Idasbakedmacaroniandcheese Recipes

MACARONI AND CHEESE (BETTY CROCKER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350°F.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
• For cheese sauce, in a saucepan melt butter. Cook onion in butter till tender but not brown.
• Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper.
• Add milk all at once; cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Add cubed cheese; stir till melted.
• Stir macaroni into cheese cause. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Arrange tomato slices atop macaroni; sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in a 350°F oven 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

CREOLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• In a small pan, cook the andouille sausage over medium heat until done. Set aside. In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs, and stir to coat. Cool, and then mix in Parmesan. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Saute onions and celery until translucent. Transfer to a bowl.
• In the same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, to make a white roux. Try not to let the roux brown at all, it should be white. Mix in paprika and mustard, then stir in milk. Bring to boil over medium heat, then add Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Simmer, stirring often, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 in pan, or similar sized casserole dish. Transfer cooked macaroni to the dish, and toss in the andouille sausage and sauteed vegetables. Stir in the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
• Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
• Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
• Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250degreesF until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled "Panko breadcrumbs." Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.
• Nutrition:
• Per serving: 576 calories; 22 g fat (11 g sat, 2 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 63 g carbohydrates; 37 g protein; 9 g fiber; 917 mg sodium; 403 mg potassium.

IDA'S BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk and cook until heated through. Add the cheese gradually, stirring constantly, until it is melted and the sauce is smooth. Place the macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to coat the macaroni evenly.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the mixture is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Let the macaroni sit for 15 minutes before serving.