{Tomorrow is Candlemas!}
Dear Jeanine evidently perused the archives and caught me out. She writes,
I am new to your blog and am enjoying it so much! Thanks for sharing all of your wisdom and wit.
I am disappointed however that you promised in March of last year that you would post your mac and cheese recipe and I cannot find it anywhere. I have searched your blog and either I'm missing it or you forgot. Please, please share it when you get a chance. Not that I cannot make mac and cheese (I have been known to request it for my birthday, even given much ‘fancier' choices). I have tried every recipe out there. But as a homeschooling mother of 3 boys and a wife of a husband who works home full-time, I am in DESPERATE need of quick, easy, filling lunches.
Thank you again and God bless you!
Soup is one option, and I encourage you to read Decadent Housewife's excellent tutorial. It will free you from recipe bondage and help you look at your leftovers a whole new way. She says a lot of what I would like to say on the subject of soup, so I will let her!
Macaroni and cheese is a big favorite, especially with Bridget (whose name day it is today!), who could eat it every day for every meal, and, like Jeanine, has been known to request it for her birthday! There is something warming and cozy about it, isn't there?
Here is my simple process for making mac and cheese in a jiffy for lunch. It's creamy, cheesy, and tasty. It doesn't have any weird ingredients but it won't take any longer than making it from a box. It gets its flavor from sharp cheese, not dubious fats and salts.
Now, a recipe is a tricky thing (it's at the end of this post).
I'm going to do my best, and you test it and tell me about it. I make it by going with the basic idea… and then I keep adding things as I go along, until what I'm making matches the idea I have in my mind. And that means I rarely have something concrete to tell you, recipe-wise!
But I've read a lot of mac and cheese recipes, and none of them is both simple and cheesy, so I'll give it a stab.
{Here ensues a fair amount of discussion, and so my idea will not seem simple at first glance. But if you follow me closely you will end up saving time in the end.}
First, choose your pasta type.
Personally, I detest elbows, so I never buy them. Bridget doesn't like bow ties in this dish, so usually we have something like small shells, rotelli, gemelli, or wagon wheels (fiori).
But realize — fiori will need more sauce than gemelli!
It's a question of surface area. The fiori cook up less saucy than the shells.
See the ambiguity creeping in already?
You can certainly use leftover pasta from another meal, and proceed from the point in the recipe after the pasta is cooked.
Now, as to pot size.
To make this a quick dish, you need to choose a small pot.
Pasta-cooking instructions from time immemorial have specified a huge pot of boiling water to cook your pasta, but I am here to tell you that it is simply not necessary unless you are making lasagna, jumbo shells, or another type of large or flat pasta that will certainly stick together.
A while ago there was a big discussion in the New York Times food section about this very subject, but I don't think they got it quite right either. The fact is that once you experiment a bit, you will learn how much water is barely enough. Bring it to a boil, add your pasta, and then be sure to stir occasionally, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the cooking, and all will be well.
You will cut your cooking time by a lot.
Your basic small shapes will be just fine cooking up in a pot that barely fits the water and the pasta. If I were doing two pounds, I would use the 8 quart pot on the left, but only fill it 2/3 at most. For one pound, I use the smaller 3 quart pot.
I fill it thus.
Now, salt the water.
Measuring salt: Get your teaspoon out and measure a teaspoon of salt. Now put it in your left hand. Do you see how it looks? Add another teaspoon. Do you see how that looks?
Add another. That's a tablespoon of salt. Do you see how that looks? Do you feel how heavy it is?
Memorize those looks and that weight.
Now you don't have to measure salt any more (other than for a very persnickety cake, say)! For your 3 quarts of water, you should put in about 2 teaspoons of salt, thus:
While your water is coming to a boil, let's get the sauce ingredients ready.
You will need milk, cornstarch, butter, and cheese.
See that cup of milk below?
Pay no attention — you will actually need a cup and a half for a pound of fiori. (I measured out a cup, but it ended up not saucy enough, so I added more milk at the end, measuring for your sake as I did it. But that just shows that you can fix things as you go.)
You need a tablespoon of cornstarch.
Now, again, don't be fretting about exact measurements.
Next to my sink and work area, I keep a drawer of random flatware that is just for cooking. These table tablespoons (as opposed to measuring spoons, although those are in there too) are handy for tasting, stirring, and on-the-fly measuring, without me getting all my real flatware dirty.
