Mamaw Birdies World Famous Macaroni Cheese Recipes

BIRD'S FAMOUS MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk and heavy cream, stirring continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses (a little at a time) and mix until smooth and cheese has melted.
• In a large bowl, pour cheese mixture over macaroni, mixing well. Place mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

MAMA'S BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Make a roux by melting butter in pan and adding flour. Stir constantly and cook until it is the color of caramel candy. It burns easily so stir stir stir!
• Slowly and carefully add milk while stirring.
• When milk starts to steam add cheese and seasonings and stir until melted and well combined.
• Pour over cooked macaroni noodles and serve.

THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Meanwhile, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pulse in the food processor until the bread breaks into bean-sized pieces.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the fontina, Gruyere and all but 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the melted butter. Spread the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar evenly over the pasta, then scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

BIRD'S FAMOUS MACARONI AND CHEESE (LITE)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, mix margarine and milk. Add the cheeses and cheese soup until the cheeses melt.
• Add the eggs, sour cream, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir well.
• Add macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

"WORLD'S BEST" MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; F. Set a large pot of water on high heat.
• Meanwhile, begin the sauce by making a roux: in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue to stir this roux over medium heat for two to three minutes.
• The roux should be cooked and free of the flour flavor but still light in color.
• Gradually add milk, whisking briskly to maintain a smooth sauce.
• Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.
• When sauce thickens, add cheeses, salt and spices to the sauce, and stir until all the cheese has melted. I make my sauces in the microwave; turns out great and never scorches.
• Somewhere during this sauce-cooking process, your pasta water has started boiling. The original is made with Penne noodles. Add a generous amount of salt to the water and cook the pasta until almost but not quite al dente (two minutes before the package directions indicate). You want barely undercooked pasta so that it can finish in the oven later. Halt the cooking by draining the pasta and rinsing with cold water. Return pasta to pot.
• Pour sauce over pasta and stir until completely incorporated. The combination should be fairly saucy, almost soupy.
• Dish the mixture into a buttered 9-13 pan and sprinkle with extra grated cheeses and cayenne. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until you have beautiful, browned edges. Those edges will be a welcome and flavorful addition to each serving.
• Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. I divided this in 2 containers and froze one.

JULIA BELLE'S WORLD-FAMOUS MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In saucepan over low heat, mix flour and butter together until blended, making a roux. Cook about 3 minutes. Blend in chicken stock and milk. Continue to cook on low about 6 minutes. When sauce begins to thicken, add garlic, mustard, sea salt, pepper, colby and Parmesan cheeses, and add 3 cups of cheddar cheese (reserve 1 1/2 cups cheddar for topping). Cook about 5 more minutes on low. Set sauce aside while macaroni cooks.
• In a pot over high heat, bring water to a boil, and add salt. After salt dissolves, add macaroni. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain macaroni noodles, and add them to the sauce.
• Place mixture in buttered casserole dish, and top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 F about 30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.