calling all cooks - mac and cheese ?

Parent Cafe
21

<p>tutu - I had the same thought as Emeraldkity: Beecher’s Mac n Cheese from their little shop in Pike Place Market, Seattle. This formerly secret recipe is now published in the Seattle P-I, so I think it’s okay to paste it here. It says you can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead. If you had the additional cheese grated, then all you would need to do is cook the pasta the day of (although I agree that a little oil will probably allow you to keep cooked pasta happy for a few days). </p>

<p>Here’s the recipe for this divine dish:</p>

<p>‘WORLD’S BEST’ MAC AND CHEESE
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH</p>

<p>6 ounces penne pasta
2 cups Beecher’s Flagship Sauce (recipe follows)
1 ounce cheddar, grated ( 1/4 cup)
1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated ( 1/4 cup)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</p>

<p>Oil or butter an 8-inch baking dish.</p>

<p>Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse pasta in cold water and set aside.</p>

<p>Combine cooked pasta and Flagship Sauce in a medium bowl and mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the cheeses and then the chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.</p>

<p>NOTE: If you double the recipe to make a main dish, bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan for 30 minutes.</p>

<p>BEECHER’S FLAGSHIP CHEESE SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS</p>

<p>1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
14 ounces semihard cheese, such as Beecher’s Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 ounces grated semisoft cheese, such as Beecher’s Just Jack
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, salt, chile powder and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to three days.</p>

<p>NOTE: A single batch of sauce makes enough for a double recipe of macaroni and cheese.</p>

22

<p>Velveeta? Only if you like the taste of aluminum.</p>

<p>The recipe I use (out of The New Best Recipe cookbook, which I love) is also a roux-based recipe. The editors tried a number of different cheeses, and suggest using half sharp cheddar, half monterey jack. Too much cheddar produces grease, but the combination with monterey jack is just right.</p>

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<p>“New Best Recipe” is also from the Cooks Illustrated folk.</p>

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<p>If you use a lot of cheddar, you don’t need any butter–it is VERY rich–at least here in VT where we have the world’s best cheddar. I am NOT making tis up.</p>

25

<p>How about doing all the shredding and measuring of cheeses (or buy already-shredded) a couple days beforehand? Putting it all together is the easy part, and shouldn’t take too long. Just boil the macaroni, toss in the ingredients, and bake.</p>

<p>We rarely indulge due to the calories, but if you’re making it anyway-- a little gruyere cheese gives it a wonderful, grownup taste.</p>

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<p>Use the cheese mix that you decide to use, actually the whole recipe. Cook the noodles first, then put it in your crock pot, mix well, and cook for about 3 hours. Mix again. Then take the crock pot to your event…plug it in and put it on either warm (if you have that setting) or low. Honestly, it works very well. Try it at home with the family first.</p>

27

<p>We make our M&C with canned Tomato Bisque cream soup instead of just milk. We also have assembled and frozen it in small batches, then cooked on another day. It takes so long to heat to the middle that it might not work well with large containers; also the top comes out a little hard.</p>

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<p>When making my mac and cheese I dont bake it.</p>

<p>I make a white sauce while the macaroni is cooking. Mix it all together and put into crock pot…ready to go out the door.</p>

<p>I use a sharp cheddar along with shredded taco seasoned cheese…gives it a little zip.</p>

<p>35 mins max.</p>

29

<p>Right, leftover mac & cheese may not float everyone’s boat. Anyhoo, I’ve used the Good Housekeeping Cookbook version for years and folks loved it. Also, Bobby Flay recently offered his version on that contest/challenge show of his. It looked great. Are you going with the stove-top or baked version?</p>

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<p>I also much prefer dry mustard rather than chili powder-
But the Beechers is like crack- the only question is * what wine to serve with it?*</p>

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<p>Emeraldkity - I forget to mention that Costco (at least our Seattle ones) now carry the Beechers flagship cheese at a very good price. Wine? - a nice Pinot Grigio would do for me :slight_smile: I need to make this, soon!</p>

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<p>I’m not sure what the portions recipe is but my wife uses melted Velveeta blended in with warm milk. I know it takes half a block of Velveeta. I suspect it’s probably like a cup or two of milk but I’m not really sure. She melts the cheese in a pot of milk on the stove. It is mighty tasty though.</p>

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<p>Velveta??? Gasp!!!</p>

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<p>My mother never bought Velvetta during the 60s when everyone else was eating it. ( She did buy cheese in a glass though )</p>

<p>Yesterday when I was getting some canned clams for linguine, I was reminded that I actually used to like * deviled ham*, but now I would be afraid to try it.-[But its not outdated, its retro!](<a href=“http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/30/FDGRGFSLGD1.DTL&hw=fondue&sn=002&sc=606”>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/30/FDGRGFSLGD1.DTL&hw=fondue&sn=002&sc=606&lt;/a&gt; )</p>

<p>I think there is even some sort of pigs in a blanket recipe in my * Martha Stewart* appetizer cookbook.</p>