My friends and family... I tell ya... I'm going to STAPLE this recipe to their foreheads!
So as I mentioned, I have received several requests for my macaroni and cheese so it just made sense for me to blog it and then email a link. I just did a search in all of my emails (including work) and I couldn't find the recipe anywhere... so this, I promise to you, is the very last time I type this out!
Before I get started, as with any recipe I ever try, I don't measure anything... and with my mac'n cheese, it always looks and taste different with one common demoninator: CHEESE! Lots and lots of cheese! This recipe changes all the time - you don't have to do the roux, at all if you don't want. Just do a quick cheese sauce.*
to make the roux*:
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- about a cup of shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese (you can sub Muenster, here)
- about 1/2 cup of cubed velveeta cheese (or 4 slices)
- about 2 cups low fat milk
- about 2-3 tablespoons Lawry's seasoning salt (to taste, of course - or you can use regular Kosher salt / Sea salt)
for everything else**:
- 16 oz box of elbow macaroni noodles
(feel free to use Rotelli noodles/Ridged jumbo nooodles/cut elbows - whatever you want!)
- 1.5 cup shredded Colby Jack (feel free to sub Gruyere, here - or do half/half)
- 1.5 cup shredded extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- about half cup of half & half or low fat milk
To get started, crack your two eggs in a small bowl and pour in the half cup of half & half or low fat milk. Give it a quick stir and set to the side. You want this at room temp - we'll temper it later, just to be sure. Grate all of your cheese ahead of time so you are not having to do this during the layering process. Fill your large pot with water and bring to boil for your noodles. Once your water is boiling, throw in your noodles, THEN get started on the roux. This is your thickening agent for your cheese sauce.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (this will vary, depending on elevation) and spray a large casserole dish so your noodles don't stick.
Melt your butter in a medium sauce pan and whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time until all of your flour appears to be incorporated with your butter. Let it cook out for about 45 seconds or so, so you don't have a floury taste. Then add your low fat milk while still whisking. Don't let it sit too long without supervison.. milk burns fast! When the milk mixture begins to "smoke" a bit, toss in your velveeta cheese. Grab a spoonula and stir occasionally until the cheese is fully melted (milk AND cheese burn faster - keep an eye on it!) Toss in - one handful at a time - the extra sharp white cheddar cheese. Begin mixing in a figure "8", as this will keep the cheese from clumping (keeps the air bubbles out!) Keep doing this until all your cheese is in, and melted. Add your Lawry's. Remove from heat.
Your noodles should be about done. Al dente is what you're shooting for since you're going to pop this in the oven to cook a bit longer. Drain and toss back into the pot you cooked them in. Grab your egg mixture and while stirring, fold in about 2 tablespoons of your cheese sauce. This will "temper" the mixture, ensuring it's at room temperature so when you dump it on the noodles, it doesn't cook the egg! Now, dump it on the noodles - stir together and make sure all the noodles are covered. Now dump in your cheese sauce mixture. Stir together. (taste to see if you need more seasoning salt or not - add here, if you do and stir).
Put in a layer of noodles about 1.5 inches thick into your casserole dish. Top with your grated cheese(s). Add another layer of noodles, more cheese... this is just like making lasagna. Once you're finished up with the layers, put the rest of your cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil (be sure you tent it so the cheese doesn't stick to it). Pop in the oven for about half hour- you're really just wanting to melt the cheese all the way through. Once it's golden brown on the top, it's ready to come out! I normally remove the foil with about 5 minutes left to get this to happen.
Simple enough.... ENJOY! Once you stir in your cheese sauce to your noodles, feel free to add-in other things here - partially steamed broccoli, cubed Virginia ham.. picky little eaters? Add in diced hotdogs, cubed boiled chicken.. you have endless options for an all-in-one-stop-shop, here! I hope you guys find this helpful!
*If you don't want to make the roux, do a quick cheese sauce by heating up about 1.5 cups of milk and toss in about 1/2 cup of cubed velveeta (or 4 slices). Stir occasionally until cheese is fully melted. This is where I throw in the Lawry's seasoning salt, to taste. And that's it! very simple!
**feel free to use 3 cups of all the same cheese - I would highly suggest the extra, or sharp yellow cheddar cheese if you do so.
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