Cheaters Mac And Cheese Recipes

CHEAT'S MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring plenty of water to the boil and salt generously. Boil your pasta 2 minutes short of the time stated on the package.
• While the pasta is boiling, scald milk in a small pot and add the garlic granules, if using, all the cheese and the butter. Turn off heat and just allow the cheese to sit there and melt while your pasta is cooking. When pasta is nearly done, whisk melted cheese into milk to blend.
• Drain cooked pasta and immediately return to pot. Add hot milk/cheese mixture and stir pasta to coat. Cover pasta and allow to sit in this mixture for 10 minutes. Stir again to coat (most of sauce will have been absorbed by the pasta, leaving a thick, creamy sauce in the pot) and serve.

CHEATER'S MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a pot of generously salted boiling water 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and cover to keep warm. Add broccoli to pot; continue boiling until pasta is al dente and broccoli is bright green, 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain.
• Return pot to medium heat; add cream cheese, butter, and 2/3 cup reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and simmering. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, broccoli, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Toss with more pasta water as needed until sauce clings to pasta. Serve with more Parmigiano and black pepper.

CHEAT'S CAULI-MACARONI CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Toss in the pasta and bring back to the boil, then cook for a couple of minutes. Tip in the cauliflower and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until both are tender.
• Make the sauce: Drain the pasta and cauliflower well. Put the crème fraîche, mustard and most of the cheese (keeping back a good handful) into the pasta pan. Stir and warm through over a low heat just until the cheese starts to melt.
• Finish the dish: Preheat the grill to hot. Tip the pasta and cauliflower into the cheese sauce and gently stir together. Season to taste. Transfer to a flameproof dish, scatter the tomatoes over the top, then the rest of the cheese and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes until brown and bubbling.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
• In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
• While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
• Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
• Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
• Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.