It's not true that a flatware tablespoon or teaspoon isn't equal to an official measure. At least the old-fashioned ones are pretty darn close (the modern ones do seem oversize, and you could easily test to see). So pick up a few at Goodwill and free yourself from the measuring straitjacket.
Stir your cornstarch into your milk until it dissolves. If you like, at this point you can add 1/2 teaspoon (a couple of shakes) of garlic powder and an equal amount of dried minced onion. If I were making this for dinner, that's what I'd do.
Now add your pasta to the water. Use the utensil you will be serving with to stir, and stir until it comes back to the boil.
You can see that the pasta is a little crowded in there, but that's okay.
Keep stirring, making sure it isn't sticking to the bottom. This pot is very low-quality (I got it at a yard sale for camping), and the bottom is quite thin. But it works fine.
You can see that as the pasta cooks, it fills the water more, and that helps you to know it's getting towards done. Unlike with quarts of water, you can see the starch releasing, and then you know just by sight that it's ready. The bubbles get sticky looking, and you can see the pasta softening.
Drain in a colander if you are a kid, or pour the water out using the lid of the pot to hold back the pasta if you are an adult. A little pasta water left in there is just fine.
Return the pasta to the pot. Put in a tablespoon or two of butter (this is as opposed to twice as much butter for less pasta in the box version).
Give your milk/cornstarch mixture a stir, then pour in. Turn your burner back up to low.
Toss the mixture and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. At first it's all at the bottom and looks milky. Then it starts to coat the pasta.
You can goose the heat up if you are sure you are stirring and not letting the bottom burn. This takes about two minutes, just like mac and cheese from the box.
Once it's thickened, add a cup and a half of grated sharp cheddar cheese.
Important note: Do not, REPEAT — DO NOT — taste even so much as a sliver of cheese as you are making the dish.
The pure cheese will always make any sauce that is not pure cheese taste less than cheesy. You will enjoy the cheesiness of the sauce if you DO NOT TASTE the cheese first!! If you taste it, the sauce will taste flat. If you don't taste, your sauce will taste excellent. It's like a fairy tale.
I do buy bags of cheese because I don't want to be grating at lunch time, and the extra-sharp kind I buy is very tasty, costing no more per pound than by the brick. Don't do it if all you can find is mild, though, because no matter how much you add, it won't taste cheesy. (Read the ingredients. The cheese I buy doesn't have anything objectionable in it, but some brands of grated cheese do, so skip those.)
Add a half a teaspoon of salt. Stir very well.
Now at this point you plunk down the pot in the midst of your hungry horde and they devour it.
If you have 6 children, you should double the recipe for sure. Go ahead and make a lot — it keeps and reheats perfectly.
If you are making this for dinner, you need to go one extra step.
Make it extra saucy (by adding more milk or some cream) and pour it into a shallow dish. Top with breadcrumbs mixed with more grated cheese and heat in a 350* oven until bubbling and browned on top.
Of course, the addition of chunks of ham or sausage would be divine, and served with a salad and bread would make a grand supper fit for anyone at all.
Macaroni and Cheese
Time: 4 minutes more than cooking the pasta
Serves: 4 unless one of them is Bridget, who loves this!
1 lb. pasta
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp grated cheddar cheese
salt
Optional for the dinner version:
1/4 cup more milk or cream
garlic powder
dried minced onion
breadcrumbs and extra cheese
Bring the water to a boil in a 3 qt. pot, add salt and pasta, stir frequently until done.
Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in milk. adding garlic and onion if desired.
Drain pasta, add butter and toss to coat. Add milk/cornstarch mixture, heat on medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture thickens.
Add cheese and salt, stir until cheese melts.
For a dinner casserole, add the extra milk or some cream, pour into casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and extra cheese, and heat at 350* until the casserole is bubbly and browned.
