are happy.

If these were high school kids, I would suggest a more adult M&C

 

[HamTown]

I make this and my kids devour it. My nephew does too and he is super picky.
I do use 1% milk instead of the evaporated just because I never remember to buy it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

 

[Robinrs]

That sounds insanely good. I also agree with you, I trained my kids to want "real" food, not boxed stuff and they woudl much rather have this than the box.

I trained my kid not to eat meat but that's not how you treat a GROUP of children. Most like the crappy stuff so you give them what they like, not what you trained your kid to like.

I actually didn't like the real stuff till I was grown and my son changed his mind about Kraft when he was about 14. Face it, MOST kids like that crap.

I'd LOVE to see that look on those kids faces when they see "bechamel"

 

[minushka72]

It sounds like a lot of work but it really mixes up fast.

1 TB of flour
3 TB butter or margarine
1 cup of milk
10 oz cheddar cheese cut in cubes
8 oz Velveeta cut in cubes
1 tsp ground Mustard seed (I use the McCormick brand)
1/3 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with 1/8 cup of parmesan cheese
1 lb cooked/drained pasta ( I use elbows or shells)

Preheat oven to 350
In a large pot on medium heat
Make a roux from the butter and flour (melt butter, mix in flour) then add milk.
Add cheddar and Velveeta cheese and cook until all cheese is melted.
Add ground mustard seed and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and stir in pasta.
Spray 9x13 baking dish ( I use glass/Pyrex) w/ cooking spray and Pour into a baking dish and then sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the top.
Bake 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

My 2 and 5 year olds love this version. They also like the Kraft box one but not the Velveeta box one.

 

[cornflake]

Who said it isnt real food? Kinda jumping the gun there a bit skippy, arent ya?

It involved velveeta. So... nope.

You do realize she is cooking for a classroom full of kids, right? While that is very similar to how I make it at home, you have no clue what these kids have eaten. My daughter has a global discerning palate because that is how I cook, what she was raised to eat. Her friends, not so much. Part of being a cook is knowing your audience.

It reminds me of that Cosby show where Cliff takes Rudy and her friends out for burgers. He takes them to this upscale burger place and they are like, What? These aint hamburgers. The waiter runs across the street, gets McDonalds, puts it on fancy plates, and the kids are happy.

If these were high school kids, I would suggest a more adult M&C

It wouldn't occur to me to make a group of kids crap because they were kids. No, I don't know what they've eaten - maybe they've only eaten crap, in which case, yay for them? Maybe they've only eaten mac 'n' cheese made from spring butters, grass-fed fresh-milk cheeses and hand-rolled pasta, in which case, mine might be disappointing.

I do not know any kid, of any age, who would be confused by something not a McDonald's hamburger - the opposite would be far more likely. Nor have I ever actually seen velveeta inside an actual home or anyone use it or tell me they had - I don't think my market even sells it. Maybe it's geographic.

 

[Anne34]

It involved velveeta. So... nope.


It wouldn't occur to me to make a group of kids crap because they were kids. No, I don't know what they've eaten - maybe they've only eaten crap, in which case, yay for them? Maybe they've only eaten mac 'n' cheese made from spring butters, grass-fed fresh-milk cheeses and hand-rolled pasta, in which case, mine might be disappointing.

I do not know any kid, of any age, who would be confused by something not a McDonald's hamburger - the opposite would be far more likely. Nor have I ever actually seen velveeta inside an actual home or anyone use it or tell me they had - I don't think my market even sells it. Maybe it's geographic.

Seriously???? I had to look up bechemel -- had no idea what it was -- can't imagine what my kids would say if I said that to them. On the other hand my kids love baked mac & cheese. I will usually use cheddar, but have used Velveeta mixed with cheddar too.

 

[AlwaysMoving]

Nor have I ever actually seen velveeta inside an actual home or anyone use it or tell me they had - I don't think my market even sells it. Maybe it's geographic.

