Monday, May 18, 2009

Mac and Cheese... the second.

So not only am I late in posting this, but it's also the second type of mac and cheese for the week. It's an American classic I guess.

This was my first attempt at mac and cheese not from a blue box so I was pretty excited to give it a go. I found this one on Pioneer Woman's website (love her!) and gave it a shot. Here's the recipe.

4 c. dried macaroni
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350

First, cook macaroni just slightly, it should be too firm to eat straight away.

In a small bowl beat the egg then set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter then sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly, being careful not to let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 c. of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk together until smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in all but about 1/2 c. of the cheese and stir to melt. Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed. Be careful not to undersalt! Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake for 20 to 25 min or until bubbly and golden on top.

I thought this turned out pretty good. The sauce had AMAZING flavor and the m&c was great just out of the oven.



However, the next day when we tried to reheat it, it wasn't so good. It got kinda clumpy and a little greasy and the noodles got mushy. I would totally recommend making this if you are pretty sure the whole dish will be eaten right away.

I would give it 4 stars **** and take it to a potluck. It really was pretty good and there may not be many leftovers that way! Good luck!

2 comments:

Janelle said...

I made baked Mac & Cheese (twice) (eek!) this week, but it wasn't new for me, so I couldn't use it.

Jillian said...

I saw that recipe on PW and thought it looked SO tasty! And, hey...nothing wrong with a couple of mac & cheeses! ;)