JAS_OH1
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I used about 3 TBSP in my baked version, which was about 4 servings.Lo
Lots of butter in the baked version!
Mac & Cheese
- Thread starter karadekoolaid
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Barriehie
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I'm right around there with 1/2 stick which is 4 Tbsp and then I add a really good splash of EVOO. Keeps the noodles from tearing up as you stir it all together.
I love butter, but it's also a flavour component for me and in dishes like this I find it overkill. Cheese plus pancetta/bacon and a small fried garlic clove, which is how I do my everyday stovetop version, is plenty for flavour.
JAS_OH1
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I used a little EVOO on the bottom of the pan before adding the crabmeat and other stuff. The bacon (precooked), panko, and grated parm went on the last 10 minutes of baking.
Big yumm on the crabmeat.
What type and how much cheese do you use? (sorry if you already posted
)
JAS_OH1
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It varies on the cheese, but I always use a Velveeta type cheese food (Aldi has Clancy and Walmart has a great value block that are nearly the same) in lieu of a bechemel or roux with half n half and heavy cream to start because I dislike flour as a thickener. The Velveeta (cheese food) melts in the cream and creates a binder that helps the other cheeses blend in easily. I rarely measure, but I typically use a sharp white cheddar, gruyere, and Gouda in the cheese sauce, then parm goes on top along with Panko and bacon at the end of the bake. Last night I used smoked Gouda, white extra sharp cheddar, and mild yellow cheddar. I've been known to use a little goat cheese, fontina (or similar) at times, sometimes Colby jack, it just depends. I've always got at least 6 different kinds of cheese on hand. I'd never use Provolone, Monterey jack, or mozzarella though.Big yumm on the crabmeat.
What type and how much cheese do you use? (sorry if you already posted
Puggles
"I don't like things I hate"
I can't believe I didn't see this thread, this is probably one of my crowning achievements.
This is my brisket mac & cheese. To answer some of your questions. I do a stovetop and finish with a bake. I used penne rigate pasta. I used a Bechamel, and my cheese selection was cheddar, Swiss, smoked Gouda, and some cream cheese. I have found that when you do mac & cheese (at least in the oven), you want it to be more "soupy" than not when you bake it, because it will thicken quite a bit during the bake and definitely during the leftovers. Kind of like cookies, you want to pull them when they look raw still and let them continue out of the oven. Kind of the same concept. If you put the mac & cheese in at the thickness you want, by the time it's served, it will be much thicker than you wanted, and the leftovers will be able to patch holes in walls. In this particular mac & cheese in the pic, I put in smoked brisket and topped it with toasted panko bread crumbs and my favorite hot sauce. It was absolutely indescribable. Using a white cheese selection and picking a nice salty meat to pair with it works wonderfully as well, like white cheddar and a smoky bacon, or pancetta, or guanciale. Lobster mac & cheese is also a huge crowd pleaser.
This is my brisket mac & cheese. To answer some of your questions. I do a stovetop and finish with a bake. I used penne rigate pasta. I used a Bechamel, and my cheese selection was cheddar, Swiss, smoked Gouda, and some cream cheese. I have found that when you do mac & cheese (at least in the oven), you want it to be more "soupy" than not when you bake it, because it will thicken quite a bit during the bake and definitely during the leftovers. Kind of like cookies, you want to pull them when they look raw still and let them continue out of the oven. Kind of the same concept. If you put the mac & cheese in at the thickness you want, by the time it's served, it will be much thicker than you wanted, and the leftovers will be able to patch holes in walls. In this particular mac & cheese in the pic, I put in smoked brisket and topped it with toasted panko bread crumbs and my favorite hot sauce. It was absolutely indescribable. Using a white cheese selection and picking a nice salty meat to pair with it works wonderfully as well, like white cheddar and a smoky bacon, or pancetta, or guanciale. Lobster mac & cheese is also a huge crowd pleaser.
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That looks absolutely divine!
...and excellent advice on pulling it while it's still "wet".
From what I've read, while mac n cheese is considered an American staple, it was introduced to America by Thomas Jefferson after he had encountered it on trips to Europe.
It didn't become widely popular in the US until more than a century later in the Great Depression as it was a very cheap meal that contained both carbs and protein. Since then, it continued to be propelled by the marketing of low cost and convenience.
Even though we were relatively poor, I don't recall ever having it at home as a kid, but I loved when a friend's mother served it to us, the gooier the better. I do enjoy making a cheap little box of the stuff from time to time now, doctored up with some shredded chicken, diced celery, and Frank's hot sauce to make my version of Buffalo chicken mac n cheese.
My family has asked me to make a "real" version a few times, so I use America's Test Kitchen's stovetop recipe. It's super simple and you avoid that weird powdered cheese packet by using American cheese as the base for its emulsifying salts, but then stirring in shredded aged reserve cheddar, dijon, and cayenne for the flavor boost at the end.
Another trick is to boil tbe noodles in just enough milk so they become al dente, and the little remaining starchy liquid becomes the base for the cheesey sauce.
Some folks prefer a crunchy, toasted topping but baking will dry it out, so simply toasting panko in a neutral oil separately, then sprinkling over top of the mac n cheese makes it happen.
It didn't become widely popular in the US until more than a century later in the Great Depression as it was a very cheap meal that contained both carbs and protein. Since then, it continued to be propelled by the marketing of low cost and convenience.
Even though we were relatively poor, I don't recall ever having it at home as a kid, but I loved when a friend's mother served it to us, the gooier the better. I do enjoy making a cheap little box of the stuff from time to time now, doctored up with some shredded chicken, diced celery, and Frank's hot sauce to make my version of Buffalo chicken mac n cheese.
My family has asked me to make a "real" version a few times, so I use America's Test Kitchen's stovetop recipe. It's super simple and you avoid that weird powdered cheese packet by using American cheese as the base for its emulsifying salts, but then stirring in shredded aged reserve cheddar, dijon, and cayenne for the flavor boost at the end.
Another trick is to boil tbe noodles in just enough milk so they become al dente, and the little remaining starchy liquid becomes the base for the cheesey sauce.
Some folks prefer a crunchy, toasted topping but baking will dry it out, so simply toasting panko in a neutral oil separately, then sprinkling over top of the mac n cheese makes it happen.