No Fail Macaroni Cheese Food

NO-BAKE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 4 tablespoons of the butter. When foamy, sprinkle in the flour and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine, then continue whisking until flour is cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, pouring it in a slow, steady stream. Then whisk in the cream. Bring to a simmer. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mild Cheddar; whisk in the remaining mild Cheddar and the sharp Cheddar, smoked Cheddar and Brie. Continue to stir for 2 minutes or until all the cheese is melted, then turn the heat off. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted and incorporated.
• For the macaroni: Fill a large pot halfway with water. Season with salt until it tastes like the sea. Bring to a boil, then add the macaroni. Stir, then simmer until macaroni is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place cooked macaroni into a heat-proof serving dish. Ladle cheese sauce all over, then sprinkle the reserved mild Cheddar on top. Place in the oven just until all of the Cheddar is melted and everything is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
• Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
• Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it's still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.
• In a separate pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low heat until caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Use a fork to crumble the gorgonzola.
• Put the bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled gorgonzola into separate bowls. Serve as delicious toppings for both sliders and macaroni cheese.

NO FAIL MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
• In a saucepan, heat cream of mushroom soup over medium heat. Stir in milk and cheeses. Cook over low heat until cheese has melted and the sauce is a little thick. Add drained pasta and stir well.
• ** Cook time will vary according to the pasta you use. The cheese sauce will be ready in less than 10 minutes.
• ** For additional pizzazz, you could place finished mac & cheese in a oven-safe dish, top with breadcrumbs and/or bacon bits and place in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until breadcrumbs have browned.

NO-BOIL SMOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium indirect heat (about 375 degrees F if your grill has a thermometer; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners on low or off; for a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side of the grill). Prepare a smoker tube with smoking pellets according to the manufacturer's instructions and set on the grill to begin smoking (see Cook's Note).
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Cook, stirring, until the mixture smells nutty but hasn't browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the smoked paprika, then whisk in the milk and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the adobo and salt. Off heat, whisk in half of the shredded Cheddar and Gouda and all of the processed cheese cubes to make a smooth sauce.
• Spread the uncooked macaroni in a disposable 9-by-13-inch foil baking tin and pour the sauce over. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with foil and place on the indirect part of the grill. Close the grill. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, close the grill and cook 10 minutes more. If cooking on a gas grill, turn off the grill, close the lid and let rest in the grill with the smoker tube for 10 minutes more before serving. (On a charcoal grill, just remove the baking tin and serve.)

NEXT LEVEL MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Cook the macaroni in salted water for 2 mins less than the stated cooking time, so it still has plenty of bite. Drain well and toss with a small knob of the butter to stop it from sticking together.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining butter until frothy and nut-brown. Pour off 1 tbsp into a small bowl and place the pan back on the heat, then scatter over and whisk in the flour and cook for 3 mins until you have a sandy paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, simmering and whisking until smooth between each addition. Once all the milk has been added, drizzle in the evaporated milk, then add the grated cheddar, a handful at a time, until you have a thick, cheesy sauce. Stir through the mustard powder, cayenne, Marmite and vinegar and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
• Remove from heat, stir in the macaroni, then stir through the chunks of cheese. Tip the contents of the saucepan into a large, buttered baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together all the breadcrumbs, the parmesan, another small pinch of cayenne and some crunchy sea salt if you want. Scatter the crumbs over the macaroni, drizzle with the reserved brown butter and bake for 30-35 mins until lightly browned, crunchy all over and bubbling around the edges. Leave to stand for 10 mins before serving straight from the dish.

EASY NO-BOIL MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place butter in a 9x13" dish. Place in hot oven until butter melts.
• Remove; tilt to swirl butter and coat bottom and slightly up sides.
• Add dry macaroni and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and stir to mix.
• Pour milk over evenly. DO NOT STIR!
• Bake uncovered for 1 hour.