I don't think it is normal to go through someone's pantry to know if someone uses Velveeta nor have I ever asked anyone if they use it, so I can see why you have never encountered such. I am sure if you went into a standard grocery store, you would find they sell Velveeta. The only thing that makes it geographic is the location inside the store.

 

[TaraPA]

The only thing that makes it geographic is the location inside the store.

I've lived in a few states, and visited many others where I did grocery shopping, and Velveeta was sold in all of them. Maybe if you don't use it it's easy to miss?

 

[AlwaysMoving]

I've lived in a few states, and visited many others where I did grocery shopping, and Velveeta was sold in all of them. Maybe if you don't use it it's easy to miss?

Exactly. It is even sold in Europe.

 

[cornflake]

I don't think it is normal to go through someone's pantry to know if someone uses Velveeta nor have I ever asked anyone if they use it, so I can see why you have never encountered such. I am sure if you went into a standard grocery store, you would find they sell Velveeta. The only thing that makes it geographic is the location inside the store.

I didn't mean I was going through the refrigerators of everyone I encountered, I mean people I know, whose refrigerators I've had occasion to see in. Do your friends never ask you to hand them something or tell you the milk for the coffee is in the fridge or etc.? No, I have not struck up many Velveeta conversations. For all I know, they could be storing tons of the stuff someplace in the recesses of their fridges, I suppose, without me noticing. Seems somewhat unlikely, but who knows.

I said my market, I meant my market. I haven't seen it. I'd assume it would be by the processed cheese - the American cheese/packaged shredded cheese/packaged cream cheese. As I don't think it is, I don't think they sell it. I dunno, maybe it's over by the pomegranate juice, hanging out.

 

[Sukie]

I am trying to figure out (a) why the recipe calls for *cooked* pasta? and (b) how does the pasta not turn into absolute *mush* being it's cooked for such a long period of time?

Did you ever make this in the oven (I love a crunchy top)?

We just got our power back.

I have not tried it in the oven.
I did't notice if it was mush or not. The guys on the football team really loved it. I guess they will eat anything. lol

 

[laurie31]

I didn't mean I was going through the refrigerators of everyone I encountered, I mean people I know, whose refrigerators I've had occasion to see in. Do your friends never ask you to hand them something or tell you the milk for the coffee is in the fridge or etc.? No, I have not struck up many Velveeta conversations. For all I know, they could be storing tons of the stuff someplace in the recesses of their fridges, I suppose, without me noticing. Seems somewhat unlikely, but who knows.

I said my market, I meant my market. I haven't seen it. I'd assume it would be by the processed cheese - the American cheese/packaged shredded cheese/packaged cream cheese. As I don't think it is, I don't think they sell it. I dunno, maybe it's over by the pomegranate juice, hanging out.

First off, I think your recipe sounded yummy! I wouldn't make it for a big group of kids, though, because of the cost. I use real shredded parmesan, not the powdered stuff in the green can, and that costs a fortune. I've never thought to put it in mac & cheese, though. I'm trying that ASAP! I might make it to serve if one of my DDs had a friend over. I like to make foods they might not eat at home. I have introduced tons of kids to crêpes - lol.

Now, what I'm about to tell you will likely gross you out, but Velveeta doesn't require refrigeration, even after opening. Yes, I'm serious. So you won't see it in anyone's fridge, you'd have to look in the pantry. As for your market, they aren't going to waste expensive refrigeration shelves on something that is shelf stable. Just like the cans of evaporated milk aren't near the fresh milk, the Velveeta is stuck on a shelf someplace, nowhere near the actual cheese. In my store, it's over with the dried pasta and those dreaded green cans of powdered parmesan.

 

[cornflake]

First off, I think your recipe sounded yummy! I wouldn't make it for a big group of kids, though, because of the cost. I use real shredded parmesan, not the powdered stuff in the green can, and that costs a fortune. I've never thought to put it in mac & cheese, though. I'm trying that ASAP! I might make it to serve if one of my DDs had a friend over. I like to make foods they might not eat at home. I have introduced tons of kids to crêpes - lol.

