Thread Number: 77737
/ Tag: Recipes, Cooking Accessories
Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese |
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Post# 1017636   12/10/2018 at 20:42 (1,934 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)   |   | |
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This is an easy and economical pantry dinner to make. It’s one of our favorites, and is just as good leftover as it is the first day. The recipe makes 8 dinner size portions.
1 lb. small elbow macaroni 1 lb. Cheddar cheese, either sharp or medium 1/2 stick of butter 1/4 cup flour 1 12oz. can of evaporated milk or 3 cups whole milk and omit the water 1 can full of water 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (approx.) Paprika and Dried Parsley Flakes for topping Fill a 4 qt. pan with water, and bring to boil over high heat. Shred the cheese on waxpaper and divide in 1/2. In a microwave safe bowl (I like to use a pyrex batter bowl with a handle) melt the butter in MW for 1 min. Add the flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne, whisk and nuke for 1 min on high. By now the water should be at a boil, salt the water and add the elbow macaroni, bring back to boil, reduce heat to maintain boil and set timer for about 9 mins. Add the evaporated milk and the one can of water to the butter and flour roux, whisk well and nuke on high for 3 mins, remove bowl from MV and whisk well, nuke another 3 mins on high, whisk well again and nuke for an additional 2 mins on high. Drain the macaroni well, add 1/2 of macaroni to greased 9”X13” pyrex baking dish, top with 1/2 of the cheese and pour 1/2 of the white sauce evenly over the cheese, repeat the layers. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top and sprinkle with pakrika and parsley flakes. At this point you can either bake at 350 F for about 20 to 30 mins, until hot throughout and some bubbles appear. Or refrigerate and bake later at 350 F for 45 mins. Allow to rest for 15 mins after removing from the oven, cut into 8 equal servings and serve with a nice green vegetable and a green salad. You can easily reheat individual portions in the MW. Also, you can use 3 cups of whole milk in place of the evaporated milk, just be sure to omit the water. But the evap milk tastes just fine, and makes this a true pantry meal. By not mixing the cheese together first with the macaroni and the cheese the dish has a more substantial texture, and the cheese melts throughout nicely anyway. And it cuts and serves very neatly too. Makes it more like a main dish rather than a side dish. Eddie |
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Post# 1017659 , Reply# 1   12/11/2018 at 04:48 (1,934 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Post# 1017678 , Reply# 2   12/11/2018 at 10:01 (1,934 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)   |   | |
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the baking dish is an Anchor Hocking that I bought about 1994. It has a dark green plastic top that came with it for storage of leftovers in the fridge. I bought it primarily for taking casseroles to potlucks at work. The dimensions are just slightly larger than the Pyrex 9”X13” dish that I have, which sets right inside of this one for storage.
Once you make a white sauce in the MW, you’ll never want to go back to making on on the stove, unless the recipe calls for browning the roux, then you really need the stove. The beauty of doing it in MW is that you can be doing other things at the same time, instead of standing at the stove constantly stirring your sauce to prevent scorching. The whisking every so often is what keeps the sauce smooth and lump free. And one of those Pyrex batter bowls with the handle make this process a breeze. I hope you give this Mac and Cheese a try, it really is tasty. This is one of the casseroles I used to take to potlucks at work, and it was always a hit. Thanks for the interest. Eddie This post was last edited 12/11/2018 at 13:56 |
Post# 1017698 , Reply# 3   12/11/2018 at 15:06 (1,933 days old) by kevin313 (Detroit, Michigan)   |   | |
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Post# 1017725 , Reply# 4   12/11/2018 at 20:57 (1,933 days old) by bendix5 (Central Point, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 1017728 , Reply# 5   12/11/2018 at 22:12 (1,933 days old) by surgilator1 (Atlanta, Georgia)   |   | |
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thanks again eddie. I am trying the recipe this week. all your recipes that I have tried has turned out great. I especially liked the vanilla cake whith a simple white frosting. its been a while back but I think it might have been a cooked icing? |
Post# 1017729 , Reply# 6   12/11/2018 at 22:17 (1,933 days old) by surgilator1 (Atlanta, Georgia)   |   | |
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spotless kitchen by the way. |
Post# 1017733 , Reply# 7   12/11/2018 at 22:56 (1,933 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Eddie, thank you. I've looked at my loaf pan and it's Pyrex. I can remember my mom using the pan for meatloaf and pound cake loaf from when I was about 10 so it's as old, if not older than that.
I've made pudding and white sauces/bechemel in the MW since the 1980s. It's the only way my dad ever made divinity too. In fact, I have his 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup used for this. |