Best New York Times Mac And Cheese Recipes

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THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE



The Best Macaroni and Cheese image

Amanda Hesser brought this recipe to The Times in a 1998 article about a return to simply-prepared, down-home foods in response to the brash, over-the-top 90's style of cooking. It's an adaptation of one found in Pam Anderson's book, "The Perfect Recipe," and it calls for stirring the mixture every five minutes while it is baking. This gives it the ideal balance of lightness and creaminess -- a detail that is missing from most macaroni and cheese recipes.

Provided by Amanda Hesser

Categories     dinner, weekday, casseroles, editors' pick, pastas, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup fresh bread crumbs from French or Italian bread
2 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 large eggs
12 ounces evaporated milk, heated until warm
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
10 to 12 ounces mild cheddar cheese, grated

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 1 1/2-quart heat-proof dish, such as a souffle pan, in oven to warm.
  • In a small baking pan, combine bread crumbs, a pinch of salt and the melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the macaroni. Cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to preheated dish. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
  • In a small bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the mustard mixture. Mix well. Pour egg mixture over macaroni. Add 3/4 of the cheese, and stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt.
  • Place dish of macaroni and cheese in the oven, and bake for 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven and add about half of the remaining evaporated milk, and half of the remaining cheese. Stir well, and return pan to oven. Bake 5 minutes longer, remove pan from oven, and stir thoroughly. If mixture does not look moist and creamy, add a little more of the milk and cheese. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes, removing pan from oven halfway through to stir in remaining evaporated milk and cheese.
  • While macaroni is baking, add pan of bread crumbs to oven. Bake until bread crumbs are toasted and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. When macaroni has baked, sprinkle surface with toasted bread crumbs, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 824, UnsaturatedFat 14 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 42 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 23 grams, Sodium 829 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 1 gram

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE



Creamy Macaroni and Cheese image

There are two schools of thought about macaroni and cheese: Some like it crusty and extra-cheesy (here's our recipe), while others prefer it smooth and creamy. But most people are delighted by any homemade macaroni and cheese. It is light years ahead of the boxed versions. This creamy version has one powerful advantage for the cook: There's no need to preboil the pasta. It cooks in the oven, absorbing the liquid from the dairy products.

Provided by Julia Moskin

Categories     brunch, dinner, easy, lunch, weekday, casseroles, main course, side dish

Time 1h40m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not low-fat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of ground cayenne
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
  • In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup grated Cheddar for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated Cheddar, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
  • Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 427, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 26 grams, Fat 26 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 496 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 1 gram

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