XOXO!
mama bean says
If only all cook books could be this entertaining. "use the lid… if you are an adult…" I actually laughed out loud at that, because I use the lid (being an adult) and always feel a little cheeky doing it, like a colander is the "right" thing to do. and here! confirmation that i've been acting like an adult all along. ha! anyway, thanks for the post. can't wait to try it 🙂
Livin' in the S says
Your mac n cheese looks yummy!
scmom (Barbara) says
Leila, You make mac 'n' cheese look awesome. Can I move in? My 7 yo daughter saw your fiori and said, "Oh, I love those kind." I never bought them before. How could I not have bought flower pasta for my girl (i.e. wagon wheels for boys)?PS Bought a thick white terry robe. Lands End Overstocks. Thanks. 😉
Pippajo says
This makes me so very sad as my children, despite my best efforts, refuse to enjoy mac-n-cheese that doesn't come from a box. I don't know what is wrong with them (besides the fact that some fool allowed them to develop a taste for the wretched stuff before she came to her senses and outlawed it). I am one of those people who could eat it every day and in almost any form (baked, stove top, reheated, with diced pork, cubed ham, ground beef).But I will persevere! I will try this recipe of yours and see if I can't persuade them!
Betsy says
So, I am a recently diagnosed celiac and did not manage to crave Mac n cheese till now. Looks like I will be splurging on some gluten free pasta. My kids and hubby will be very happy that I read this post! 🙂
MemeGRL says
My mother's favorite "freezer meal" was mac & cheese with white meat chicken chunks baked in. Thanks for reminding me of that. Have a great day and thanks for the tutorial!
Leila says
Betsy, I think cornstarch isn't okay for celiacs, correct? Maybe there is another thickener that would work.I think to wean boxed m&c lovers off the stuff, one could try using orange cheddar. You can grate a bunch in your food processor and store it in the fridge.If you use sharp cheese, this way is so much tastier!
Cass @ That Old Hous says
Yum, especially the dinner version with the bread crumbs; they elevate the mac & cheese from kids' lunch to dinner fare. Great recipe! And you are SO right — don't taste the cheese first! Cass
tarynkay says
I love this blog! And I love macaroni and cheese! My mother always made the kind you do with white sauce, but it's more work. As kids, we used to beg for the horrifyingly fluorescent boxed kind. We used to get it for special treats, but my mother generally insisted on real food. For Betsy- if you can't have cornstarch, you can sub out the cornstarch + milk for evaporated milk. This will work in the same way.
Ann Kroeker says
I cannot wait to try this! I'm afraid, however, I don't have the right kind of pasta. I might have to make-do with elbow. Thank you for sharing your secret recipe, your photos and your commentary–this looks great and I think the kids will enjoy having a different version of mac-n-cheese. My homemade recipe involves making a white sauce using flour. I must prefer the idea of using cornstarch.You are an inspiration!
Ann Kroeker says
I meant that I "much prefer" the idea of cornstarch over flour, not "must prefer."Oops.
Leila says
Dear cream-sauce referencers — that is how I always USED to make it, and it wasn't quick, although there's nothing like a cream sauce for depth.My way basically gives you a quick cream sauce. Don't skimp on the butter or cheese! 🙂
Kari says
This is pretty much how I make mine–I'm so proud! I found that my cornstarch/milk mixture formed a glue as it cooled and was not creamy enough and for some reason the cornstarch turned grainy. Recently I've been using canned evaporated milk and no cornstarch and it's been simply lovely! I also put a squirt (1 TBS ish?) of dijon mustard in to give it a little extra sharp flavor.We're also a fancy shape crowd around here and my 2 year old doesn't know what macaroni is–she asks for "pasta!"Great ideas Auntie Leila! I'm hungry now!Kari
Camille says
Arrowroot powder will work in the place of cornstarch for those avoiding gluten.I am constantly fiddling around with mac and cheese to make it better, but have never made it this way before. Looks good for lunch today! I don't have cornstarch, however, so hopefully flour will do the trick!My husband (who does the dishes) always complains that I use one spoon to cook and one to serve so I LOLd that you pointed out to think ahead and use THE SAME SPOON! 😉
Melanie B says
Perfect timing. I pulled out some leftover pasta and whipped up a pot of mac and cheese for today's lunch. Auntie Leila, my girls thank you. My fickle Isabella even ate two bowls! I thank you for the inspiration.
Anna says
Hmm, don't taste the cheese, and use sharp! I will have to try again, I have yet to find a homemade M&C that my family (myself included!) likes to eat.
Suki says
I'm so frustrated by the stores near my house. They really don't have many options in terms of pasta shapes, and what they have is over $1.50 a pound FOR THE STORE BRAND! It's just offensive. I only buy on sale, and then it's never the exciting shapes…sigh.
