Community Pick
Marvelous Macaroni and Cheese
"This is the most awesome Macaroni & Cheese that we have ever eaten. It is a family favorite and we have it once a week. All four of my kids request it often, and my husband thinks it's incredible. Hope you enjoy this comfort food."
photo by Karen=^..^=
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni (I prefer large elbows or medium shells)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons butter or 6 tablespoons margarine (I prefer butter)
- 2 cups milk (I use skim)
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
- Drain, rinse and set aside.
- In same pot over low heat, melt the butter.
- Add flour, salt and pepper and whisk into melted butter until smooth.
- Simmer and stir until mixture thickens into a paste and is golden.
- Slowly add milk and whisk into butter mixture until smooth.
- Bring to boil and then simmer until thickened.
- There is no way to tell you how thick, except to say it should be thicker than gravy but not as thick as pudding.
- If you have made basic white sauce, you will know when it is thick enough.
- Remove pot from heat.
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until cheese starts to melt.
- Add macaroni and stir until coated.
- Pour into a 9 x 12 baking dish or 2 quart casserole.
- As an extra indulgence, you can sprinkle 4 oz more cheese on top.
- I only do this if I happen to buy a 12 oz bag or block instead of 8 oz.
- Bake about 20- 30 minutes, when you see top getting a bit crispy and brown.
Questions & Replies
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Reviews
-
Great creamy mac & cheese!! This one is my family's new favorite!! -
Hi Karen: Made your YUMMIE Mac and Cheese dish this evening. It is Sooperb! I cut the ingredients in 1/2 as there are only two of us here. Didn't hurt a thing! Tis creamy, golden, and downright tasty! Thanks for another winner! Sincerely, Laudee C. -
Really Good but too many noodles. We cut the noodles in half and were left with what we thought was a much better dish. Thanks for the recipe. It was just like what my Grandmother used to make. -
A five star dish. Creamy and tasty. I don't think this would serve 8 on it's own. People will find extra room for more of this. Thanks for a great recipe.
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I recently made this recipe for a family gathering and it was real a hit. I stuck to the recipe except, I added a dash of paprika which gave it a litte zing. This was my first attempt at making homemade mac n cheese. Thanks for sharing this easy and delicious recipe.
see 49 more reviews
Tweaks
-
I replaced the milk with half and half, used twice the cheese, and took it out of the oven after 15 minutes. This modified recipe ended up being the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had, though next time I may use salted butter or add a little more salt to the mix. -
Thank you so much Karen! This was delicious. My kids (and husband) ate it like they hadn't eaten in days! As always, I made some minor changes: used rice milk instead of milk, added parmesan to the cheddar cheese blend. Will definitely make this again!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Karen=^..^=
Sharon Hill, 0
<p>I live in Pa (outside of Philadelphia) and cooking, baking, cross-stitching and reading are my hobbies. <br /> <br />I collect cookbooks and cookie stamps/cutters and have a pretty big collection of both. I am also a fan of all things Amish, so I have quite a collection of things picked up in Reading, Lancaster and surrounding areas here in Pennsylvania. <br /> <br />I have 4 kids, who are the loves of my life and cooking for them and my husband keeps me on my toes! ;) <br /> <br />We bought an ice cream parlor in March 04 and it's been quite an experience! <br /> <br />Note: I love getting feedback on my recipes; all I ask is that you actually *make* them before reviewing them. <br /> <br />Also, if you make changes or substitutions, I'd love to see your suggestions and/or comments, but I'd appreciate no rating at all if it's not made as posted. Too many recipe reviews state margarine subbed for butter (if I list butter, it's REAL butter), different spices, low-fat ingredients, whole wheat flour instead of white, etc. The recipes will not work/taste as intended, so it's really not fair to rate them as such. <br /> <br />I'd also really appreciate it if you refrain from rating a recipe if you overcook or overbake it or it you don't refrigerate or store as listed. <br /> <br />I, of course, will adhere to the above when rating recipes, too! <br /> <br />Thanks and have a great day! <br /> <br />My Rating System: <br /> <br />***** A delicious recipe that was thoroughly enjoyed. It has excellent, detailed directions and is perfect as is. If a dish is especially easy, and I'm on the fence, I will give it 5* for ease even if it's very good instead of great. Something I will definitely make again. <br /> <br />**** Excellent recipe but confusing directions that I will make again in my own less confusing way OR Very good recipe that I'll probably make again if I find the time! <br /> <br />*** Good/OK recipe but probably not something I would make again OR Very Good recipe that doesn't have clear, detailed directions. <br /> <br />** Recipe was edible but not really enjoyed and will not be made again. Work involved not a good trade-off for the end result. <br /> <br />* Not edible and probably an error in the recipe. I feel that I pick recipes with ingredients our family likes, so in my opinion, there's an error somewhere. If there's a chance I made the error, I won't rate the recipe. ;) <br /> <br /><img src=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/lauralie41/swapbanner.jpg border=0 alt=Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket /> <br /> <br /><a href=http://s224.photobucket.com/albums/dd235/MidwestMaven/?action=view&current=cookieswapparticip.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd235/MidwestMaven/cookieswapparticip.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> <br /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/honey-pot-print-c10069558.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /> <br /> <br /><a href=http://s224.photobucket.com/albums/dd235/MidwestMaven/?action=view&current=09holidayparticipationbanner.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd235/MidwestMaven/09holidayparticipationbanner.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a></p>
