Creamy stove top Mac and cheese
My family likes creamy mac and cheese (not baked) but I have a problem with the cheese getting stringy and sometime it ends up in clumps. PLEASE help! Is it the brand of cheese I use, or how it's prep?
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20 Comments:
This is my recipe for mac and cheese. The first time I made it I had the stringiness so I put a defuser under the pot, lowered the gas to the lowest setting, covered the pot and left it for 30 minutes. I think that's what does the trick to getting rid of the stringiness...letting it cook for a while. But you do need a defuser; otherwise it will make a mess in the pan :)
Macaroni & Cheese with Green Chilies
½ box of elbow macaroni
2-3 Tbsps butter
Splash of milk
Splash of fatfree or regular half and half
Gulden’s mustard
Blend of shredded cheeses (like the Mexican Blend)
Sharp cheddar cheese cut up
Parmesan – a bit
Paprika
Sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Chopped green chilies, half a can
Cook macaroni until al dente. Drain and pour back into saucepan (over lowest setting)
Add 2-3 T butter cut in pieces, some milk, some fatfree half and half, blend of shredded cheeses, cut up cheddar cheese, some parmesan, paprika, garlic powder, half a can of drained green chilies, a little Gulden’s mustard, a sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes. Blend. Cheese will be stringy. Cover pan and let sit on a “defuser” over lowest setting of heat for about 30 minutes. Cheese should no longer be stringy. Taste for any additional seasonings desired and serve.
Add more milk and half and half if needed. It’s great the next day (put in casserole dish, covered with wax paper and microwaved on “reheat”).
annzee at 2:30PM on 11/16/08
I was having a similar problem with my broccoli cheddar soup. I did a little research and here is what I've learned.
use cheese with a high cream content because the cream prevents the cheese from clumping. Some examples include [Parmesan Reggiano,] Rocquefort, Gorgonzola, Muenster, Camembert, and Brie. These well-ripened cheeses undergo a lengthy fermentation process and much of their protein is broken down. The degraded proteins can tolerate higher temperatures and the cheese melts without becoming stringy.
Pressed, uncooked cheeses, like cheddar and Gouda, have a tendency to coagulate because the fat and water separate when exposed to high heat. The result is stringy globs of cheese.
excerpt from The Daily Soup Cookbook by Leslie Kaul, Bob Spiegel, Carla Ruben, and Peter Siegel with Robin Vitetta-Miller
Also keep in mind annzee's advice about controlling the heat.
And I think Alton Brown did an episode on mac&cheese, check foodnetwork.com for his recipe and instructions.
wookie at 3:21PM on 11/16/08
Here's the link to Alton Brown's creamy stove top recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/reviews/index.html
dhorst at 3:35PM on 11/16/08
i would suggest a roux based sauce.
coolname at 3:50PM on 11/16/08
I use the Shredded Classic Melt blend (from Kraft, I think?) and add a splash of cream...I've also read that a little flour will help with the stringiness.
AlBee at 3:59PM on 11/16/08
Lunapier has a great recipe for mac n cheese (VELVEETA!!) on their website.
Lilartist at 7:17PM on 11/16/08
I agree with lilartist I do a becamel using cream or half and half and as many different cheeses I can find, melt it slow with a pinch of nutmeg and mustard powder, paprika, pepper flakes, black pepper AND Velveeta. The Velveeta just does it, whether stove top or baked.
pjracz10 at 7:43PM on 11/16/08
I may get kicked here- but this is one area that velveeta actually works well in. I use it for the base, and then when it's nearly done, I add in some shredded "real" cheese.
cmtigger at 8:01PM on 11/16/08
It's okay tigger--we won't tell izzy.
buffy at 9:13PM on 11/16/08
i still have the block izzy left on the curb.
dearrie at 10:02PM on 11/16/08
lol
cmtigger at 10:23PM on 11/16/08
When I make my mac & cheese (rarely baked), I like to start with a base sauce. I will generally make a chicken veloute, and at the end before I add in the cheese, will give it a splash of light cream for color. I like the chicken veloute because it brings additional flavor.
Other things that you can do to ensure creaminess of mac and cheese, add cream cheese to the mix, use a colby instead of cheddar (texture).
Alan
aholsber at 10:07AM on 11/17/08
Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Ktichen has a fabulous recipe for stovetop mac & cheese. The secret is evaporated milk - it keeps the mixture smoothy and creamy and velvety. I highly recommend it. I also checked out Alton Brown's recipe (referred to above) and it seems to be almost identical.
Ande at 5:17PM on 11/17/08
@dearrie ~ You mean it hasn't expired yet? Oh, I forgot, it isn't REAL!!!!
izatryt at 7:00PM on 11/22/08
no, it's sitting on the back step, waiting for someone to take a chance.
dearrie at 7:02PM on 11/22/08
LOL! Thanks for the laugh today. You have no idea how much I needed it!
izatryt at 7:08PM on 11/22/08
anytime.
dearrie at 9:22PM on 11/22/08
Confession time. I'm not a fan of mac and cheese. I can eat the stuff in the blue box because it isn't creamy and stringy and wet. My daughters love it, so I've made the gourmet versions for them, but it's just not for me. I'd rather have a gratin of nearly any vegetable.
PerkyMac at 9:48PM on 11/22/08
the blue box is ok once in a blue moon. but i love a baked mac with tomato sauce and chunks of soft cracker barrel, and slices of bacon on top.
dearrie at 9:56PM on 11/22/08
I just made some velveeta based stovetop mac and cheese tonight.
cmtigger at 11:23PM on 11/22/08