Mac and Cheese

Everyday Mac & Cheese from Scratch

1. Make the quantity of elbow macaroni you need.
2. While this is boiling in salted water, make a pot of white sauce, when it thickens season with salt and pepper and stir in 1/4 to 1 cup of grated or shredded cheese (depending on the quantity of sauce you make.) Better to make too much than to make too little, because excess sauce can be refrigerated to use on so many more things later.
3. Stir enough sauce into the hot drained pasta in the pot to coat the pasta, then serve.
4. Easy and more delicious than the boxed kind and the better the cheese you use, the better it will be.
5. To make ahead of time, pour the mixture in a greased casserole dish, top with a little more grated cheese and/or buttered bread crumbs, and bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese on top bubbles (or turns golden if you use parmesan), then turn down to keep warm.

Special Occasion Mac and Cheese

Use the substitutions in parentheses and the flavour will be a little different, but still good, because it couldn't be good with this much cheese! It's not very economical to make, but delicious for a special family occasion with kids (and adults) who really like macaroni and cheese.

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni, boiled and drained
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 Tbsp  butter
• 1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese (or Edam or Havarti)
• 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar AND 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (OR 1 cup shredded medium cheddar)
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups half-and-half (OR 1 cup whole milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
• 8 oz Velveeta cheese (OR cream cheese, cubed)
• 2 lightly beaten large eggs
• 1 Tbsp cold butter

1. Shred the cheeses and combine in a bowl.
2. Butter the inside of a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Boil the macaroni in salted water using package directions, drain.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. To the pot in which the macaroni was boiled, add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and 8 Tbsp butter, stir till the butter melts. (Note: For a spicier version you can add a pinch of cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper.) Return the pasta to the pot and toss in this butter mixture.
6. Stir the 2 eggs into the half-and-half, add it to the pot along with 1-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese combined, toss to mix.
7. Transfer the pasta mixture to a buttered 2-1/2 quart baking dish.
8. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
9. Dot with 1 Tbsp cold butter.
10. Bake in 350 degree F oven 30-35 or until the pasta is bubbly and the edges are golden.
11. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Serves 6-8. If you don't have lobster, substitute other diced, cooked meat, like chicken or cooked, drained Italian sausage meat, but of course then it won't be Lobster Mac and Cheese.

Brush a little vegetable oil on the grater and the cheese will come off more easily when you have to wash it. You can use a potato peeler to peel a little cheese on top before serving, for a garnish.

•  2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 4 cups whole milk
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups grated Gruyere cheese
• 2 cups grated old Cheddar cheese (or extra-sharp)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1-1/2 lbs cooked diced lobster meat (1/2 inch diced)
• 1-1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

1. Add oil to a large pot of boiling salted water.
2. Add pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain well.
3. Heat 4 cups milk to hot (not boiling).
4. In a saucepan, melt 6 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/2 cup flour. Cook over low heat 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
5. Still whisking, add the hot milk, cook 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth.
6. Remove saucepan from heat. Add grated cheese, 1 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp each pepper and nutmeg, stir until cheese melts.
7. Stir in the cooked pasta and lobster.
8. Put in large greased casserole dish or separate into two-cup ovenproof dishes.
9. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter, combine with 1-1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, sprinkle on top
10. Bake small dishes in preheated 375 degree F oven 30-35 minutes  until sauce bubbles and pasta is browned on top. For larger casserole dishes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and cook longer until heated through, bubbly and browned.