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Classic Mac n Cheese




Source of Recipe


KSL
Classic Mac n Cheese
Ingredients:

* 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)
* 2 cups milk (skim, whole or half-n-half)
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 4 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 8 ounces full flavored cheese, shredded or diced (approx. 2 cups)
* Optional ingredients, see variations below

Method:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside while preparing sauce.

Over medium heat, melt butter in medium saucepan; whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, continue to stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil; stirring, boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat, add cheese, stir until cheese is melted; fold in cooked macaroni. If desired, thin with additional milk for a saucy version. Serve hot or place in buttered casserole dish, sprinkle with crumbs, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Do Ahead tip - freeze for later use. Best if thawed in refrigerator, to thaw in microwave use low setting (30-40 % power). Reheat in microwave, fry pan, or bake until hot and bubbly. NOTE, additional milk may be needed to thin to desirable consistency once thawed.

Notes:

There are as many variations for Macaroni and Cheese as there are people to enjoy it. Thanks to all my friends, below are several additions and variations to spice up your homemade comfort food. For ingredients without a measurement, add until it suits your taste preference. When experimenting, limit the number of ingredients at first.

Additional Options:
Ingredients:

* Cheeses (I like a blend of cheese)
* Sharp Cheddar
* Asiago
* Gruyere
* Smokey Gouda
* Pepper Jack
* Gorgonzola or Blue - 1/2 cup blended with cheddar
* Parmesan - 1/4 to 1/2 cup mixed with other cheeses
* Fontina
* Additions
* Hot dogs, sliced
* Spam, diced
* Ham, diced
* Sausage, cooked - smoked links, country style, little smokies
* Tuna fish - 1 to 2 small cans
* Tomato soup, undiluted condensed
* Sundried tomatoes, slivered or chopped
* Crumbled cooked bacon - 2 to 3 slices
* Diced canned green chilies - 4 oz
* Chili - 15 oz can
* Peppers, diced - 1/4 cup red or green bell pepper; finely chopped jalapeno, with seeds
* removed
* Pimentos, chopped
* Olives - black, sliced; green olives stuffed with pimentos, chopped
* Minced onion, or green onion - 1 to 2 tablespoons, sautéed (raw may overpower taste)
* Buttermilk - use 1/2-cup buttermilk to 1 1/2-cups whole milk
* Cream cheese - fat free to regular3 ounces
* Sour Cream - nonfat to regular, 1/2 to 1 cup (may displace part of milk in recipe), add at
* end of cooking
* Pureed cooked sweet potato or carrots
* California Style frozen veggies
* Toppings
* Bread crumbs, toasted - 1 to 3 teaspoons butter, 1/3 to 1 cup crumbs; stir fry in non-stick
* pan to toast
* Cracker crumbs - saltines, Cheeze-Its, Ritz; drizzle with melted butter or toss with
* shredded cheese
* Panko crumbs
* Sesame seeds
* Shredded cheese
* Nuts, chopped - walnuts, cashews, almonds (mix in a few nuts with crumbs
* Sliced tomatoes around edges
* Prosciutto
* Bacon crumbles
* Crushed potato chips
* Poppy Seeds
* Seasonings
* Herbs - Oregano, Thyme, Sage, etc snipped 1-2 teaspoons fresh; a dash to 1/2 teaspoon
* dried
* Parsley flakes
* Chives, snipped
* Tabasco or hot pepper sauce - few drops, to taste
* Cayenne pepper, dash
* Mustard - yellow, Dijon, spicy, Brown - 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared; 1/4 to 1 teaspoon dry
* Celery seed - 1/4 teaspoon
* Garlic salt - replace salt in recipe with same proportions; 1/4 garlic powder (salt as is in
* recipe)
* Black pepper, white pepper - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
* Worcestershire sauce - 1 to 2 teaspoons
* Ranch dressing - 1 envelop dried dressing mix,
* Ketchup
* Barbecue sauce
* Truffle Oil
* Pasta
* Elbow macaroni, classic
* Shells
* Penne
* Rigatoni
* Rotini, spirals
* Fusilli
* Gnocchi
* Sides Dishes to serve with Mac n Cheese
* Tomatoes - sliced fresh, stewed, canned
* Broiled Tomatoes - brush slices with olive oil, sprinkle with chopped basil, salt pepper,
* mozzarella broil
* Pickled beets
* Chicken nuggets
* Green peas - in it or to the side
* Marinated vegetables - mixed thinly sliced fresh veggies tossed with Zesty Italian dressing
* Steamed Broccoli
* Peas and Carrots
* Asparagus spears

Method:

Lite Version

Use skim milk; 3 parts reduced fat cheese mixed with 1 part Asiago cheese (for flavor); 3- oz fat-free cream cheese; cornstarch mixed with a little milk to replace flour as thickener.