Baked Macaroni And Cheese Joy Of Cooking P 217 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.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente; drain., In a Dutch oven, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat; saute onion until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in macaroni. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., In a microwave, melt remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 30-35 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI ALA THE JOY OF COOKING

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to pkg directions; drain.
• Place half macaroni in 3-4 qt casserole or 9x13" pan; sprinkle w/ half grated cheddar.
• Top with remaining macaroni; sprinkle w/ remaining cheese.
• Mix remaining ingredients in small bowl til well blended; pour over macaroni and cheese.
• Sprinkle w/ stuffing mix (or bread crumbs of your choice); dot w/ butter; sprinkle w/ remaining cheddar.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.
• In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE (JOY OF COOKING P. 217)

Steps:

• Boil 4 oz. (1 cup) macaroni (cavatapi) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Place layers of macaroni in buttered baking dish Sprinkle layers with 1 cup shredded cheese (chedder, friulano, havarti etc.) Beat until blended 1 or 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp paprika a few grains of cayenne (1 sliced pimiento) (1/4 cup choppde green peppers or 2 tblsp chopped parsley) (1 tblsp grated onion) Pour this mixture over macaroni Sprinkle top with Au gratin (bread crumbs and chedder cheese mixture) Bake macaroni for 40 minutes)