Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

A meat hangover? Give it a rest.

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these, so I can huff it all day!

thank you for posting this! it is a very well written and very insightful piece. as someone who is currently looking to go to FCI - it was great to hear a little bit of life on the inside.

really interesting post! thanks for the inside look. i also appreciated it as a refreshing and relevant diversion from reality-tv cooking shows and coverage of 'em. just the right kind of drama -- i didn't see mention of any students making out on a futon as they awaited their critique. insightful analysis, all around. well done.

Very nicely written...it was your experience, but it wasn't about you, you, you, if that makes sense.

I'm in the predominately cheddar group w/ the rest being whatever I have on hand,including cream cheese. I'm in the bacon camp and I also like diced onion or jalepeno,cherry or grape tomatoes.The topping?I've hit on the devilish combo of 1/2 breadcumbs,1/2 CHEEZ-ITS ground up together in the food proceesor.And yes they're buttered.I dont make this too often since it can kill you.

My MIL's mac and cheese - no bechamel saucing required (she can't cook otherwise, but this is to die for):

1. Butter a casserole dish (I use a square 2-quart Corningware dish)
2. Boil 2 cups macaroni (I like Barilla elbows because they have ridges)
3. Drain, do not rinse
4. Layer half the macaroni in the casserole, sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese. (I usually end up using Kraft or Kroger pre-shredded cheese but obviously it's better with better cheese. Sharp cheddar is my personal choice.)
5. Repeat layers.
6. Mix together (a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup works well) 1 cup milk and 2 eggs. (My MIL's original directions also say that you can use evaporated milk to make it even richer, but I think that's sort of overkill. My husband tried to use Redi-Whip once...the results are better not described.)
7. Pour egg mixture over macaroni and cheese layers in casserole.
8. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the top. (I've never tried it with crumbs.)
9. Bake UNCOVERED at 325 for about 20 minutes.
10. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to set before serving.

Serves 4-6 as a main dish, maybe more as a side dish, but probably not more than 8 as written. If there's any left, it's as good if not better reheated in the microwave. Also very forgiving of the addition of diced ham, sliced hotdogs, vegetables, etc. Quick and so easy I have it memorized...great for busy weeknights.

best home made:
Light Cream, ( not Heavy, not Medium, not Half & Half )
while heating, whipping in coarsly grated 5 year old imported Holland Gouda ( $ 7.95 at Sams ), a bit of white Pepper, no salt needed, bits of sauteed Prosciutto, and then the al Dente cooked Ziti, all in buttered casserole topped with grated Tete de Moine 450F oven til brown

I know I'm late to chime in, but I just gotta say:
There's a great substitute for Velveeta which my wife calls "Chernoble cheese".
Merkt's port wine cheddar.

I will eat any mac & cheese, and have made it tons of different ways, but I made it with a rather odd combination once, Brie and Cheddar, cause that's what I had in the fridge, and it came out surprisingly well. Everyone wanted to know my recipe. Sadly, I didn't not write the proportions down.

I start with a bechemel base. Then add Velveeta, Aged Gouda, and Pecorino. Mmmm...

I love using DeCecco orecchiette. Those little ears soak up the sauce, don't cost much more than elbow and their concave sides acts like bowls for the cheese sauce.
You do need a little bechamel to melt the sharp cheddar evenly & keep it from clumping on the macaroni. I use 1/4 cup of flour with an equal amount of melted unsalted butter & cook it til it's smooth & nutty smelling.
Gotta add 1 tbsp. dijon, a pinch of white sichuan pepper & salt & stir that in well. Then slowly add the milk (for a total of 24-32 ounces depending on how thick you like it, I used 20 oz. of nonfat milk yesterday & it was great), whisking it in over low heat until the sauce is smooth & creamy.
When the sauce is smooth & thick, I add 16 oz. grated sharp cheddar (cracker barrel is fine, this is not the place to use an artisan cheddar from Britain) stirring in a little at a time into the bechamel sauce, keeping it over low heat, until the cheese is fully incorporated & fondue-like.
Then I add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce pot (about 12 oz dry), stir it well & throw it into a gratin dish on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean-up) to bake at 400 for 30 minutes. The pasta itself is cooked beforehand with a smashed clove of garlic in the salted water, 2 minutes less than than the package instructions recommend so that it can release some of its starch into the sauce while baking.
Sometimes I'll add a cup of ricotta (if I'm short on milk like last night) & melt that into the bechamel before adding the cheddar, about 2 oz. of freshly grated parmigiano, 2 oz of pecorino and a tablespoon or 2 of creme fraiche. I chop up a few thin slices of prosciutto into thin dice & mix it into the dish before baking it. When I go crazy, I add a Tbs. white truffle oil to the dish & stir it in just before baking.
I'm always conflicted about breadcrumbs but the hubby likes them so I do add a light sprinking of panko (or even Progresso breadcrumbs) with dollops of butter & a grinding of seasonings over the top of the dish after first grating an extra layer of cheddar over the casserole. If the breadcrumbs aren't as crisp after 30 minutes of baking as I'd like, I stick the dish under the broiler for a minute or so until they look good to me.
I made this last night (yummy!) & posting it here so I can remember what I did since it was impromptu & I was low on milk. Hope I didn't take up to much space :>)