Kate says
Your way is how I make a pasta milk sauce dish for dinner, but with parmesan. Boil the paste, drain, put it back in the pot, add some olive oil, turn on the heat, add some milk, seasonings, green onions, parmesan and heat and stir until gooey. Parmesan doesn't require any cornstarch to thicken. It would be interesting to experiment with different cheeses.
Sue says
I feel so smart now. I too keep random spoons in my work area for tasting, etc. I am not very adult with my pasta, though. I have this vivid memory of watching my mom and sister cooking and my mom saying, "let me show you how to dump the water from the noodles," and proceeding to dump the noodles along with the water into the sink. It's a fond memory of much laughter, but I have always been afraid of doing the same thing!I will be trying this recipe as soon as I get my hands on some sharp cheddar cheese (thank God for Costco Japan)!
Decadent Housewife says
Will try doing it this way. I always make a cheese sauce in the microwave but your way is truly a real quick meal. GG introduced me to Kraft Dinner when we first met – I was appalled. My mother thought mac and cheese was unfit for human consumption. I have truly fallen far.
Sandy says
Going to the store to buy sharp cheddar cheese just moved to the top of my to-do list.
Sarah says
Brilliant. Made it for dinner and it was a hit. I used the gluten-free elbow pasta I had on hand (cornstarch is gluten-free and fine for celiacs, so this recipe is perfect!) I think I used half the dishes I usually do without making the sauce in a separate pan. You rock. 🙂
coffeemamma says
Even quicker- don't drain! (and no cornstach needed)http://ourbluecastle-anewday.blogspot.com/2010/02/recipe-from-boy-repost.htmlAnd thanks for the soup link!
Margo says
I just posted on a fast oven baked mac and cheese – no white sauce making required! I do hate to make white sauce. . . The recipe comes from the days of Community Nurses teaching mamas how to make healthy meals.http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2010/01/community-nurse-macaroni-cheese.htmlBut I will try this one pot method too. I like to have lots of pasta tricks up my sleeve.Leila, I LOVE how you write the recipe – it's for real cooks. I got free from recipes once I started cooking a lot. I use them for ideas now.And I totally measure my salt by eye, even (don't gasp) for cakes.
Anonymous says
My 11yo is going to be very, very happy about this. We usually save mac n cheese for dinner because it takes me time to make the "real" thing. This is great. Thanks.Joy
Robin says
Oh Auntie Leila!Thank you, thank you! I spied this post while making my grocery list. I usually shy away from mac n cheese because of the White Sauce Problem, i.e., I can't face that much butter in a meal. I made this with Farm Valley extra-sharp and with "mini-pasta" (so cute) Mahket Basket store brand.I even got a kiss (on the lips!) from my spouse, the Cheese Fiend!Thank you! Keep 'em coming!
Elizabeth says
Hi Ladies! This recipe looks great! I must clarify (as a Celiac myself) that it is possible to purchase gluten free corn starch. As I read the other posts I rushed to my pantry asking aloud in a rather concerned tone, "Corn starch is gluten free isn't it?!". According to the lable on my Argo brand corn starch the product is 100% pure and specifically says "This is a gluten free product". Whew!
Lindsey in AL says
I made this yesterday for lunch (lunch is the bane of my existence) and everyone enjoyed it. I was at the tail end of my gallon of milk, meaning I had about 3 tablespoons- yikes! I added water to fill a small mug, stirred in the cornstarch and dumped it in. Then I added more water to the pot when things started looking too thick. Then I plopped in a big scoop of sour cream to make it more tangy, since all I had was mild cheddar. My 4 year-old, who used to love ALL mac and cheese, now has a fixation with the Aldi blue box version and avers she doesn't like any other kind. She calls it Kraft dinner- since I told them that all mac and cheese is Kraft dinner in Canada 🙂 I got the executive order last night to not buy the Aldi blue box any more, not even for a treat, unless it's for the boys who profess to hate it. That husband is a real comedian.
Betsy says
Hi, I had posted above about the celiacs, sorry if that was confusing. It was not the cornstarch that I was concerned with – just the lack of a gluten-free pasta in my pantry to make this good looking recipe! Instead that night I made your cheese sauce to top the brussel sprouts that we were having. They turned out extra creamy and wonderful! I have always used a roux to make my cheese sauces – don't know why I hadn't thought of just the cornstarch. Thanks again.
