Hearty Mac N Cheese From The Crows Nest Inn Recipes

CORY'S FAMOUS MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet set over low heat¿it is very important that this step be on low heat! Add the cubed cheddar and melt until creamy, stirring constantly. Stir in the egg, taking care not to let it scramble.
• While the cheese is melting, add the olive oil and salt to the pot of boiling water. Add the pasta; cook for 10 minutes. Strain and return the pasta to the pot.
• Add the melted cheese and egg mixture to the cooked pasta, along with the cream of mushroom soup, the evaporated milk and the sour cream; stir, then add half of the cracker crumbs. Mix together until the pasta is well coated and the sauce comes together.
• Add half of the pasta mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top with half of the shredded cheddar. Add the remaining half of the pasta, followed by the remaining shredded cheddar. Sprinkle the remaining cracker crumbs over the top. Bake for 40 minutes.

OAMC HEARTY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
• Saute ham and onion in a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes; stir in peas and next 3 ingredients. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
• Whisk in flour until smooth.
• Add milk, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.
• Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese, stirring until melted.
• Stir in cooked pasta and ham mixture.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

HEARTY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; set cheese packet aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain., Add the soup, water, ketchup, mustard and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes., Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture. Add the corn, cheese, contents of reserved cheese packet, butter and milk. Cook and stir until cheese and butter are melted.

LAYERED MAC 'N CHEESE WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray 2 quart casserole with cooking spray.
• Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook beef and garlic, 1/2 t of the salt and 1/4 t pepper over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain, if desired.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until bubbly.
• Stir in milk, cook 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly.
• Stir remaining 1/2 t salt, the nutmeg and cayenne.
• Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
• Fold in macaroni.
• Spoon 1/3 of the macaroni mixture (about 1 1/3 cups) into casserole; top with half of the beef (about 1 1/2 cups).
• Layer with another 1/3 of the macaroni mixture, remaining beef and remaining macaroni mixture.
• Top with bread crumbs.
• Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

HEARTY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 X 13 baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until the squash is fully defrosted. Turn the heat up and cook until almost simmering. Add the ricotta cheese. Use an immersion blender to make sure the squash, milk and cheese is nice and smooth (this isn't necessary, but it helped the consistency).
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, salt, mustard and cayenne. Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the mac & cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes to crisp-up the top.

NEXT LEVEL MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Cook the macaroni in salted water for 2 mins less than the stated cooking time, so it still has plenty of bite. Drain well and toss with a small knob of the butter to stop it from sticking together.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining butter until frothy and nut-brown. Pour off 1 tbsp into a small bowl and place the pan back on the heat, then scatter over and whisk in the flour and cook for 3 mins until you have a sandy paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, simmering and whisking until smooth between each addition. Once all the milk has been added, drizzle in the evaporated milk, then add the grated cheddar, a handful at a time, until you have a thick, cheesy sauce. Stir through the mustard powder, cayenne, Marmite and vinegar and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
• Remove from heat, stir in the macaroni, then stir through the chunks of cheese. Tip the contents of the saucepan into a large, buttered baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together all the breadcrumbs, the parmesan, another small pinch of cayenne and some crunchy sea salt if you want. Scatter the crumbs over the macaroni, drizzle with the reserved brown butter and bake for 30-35 mins until lightly browned, crunchy all over and bubbling around the edges. Leave to stand for 10 mins before serving straight from the dish.