Aunties Awesome Baked Mac N Cheese Light Food

ULTIMATE BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta; cover.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta (if your box doesn't specify al dente, cook it for 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the time called for - it shouldn't be cooked the whole way through). When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it in a colander.
• While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
• Once the sauce comes to a simmer, stir in the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
• Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
• In a small bowl, mix together the crushed Ritz crackers, crumbled bacon and parsley.
• Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the topping mixture.
• Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender, about 7 minutes; strain well. Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl, add the butter and toss to coat.
• Whisk together the milk, eggs and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Add the milk-egg mixture to the macaroni; add the Cheddar and stir until it is evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
• Bake until the custard is set and the top is browned and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

AUNTY'S MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, ground mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Slowly add the cream and milk, whisking until combined. Heat the mixture until it bubbles, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the Cheddar, Parmesan, processed cheese and sour cream. Stir until melted. Add the macaroni to the cheese mixture and toss to combine. Bring the mixture back to a light simmer to heat everything through and thicken. Serve warm.

LIGHTER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes have softened, about 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
• Process bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining tablespoon oil in amedium skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook pasta until almost al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
• Whisk 1/2 cup stock into the flour in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups stock. Whisk in flour mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Add cheeses; cook, stirring, until melted. Pour over macaroni, stirring to combine.
• Put eight 4 1/2-by-1 1/4-inch ramekins on a baking sheet. Put 2 tomato slices in bottom of each ramekin. Divide macaroni mixture evenly among ramekins. Top each with a tomato slice. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and thyme sprigs. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

LIGHT BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients; stir in milk.
• Add margarine; stirring constantly.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheese and 1/2 cup Velveeta.
• Add elbows.
• Pour into greased 2-quart casserole.
• Sprinkle with rest of cheddar, grated parmesan and bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

AUNTIE'S AWESOME BAKED MAC N' CHEESE (LIGHT)

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine first four ingredients; stir in milk. Add butter; stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minutes. *This is very important but make sure you don't burn the milk or else you will get an undesirable smoky taste to your dish!* Remove from heat.
• Stir in 4 coups cheese until melted. Add elbows. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 casserole.
• Coarsely shred bread in food processor, then mix crumbs with the remaining cup of cheese. Spread over top of macaroni.
• Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven for 25-40 minutes until browned to desired doneness.
• Enjoy! Makes great leftovers!
• *Cheese should be 3 Cups Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar and 2 Cups Reduced Fat Mexican Four Cheese Blend.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
• Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
• Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
• Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

SUPER DECADENT MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 7 minutes. Strain in a colander, run cold water over the pasta and set aside.
• Using the same pot the macaroni was cooked in, melt the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, add the flour and whisk until smooth. While whisking constantly, slowly add the milk and then the cream. Bring to a simmer, add the cream cheese and the shredded Cheddar except for 1/2 cup and stir until melted. Stir in the granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and stir in the macaroni. Season with salt and pepper.
• Whisk together the eggs and sour cream in a small bowl and then fold into the macaroni and cheese. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish, fold in the cubed Cheddar and top with the reserved 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar. Bake until the top just begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more.

AUNT MAMIE'S

Steps:

• Beat together cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour, mixing well. Shape into a ball, cover and chill for 2 hours.
• In saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar and milk, stirring occasionally until milk boils and sugar is dissolved. Add the ground nuts. Remove from heat and let cool until mixture is of spreading consistency.
• Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 18 X 12 inches. Cut in half lengthwise. Spread each piece with milk/nut filling and roll up like a jelly-roll, starting from the long side.
• Cut each roll in half. Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheets (two on a baking sheet). Leaving roll's shape intact, cut into slices 1/2 inch thick almost to the bottom of the roll.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or till done. Remove from sheet and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cool on racks. Cut cookies all the way through. Refrigerate or freeze. Re-sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
• Variations: A) In place of milk/sugar/nut filling, spread with ground filberts and red raspberry preserves. B) Before rolling, sprinkle chopped chocolate chips over milk/sugar/nuts filling.

BAKED MAC 'N' CHEESE (SRIRACHA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spritz a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the bread crumbs, stirring gently. Turn off the heat, allow the bread crumbs to absorb the butter and reserve.
• In a large stockpot, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni noodles and stir. Cook until the noodles are just slightly undercooked, 7 to 8 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to sweat, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add 1/2 cup of the milk while whisking. Once the milk has been absorbed by the flour and thickened slightly, add the remainder of the milk, followed by the cream. Add the salt, dried mustard, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the Sriracha. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar while slowly whisking, one handful at a time. Once all the cheese has melted, toss in the cooked macaroni, coating the noodles with the cheese sauce. Transfer the noodles and sauce to the baking dish. Top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Cover with an even layer of the buttered bread crumbs.
• Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, 18 t 22 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes so that the molten cheese lava can cool just a touch. Divide into squares, place, and garnish with the parsley.

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just past al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Return the empty pot to the stove (no need to clean it) and set over medium heat. Melt the butter and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the butter stops spurting and quiets down, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth like gravy, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the milk. Raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, then immediately reduce the heat to low and continue simmering until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, 2 to 5 minutes. At this stage, the sauce should be smooth but relatively loose. Take the pot off the heat.
• To the pot, add the Cheddar, Velveeta, Pecorino Romano, mustard powder, onion powder and cayenne, and season generously with salt and black pepper. Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth like nacho cheese. Add the drained pasta, breaking up any clumps, and stir until evenly coated in the cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or dish and bake until bubbling at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

BAKED MAC N CHEESE

Steps:

• In a 9x13 buttered glass cake pan layer the macaroni, both cheeses, salt and pepper, and butter, ending with cheese and butter on top.
• Pour milk over.
• Sprinkle corn flake crumbs and bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and top is browned (approx 40 minutes).