how to make creamy mac 'n cheese?

[lyndsaymarie]

i looove making mac and cheese, but my husband can't stand the chunky, grainy texture of cheddar cheese. how can i make it creamy? what other cheeses, besides cheddar, can i use? what liquids can i use to combat the grainy texture?

THANKS!!

[cookinmaven]

Try this one, lyndsaemarie.
Southern cookin' at it's best.
Hope this helps.



* * * * * * *

Creamy Mac 'n Cheese
Ingredients:
5 cups cooked macaroni (8 ounces raw)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour (Wondra is recommended)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 t. pepper, or to taste
2 cups milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
paprika, optional

Preparation:
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir flour into the butter until smooth and bubbly. Stir in salt. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add cheese and continue to cook and stir until melted. In an 8x10-inch baking dish, alternate layers of macaroni and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serves 6.

Original cook's notes: Be sure to use whole milk, lowfat milk makes it grainy. Doubling the cheese makes it "cheesier", or add 3/4 c. of Velveeta to make 1 1/2 c. of cheese, total.

[Kitchen Witch]

Here's another -

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

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. 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.


the problem with some of the cheeses on the market - they ARE very gritty - each different cheese has a different water content which causes this to happen


when all else fails - use Velveeta -

16 ounces macaroni (uncooked)
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
14 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
8 slices Velveeta cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni according to directions and drain.
Melt margarine in a large saucepan.
Add flour and whisk together.
Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble and thickens.
Stir constantly.
Add chunks of Velveeta and allow to melt.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour macaroni into a 13x9 oblong baking dish.
Pour sauce over macaroni.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then put extra slices of cheese on top.
Bake for another 5 minutes until cheese melts.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve.

[lvdkeyes]

This is the recipe I use and it is never gritty.

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese
To begin, you need to make a white sauce. A generous amount of butter is melted in a large saucepan, and then flour is stirred into it to make a loose paste. After the flour has cooked in the hot butter, hot milk is whisked in. The starch from the cooked flour expands in the milk, creating a thick, creamy sauce. The starch binds the sauce, so that when the cheese is stirred in, the result is creamy and smooth, not stringy and curdled.
It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or Pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor. The type of cheese used will also affect the sauce's texture: Sharp white cheddar produces the smoothest result; yellow and extra sharp cheddar can become grainy.
A good Italian brand of dried elbow macaroni will have the best consistency. Under cook your pasta so that it is the slightest bit crunchy (very al dente) in the center, and then rinse it under cold water. This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch. You might think that starch would be useful in further thickening the casserole, but it isn't; as it bakes, that extra starch merely expands and lends a mealy texture to your sauce.
The pasta will finish cooking as it bakes. The sauce will bubble, seeping into the hollows of your macaroni. When the smell of butter and browning cheese makes your stomach growl, you'll know the dish is ready to eat.
You can easily divide this recipe in half; use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish if you do.
Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring,1 minute.
2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

[artemispub1]

I've been experimenting with baked macaroni and cheese for 40 years, and this recipe works. If you like it, double all ingredients. Increase or decrease the ingredients to suit your taste. This method and ingredients will save time and $. Enjoy! Note: no flour or other thickeners are used in this recipe.

1 C elbow macaroni
3/4 C boiling water
1/2 C powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 C Milk (any kind)
1/4 lb. Velveeta-type cheese food cut into this slices
2 Tbs fat (butter, margarine, blended spreads)
1/4 tsp hot dry mustard, horseradish, or hot pepper sauce
1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/4 C shredded cheese for topping
Paprika for garnish (optional)
1/2 C chopped or sliced fresh tomato (optional)
4-cup heat-proof measuring cup or bowl.
Cooking spray or fat to grease baking pan.
Microwave oven
Toaster or conventional oven

Place empty baking pan on top of or inside oven to heat. Start heating oven at 150-200 degrees prior to recipe preparation. Remove heated pan and five minutes before cooking, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. -$ Saves energy!

1. Cook elbow macaroni for 10-20 mins. SOFT. Drain, rinse. -$. Boil for 5 mins., reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 mins or less, covered. Water should cover pasta by at least 1 inch. If you let pasta remain in hot water, it will absorb quite a bit which SOFTENS and enlarges the pasta.

2. While pasta is cooking, stir the powdered non-dairy creamer into the 3/4 C boiled water until it's dissolved. Add milk and fat, stir well. Heat in microwave oven for about 2 mins. on High. Add seasonings, stir. Add cheese food slices, stir well. Return to microwave oven and cook on High for 2 mins. or until cheeses are melted. Stir mixture well.

3. Grease warmed baking pan. Spread one half of the drained pasta into pan, carefully pour one half of the cheese mixture over pasta, starting from the outer edge ending in the center. Sprinkle one half of the shredded cheese over pasta. Add optional chopped/sliced tomatoes.

4. Repeat layer.

5. Sprinkle 1/4 C of shredded cheese evenly over top of casserole. Dust with paprika if desired.

6. Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 mins. or until bubbles form around sides. Reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 10-15 mins. until top is browned. Let casserole rest in warm oven for as long as possible to develop flavor and texture.

Submitted by Artemis
West Palm Beach, Florida