Not So Easy Mac
Tonight I continued my quest for the Second Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese by making Alton Brown's recipe. So far, it has been the best that I've tried, but still not quite what I'm looking for. To be fair, I didn't have all of the ingredients. I didn't have the powdered mustard, so I used a mixture of yellow and dijon. I didn't have paprika, so I used a seasoning salt mixture that had paprika in it. I didn't have panko bread crumbs, so I used Italian. Also, I had a little issue tempering the egg, in that I don't think I did it right; after I stirred the cheese into the sauce, I discovered skinny little ribbons of cooked egg throughout. This could have caused the lack of creaminess that I have been searching for.
I think I will try this recipe again, but with all the correct ingredients, and maaaaybe I will strain out the onions before I add the cheese, as I wasn't the fan of their texture in the final product.
I think I will try this recipe again, but with all the correct ingredients, and maaaaybe I will strain out the onions before I add the cheese, as I wasn't the fan of their texture in the final product.
Labels: Cooking
posted by Jess at 7:54 PM
5 Comments:
I would nix the egg altogether if you're looking for creamy. I think Smitten is going to have a creamier mac and cheese post up soon, since I saw she was working a new one in Flickr.
Why not just use your Mom's recipe, and maybe tweak that one a bit? (Or just give it to me) ;)
Uh, am an idiot, for Smitten has posted it. It's a Martha Stewart creation. Good luck baking!
Definitely need to use the powdered mustard rather than the mix of 2 'liquid' mustards.
Tempering eggs is always a pain in the ass - I think only the professionals get it right.
Keep working on it and I'm sure you'll reach mac-n-cheese nirvana!
Or you could just stick with Kraft ... ;)
I saw your post and thought I'd pass along my personal mac n' cheese recipe. There's nothing low-fat about it, but my family and friends love it.
1) Start pasta (I use farfalle) boiling in a large pot. Boil until soft and drain. Set aside. This can be done while making the sauce.
2) In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Do not allow to burn. When melted, add 3-4 cups of heavy cream* and bring to a light boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
3) Cut half a block of Velveeta cheese into small squares and begin adding slowly to the cream. Cream should now be over low heat. Stir continuously until Velveeta has nearly melted.
4) Add 1-1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese to the sauce, stir and allow to fully melt.
5) At this point, if you have another favorite cheese, you can add it in. I have used shredded cheddar before and it is very good.
6) Be sure all cheese is melted. Sauce consistency should be between water and alfredo sauce at this point.
7) Coat casserole dish with oil/spray, pour in drained pasta, pour sauce over pasta and stir. Cover with aluminum foil and back at 350F for approx. 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake another 20-30 minutes to crisp the top.
*Please note, I don't usually cook from a written recipe with closely measured ingredients, so all quantities are estimates. Depending on the amount of pasta you boil, you should adjust the amount of sauce. Sauce should cover pasta in dish and be runny before baking.
Good luck!!
Stephanie Collins
Cincinnati
ONION? Ew... i don't see how onion could improve mac and cheese. i would probably take it out altogether.
That last recipe left by Stephanie sounds pretty good - my mother swears by Velveeta even though it screams ghetto mac & cheese to me; apparently it works. Dunno, i haven't tried it...
Thanks for writing a review for this one. Maybe i'll try it too. :)
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