Anonymous says
I weaned my kids off the boxed stuff. First I added plain pasta in with the boxed pasta, a little bit at first then more and more each time. Then I made my own sauce using just one box seasoning packet (I used to make 4 or 5 boxes at a time with this brood!). Not the kids are totally on homemade mac and cheese. We made your dinner version tonight and it was a hit. We had been using way too much butter and cheese but this was perfect. I had to triple your recipe!Susan
Ana says
So fun! Made this for dinner last night and it was awesome. Mac n' cheese is my favorite comfort food, and, being pregnant in a foreign land, it's so essential! No cornstarch here in Germany (that I've found yet) but they do have aged English cheddar. I used flour, but still in one pot – just added it with the butter to the hot, just-drained pasta and it worked great. When it comes to mac n cheese, my favorite recipe is the Joy of Cooking stovetop (with, like 100 grams of fat per serving) but this is an excellent, much easier (and much lighter) alternative. My 1 year old devoured it with a bit of creamed spinach mixed in. Thanks for making this meal so much more attainable for us!
Faith says
Hurrah! I always made a cheese sauce in a separate pot- no more! This is so much simpler- and just in time because we are going vegetarian for Lent! Thanks! Great idea to put creamed spinach– I'm learning so much from you and your readers! And how amazing that there is a way to tell it's done by sight! I always burn myself by tasting it! Oy vey!
Kalee says
I have been wanting to make homemade mac n cheese for the husband (we bought vintage corningware dishes recently to bake individual portions of it), and this looks fantastic! It would be so good with some shredded chicken and either peas or broccoli!
Nil Zed says
to help with weaning the box dependent, stir in pureed orange vegetable. carrots, butternut squash. not a lot, just enough to make the sauce orange, plus you are sneakingin vegetable matter, always a good thing.
Pippajo says
Am commenting rather late (and after I've already commented) to say I tried the recipe and it was a SUCCESS! Yippee! As I predicted, Man-Cub gave me a hard time, looking at me suspiciously and asking, "Wait, did YOU make this," before I ORDERED him to take stinking bite. Then he got a look on his face that clearly said, "Dang! I actually like this!"Whoo hoo! I've found a mac-n-cheese the whole family can enjoy! Thank you!
Holly M. says
Aunty Leila, I just wanted to say that I made a cheesy pasta sauce last night for dinner and I followed your "Don't taste the cheese" advice – genius.:) Thank you for the tip!
Anonymous says
Thank you again for this recipe! I've made it at least a dozen times and always to rave reviews!
Anonymous says
This mac and cheese is fast and amazing my new tag! I am now always gonna make this instead of the box crap lol. I also made a. Few alterations used can milk, added more cheese and added a pinch of nutmeg. Yummy to my tummy!
Margo says
I found this post again – going to try this for supper tomorrow night with some romanesco boiled in with the pasta. And I always add a bit of dry mustard when I make mac and cheese, to give it a little kick.
Suzette says
Putting this to the test today!37
Jen says
Adding peas and tuna make this a good Friday dinner.
Jess says
I just made this and it was perfect! The recipe as written was enough for 4 littles and 2 grownups. I’m never buying the “box” again, not even the purple one with the rabbit!!
Laura says
I made this on a weeknight (I work outside the home) and it was so fast and easy and amazingly good. Thank you for sharing.
Thrift at Home says
Coming back to this post for my third comment 🙂
We do use this recipe a lot, but we eat it right when we make it.
Talk to me about how to re-heat this stovetop mac? I’m making it for a family holiday meal this week and would prefer to make it ahead and then reheat. Reheat in the pot on the stove again. . . ? Put it in a serving dish, microwave and stir in stages?? Advice, please!
Leila says
Margo, make it with extra sauce. Pour it all into a buttered casserole, top with breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese. Refrigerate. When you’re ready to eat, bake it for 1/2 hr at 350 until it’s bubbly and browned on top!
Thrift at Home says
Thanks for the help! But will baking it allow it to stay saucy? Going for saucy stovetop mac here. . .
Leila says
Yes! Butter the mac well first. Increase the sauce by half. It will be saucy!
Thrift at Home says
Thank you! You’re the best 🙂
Melissa says
Dear Auntie Leila,
Sadly, the Decadent Housewife’s soup link is missing! Does this mean we get your soup thoughts some time soon? 😉
Best,
M. Melissa
Leila says
There are soup thoughts! Do a search! Mwah!