Macaroni & Cheese: Two Versions

Almost nothing speaks to the nostalgic heart more than macaroni and cheese. Homemade and hot from the oven with a bite of cheddar and perhaps a blush of heat. A rich and creamy sauce folded over and under and into every crevice of every tender noodle. Love dripping with every spoonful.

My mom always took her mac and cheese to church functions, along with Texas Sheet Cake. She'd quadruple the recipe and fill up two large aluminum pans. It was a relief as a picky eater because I was always sure of something to eat that I loved but it was also a disappointment because there were never any leftovers to bring home.

At home, she always made macaroni in a certain dish. It wasn't very tall and had scalloped edges and flowers painted on the sides. It was a wedding gift. One hurried evening, late for church and in a rush to cheat time, she shoved the dish onto the counter. It tottered for a moment and then fell to the floor with a great crash, right in front of the avocado green dishwasher. I remember my mom's face vividly as she cried out in frustration over the scattering of pieces that used to be her beloved dish. I was sad too -- all those perfectly delicious noodles, covered in cheese and ceramic, meant that we weren't having my favorite food for dinner.

A few years ago, flipping through a cookbook, I found a new mac and cheese to try. It was similar to my mom's but used two different cheeses for deeper flavor, chicken broth to cut the richness and a touch of cayenne for heat. It was delicious, in fact, my mom even asked for the recipe.

I have included both recipes below. 

The first recipe is the new one, the second is my mom's 

because sometimes, nothing beats your mom's mac and cheese. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6 to 8

Note: I almost always halve the recipe, so I will include the halved amounts in parentheses. 

1 pound macaroni noodles (8 oz.)
6 T. butter (3 T.)
1 garlic clove, minced, approximately 1 tsp. (1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. dry mustard (1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp.)
6 T. flour (3 T.)
2 1/4 cups chicken broth (1 cup, 2 T.)
3 1/2 cups milk (1 3/4)
1 pound colby cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

In a Dutch oven, or large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.

Add the macaroni and boil on medium high for 5 minutes. Then drain pasta and set aside. 

In now-empty Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. 

Add the garlic, cayenne and dry mustard. 

Cook until fragrant but not burned, about 30 seconds. 

Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

You want the flour to look golden and slightly foamy. 

(If it starts to get dark, add the broth quickly before it burns.) 

Add chicken broth...

...and the milk, whisking to combine and break up the flour.

Simmer milk mixture for 15 minutes, until big bubbles start to form and mixture thickens.

Off the heat, add the cheeses and whisk until cheese has melted. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the drained macaroni back into the pot until combined. 

Then you can bake the mac and cheese in the Dutch Oven or transfer it to a 9 x 13 pan 

(or a 9 x 9 pan if you are halving the recipe). 

Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven until bubbling, 25 - 35 minutes. 

Note: Sometimes I put bread "cubes" on top of the mac and cheese. 

I butter a piece of sandwich bread, 

sprinkle with a little garlic salt and cut into cubes with a bread knife 

(probably a half inch to an inch square). 

Then I sprinkle them on top of the mac and cheese for the last 10 minutes of baking. 

The cubes are nice and toasty and add a little crunch, but they get soggy in the fridge. 

So if there is any leftover mac and cheese, I remove the bread cubes before refrigerating. 

Recipe from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My mom's quicker, simpler version of Mac n Cheese

Serves 6 - 8

3 cups macaroni noodles

3 T. butter

2 T. of flour (level)

1 tsp. salt, scant

a few shakes of pepper

a few shakes of garlic salt

3 cups milk (heated)

12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded or cubed small

Boil macaroni noodles in salted water, according to package directions, leaving them slightly al dente -- about 8 minutes (depending on the brand!) Drain and set aside. 

In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk and heat on medium until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, add the cheese and whisk until combined. 

Combine cheese sauce with the reserved macaroni noodles and place in a 9 x 13 pan or large casserole dish. Bake at 350 until bubbling, about 25 minutes. 

(OR....you can bake it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Great for when you are in a hurry or running behind!)

Cute little helper