Southern Macaroni Crispy Cheese Food

BEST-EVER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare pasta according to package directions for al dente.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add next 6 ingredients; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup each of shredded Cheddar cheeses until melted. (Reserve remaining 1/4 cup each of shredded cheeses.) Stir in pasta and diced cheeses; pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
• Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in preheated oven until bubbly and golden, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle with reserved shredded cheeses; broil 6 inches from heat until cheeses are melted and golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven; cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.

AUTHENTIC SOUTHERN BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter an 8 by 11 or 9 by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Fill a large stockpot or dutch oven halfway with chicken broth (or water if you don't have broth), and bring to a boil. Add in elbow macaroni and cook until just under al dente, according to package directions. Do not fully cook or overcook the macaroni pasta, it'll finish cooking through completely in the oven. Once just under al dente, drain the pasta.
• While the pasta boils, use a wooden spoon to mix the half and half, heavy cream, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the Colby jack cheese, all of the mozzarella cheese, all of the American cheese, and all of the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
• Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and some kosher salt and pepper, stirring well and tasting the mixture to ensure there is a good flavor. Do not add too much salt, since cheese is pretty salty and will add its saltiness as it bakes. Once satisfied with the seasoning, stir in the cooked macaroni and eggs until well incorporated with the cheese.
• Pour the macaroni mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
• Top the macaroni and cheese generously with the rest of the cheddar cheese and colby jack cheese. Sprinkle the top with a little more smoked paprika, if desired.
• Bake the mac and cheese for 35 minutes or until the cheese crust is bubbly and nicely browned. Do not over-bake or the macaroni pasta will become mushy and the cheese mixture will become dry.
• Let the baked macaroni and cheese cool for about 10 minutes or until just cool enough to serve. Serve hot so the cheese is nice and creamy.
• Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

CRISPY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and whisk in the monterey jack, gruyere and cheddar one cheese at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding more. Add the pasta and stir until coated, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen (the sauce will thicken as it bakes).
• Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the panko, parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir to combine. Scatter over the pasta and bake until the crumbs are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof casserole dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender (a little more than al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
• In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, cheese, milk and eggs. Add some salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

SOUTHERN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until 3 minutes less than fully cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled; drain well. Add the cooked pasta back to the pot.
• Put the eggs, heavy cream, Cajun seasoning, ground mustard, nutmeg and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
• Toss together the Cheddar, mozzarella and Gouda in a large bowl. Add the cheeses to the pot and stir to evenly combine. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Bake until the center of the mac and cheese is set and the top is golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

SOUTHERN MACARONI & CRISPY CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil the macaroni in a large pot with the olive oil until tender.
• While the macaroni is boiling, shred the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese onto separate plates.
• Pour milk into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and flour. Add melted butter. Mix until ingredients are well blended.
• When macaroni is finished cooking, remove from pot and rinse well with cold water.
• Pour the macaroni into a large oven safe dish (I prefer an aluminum pan for easy clean up.
• Mix about half of the cheddar cheese into the macaroni. Mix in all of the Monterey Jack cheese. Cut the Velveeta cheese into chunks and mix into macaroni. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the macaroni and mix well. Spread the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the macaroni.
• Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes.

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Mix well and transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 40 minutes.

SPAM MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high, then add Spam and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is evenly browned and crispy. (Feel free to taste along the way until the Spam reaches your desired crispness.) Remove from heat until ready to use.
• Once water has come to a rolling boil, add a fistful of salt, then stir in the macaroni. Cook according to package instructions, stirring several times, until al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the noodles in a large colander, then rinse the noodles and the pot with lukewarm water.
• Return pot to stovetop over medium heat and add 2 cups milk. While the milk is warming, combine remaining 1 cup milk and the flour in a medium bowl and whisk together until there are no lumps. Once the milk starts to steam, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture, and continue to whisk gently until a béchamel forms as thick as plain yogurt, about 12 minutes.
• Once the sauce is thickened, reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in 4 cups shredded cheese until fully melted. Add white and black pepper, then season to taste with salt.
• Off heat, add Spam and cooked macaroni, and fold a dozen or so times until thoroughly mixed.
• Serve immediately, passing the extra cheese at the table, or transfer the macaroni to a casserole, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake under low broil until toasted on top, about 5 to 10 minutes.

SOUTHERN-STYLE MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small bite-sized chunks. Toss in a 20cm gratin dish with the olive oil, cayenne and some seasoning. Roast for 25-30 mins, or until golden and soft, tossing occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir together to make a roux, and cook for a couple of mins. Remove from the heat, then slowly pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Turn the heat down, add the mustard and nutmeg, and season well. Add in most of the cheese (keep some for the top) and continue to stir. Taste for seasoning. Keep on a low heat so it stays warm until the macaroni is ready.
• Cook the macaroni in boiling, lightly salted water for a couple of minutes less than it says on the packet. Drain (reserve some of the pasta cooking water), then stir the pasta and cooked sweet potato into the cheese sauce. The mixture should be quite thick, but add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen if necessary. Taste for seasoning.
• Tip the mixture into the gratin dish, then scatter over the rest of the cheese and return to the oven. Bake for about 20-30 mins, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling.

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
• Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
• Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.