Texas Baked Mac And Cheese Food

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.

TEXAS BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (convection mode is best if you have it).
• Heat a large pot over medium heat with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add the butter, salt, and pepper and melt.
• Add the uncooked pasta, the milk, and the water and bring slowly to a boil (I keep mine over medium heat). Cook, stirring often, untilt he pasta is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed, about 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in only 2 cups of the shredded cheese, sour cream, the green chiles, nutmeg, and the paprika. Taste and add more salt if desired.
• Transfer the mac and cheese to a casserole dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
• In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss until well combined, then sprinkle evenly over the mac and cheese.
• Transfer to oven and bake (uncovered) until the cheese and panko are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to burn.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro (if using), serve and enjoy!

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
• For the cheese sauce: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
• For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.

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.