Now, what I'm about to tell you will likely gross you out, but Velveeta doesn't require refrigeration, even after opening. Yes, I'm serious. So you won't see it in anyone's fridge, you'd have to look in the pantry. As for your market, they aren't going to waste expensive refrigeration shelves on something that is shelf stable. Just like the cans of evaporated milk aren't near the fresh milk, the Velveeta is stuck on a shelf someplace, nowhere near the actual cheese. In my store, it's over with the dried pasta and those dreaded green cans of powdered parmesan.

What... what IS IT?! It doesn't need to be refrigerated, even after opening? What is it?! What's it made of?! I'm frightened. Also... ewww.

Crepes were one of my fave things to do as a kid! Making them, then you have the whole stack, then coming up with 4,000 fillings... yay for the neighbourhood crepe lady, heh.

My market has a bunch of different fresh parm/romano/grana, some of which are really pretty affordable (I usually get the domestic and it's like $7/lb I think). I don't do mac n cheese with just it but I toss a ton in, same as in cheesy eggs, if you make those (light scramble eggs, when they're like half done, toss in some smoked or sharp cheddar, little something melty like a jack or gouda, handful of parm, crack black pepper in, stir til melty, dump on buttered toast).

 

[leebee]

Just because they're children doesn't mean they don't deserve food.

I'd do about 1-2 qts bechamel to a lb of pasta, I tend toward a drier mac n cheese.

Pasta
Make a bechamel (melt some butter and stir in an equal amt. of flour to make a roux, cook for a minute, slowly add milk and stir). Add cheeses (whatever you've got works - shred some cheddar, gruyere, jack, add parmesan. If you have something smoked, shred it in too, all the better.), lot of pepper, little garlic.

Pour over pasta in a baking dish, add a couple handfuls of shredded cheese for good measure. Stir to combine. Top with a mix of parmesan and well-seasoned breadcrumbs, moistened with a little butter. Bake until bubbly and with crispity edges. Voila.

This is very similar to the macaroni and cheese I make, which people request I bring to dinner, or serve when they are coming to our house. If I am taking this to a buffet or someplace where it'll be reheated, I use about 20 oz. of sharp cheddar and 8oz of velveeta to 2 quarts of sauce; shred the cheddar and cut the velveeta into cubes so they melt easier. I have found that the velveeta keeps the sauce from separating when it's reheated (or overheated in a crock pot). I add salt, pepper, maybe 10 drops of hot sauce, a few healthy shakes of garlic powder, a couple of grates of nutmeg, and about a teaspoon of dried mustard... and oh, yes, about a teaspoon or so of Worcestershire sauce (can you tell I don't really measure? Learned to make this watching Mom!). I also don't do the breadcrumbs on top- personal preference.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy MANY different iterations of mac and cheese. LOVE Stouffer's frozen, for example, as well as Kraft. Not a big fan of store brand boxed, though... usually tastes more of the box than anything else!

Hmmm... maybe we'll have mac-and-cheese over the weekend to break up the leftover turkey boredom...

 

[bigmerle1966]

What... what IS IT?! It doesn't need to be refrigerated, even after opening? What is it?! What's it made of?! I'm frightened. Also... ewww.

It's processed cheese product. While it does have actual cheese in it it has emulsifiers in it to make is shelf stable. And actually they do recommend it be refridgerated after opening.

 

[jemmouse]

Well I made the Mac and Cheese. On the first page of this thread I believe it was there was a link someone posted to another thread and I used the recipe #43 or #44. It turned out pretty good. I had to bring it to my DS school and well the bowl was completely empty so I guess thats a good sign. And I used some Velveeta in it, ...The other recipes with the other cheeses I made something very similar for our St. Patricks Day party and I also used ricotta cheese in the recipe. I know when I read that I was like, HUH, but you know what it was good. I mean come on its Mac and Cheese any way you slice it.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I tend to pull some things from various recipes and just experiment. Enjoy all