Amanda Hessers Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
• Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
• Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

AMANDA HESSER'S MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350, and butter a casserole dish.
• In a saucepan, heat the two tablespoons butter until foamy. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it turns golden, then slowly pour in the milk, continuing to whisk.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it thicken.
• Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat (it should be a loose sauce). Fold in the macaroni, then add tomatoes by squeezing them between your fingers. The mixture should be loose like a thin batter; if it's gluey or thick, add a little milk or drained tomato juice.
• Pour into the casserole dish and spread breadcrumbs over the surface. Top with 1/4 cup cheese and ground pepper. Bake until browned on the top and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE

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.

TUNA-MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook. Drain and cool completely.
• In a large bowl, fold together the macaroni with the remaining ingredients. Season.

SPAM MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high, then add Spam and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is evenly browned and crispy. (Feel free to taste along the way until the Spam reaches your desired crispness.) Remove from heat until ready to use.
• Once water has come to a rolling boil, add a fistful of salt, then stir in the macaroni. Cook according to package instructions, stirring several times, until al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the noodles in a large colander, then rinse the noodles and the pot with lukewarm water.
• Return pot to stovetop over medium heat and add 2 cups milk. While the milk is warming, combine remaining 1 cup milk and the flour in a medium bowl and whisk together until there are no lumps. Once the milk starts to steam, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture, and continue to whisk gently until a béchamel forms as thick as plain yogurt, about 12 minutes.
• Once the sauce is thickened, reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in 4 cups shredded cheese until fully melted. Add white and black pepper, then season to taste with salt.
• Off heat, add Spam and cooked macaroni, and fold a dozen or so times until thoroughly mixed.
• Serve immediately, passing the extra cheese at the table, or transfer the macaroni to a casserole, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake under low broil until toasted on top, about 5 to 10 minutes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole dish. In a saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons butter until foamy. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until it turns golden, then slowly pour in milk, continuing to whisk. Bring to a simmer and let thicken. Stir in the cheese. It should be a loose sauce. Fold in macaroni, then ham. Add tomatoes by squeezing them into small pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning. If mixture is too thick, add a little milk or drained tomato juice.
• Pour into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and then about 1/4 cup cheese. Grind pepper over top. Bake until browned on top, about 25 minutes.

WHOLE GRAIN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add macaroni and cook al dente, a minute short of however long you typically cook pasta if you were serving it right away. Use a skimmer or strainer to lift macaroni from cooking water and transfer it to a large bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and set aside.
• Add broccoli to boiling water and boil 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain, and then drain again on paper towels or a kitchen towel.
• To make béchamel, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Turn heat to very low and simmer, whisking often and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• Strain béchamel while hot into the bowl with the pasta. Add cheeses and broccoli and stir together until pasta is nicely coated with sauce. Scrape into prepared baking dish.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly and the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

FOUR-CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente; drain well.
• Transfer hot pasta to a large bowl and toss immediately with Brie and cream cheese until melted and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, mascarpone and parmigiano. Stir egg mixture into pasta. Season with pepper and nutmeg.
• Turn pasta into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.