Zippy Macaroni And Cheese Food

ZIPPY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Add cottage, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses; set aside., In a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and milk until smooth. Stir in onion, green pepper, mustard, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over macaroni mixture; gently stir to coat., Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Combine cornflakes and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the top is golden brown.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Place the panko bread crumbs in a small bowl, drizzle with the melted butter, and toss to combine. Add a handful of the grated cheese to the bowl, toss to combine, and set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain the noodles, without rinsing, then return them to the pot they were cooked in.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, warm the milk just until it starts to steam and form tiny bubbles around its edges-be careful not to let the milk come to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and use a flat-edged wooden spoon or heat-safe rubber spatula to stir the mixture together, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning, just until it starts to turn a light brown color, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the warm milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the remaining grated cheese and stir until it's completely melted. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked elbow macaroni and gently stir to coat the noodles in the sauce.
• Pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared baking dish and top with the panko-cheese mixture. Bake until light golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. DO AHEAD: Macaroni and cheese can be made ahead, put into the baking dish, cooled completely, and kept, covered in the refrigerator, for 2 days. Do not add the bread crumbs until ready to bake. (Chilled Macaroni and Cheese may take longer than 30 minutes to be fully cooked.)

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
• Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
• Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see notes) to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a big skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• Whisk the flour in gradually until the mixture is smooth.
• Cook and whisk continually for 2 minutes.
• Add in salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic; stir to combine.
• Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk.
• Cook and whisk continually for 8-10 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
• Add in half of the sharp cheddar cheese; stir.
• Add in all of the extra-sharp cheddar cheese; stir until smooth.
• Take skillet off stove burner.
• Mix together the cooked macaroni and cheese mixture; transfer to a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sharp cheddar cheese.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes (may need to bake longer for a crispy top).

ZIPPY BEEF CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until evenly browned; drain. Stir in cooked macaroni, condensed soup, milk, and ketchup until well blended. Mix in the Cheddar cheese, green pepper, and minced onion. Season with salt, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
• Cover, and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, sprinkle the top with potato chips, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until chips are toasted.

MEATY MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Set aside cheese sauce mix from macaroni and cheese; cook macaroni according to package directions. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the salsa, corn, olives and pimientos; cook until heated through. , Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture with contents of cheese sauce mix. Cook and stir until blended and heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and tomato.

DOWN HOME MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in large saucepan on low heat.
• Blend in flour and salt; cook and stir 1 minute.
• Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• Add prepared cheese product and 1-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese; stir until melted. Stir in macaroni.
• Pour into lightly greased 1-1/2-quart casserole.
• Melt remaining 1 Tablespoon butter; toss with bread crumbs.
• Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumb mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.