Nancys Italian Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

CREAMY STOVE-TOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it begins to foam, sprinkle in the flour and stir until it becomes pasty, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and half-and-half and bring to a low simmer. Stir until the mixture looks thick, about 5 minutes. Add the Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese by handfuls, stirring well after each addition until melted. Mix in the mustard, paprika and hot sauce. Then fold in the cream cheese and stir well until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly stir in the cooked pasta.
• Serve the mac and cheese immediately while still warm and at its creamiest.

NANNY'S SIMPLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil pasta according to package in salted water.
• For firmer pasta reduce boiling time by a few minutes.
• Drain.
• Grease a deep casserole dish (I use a spray).
• Place a layer of macaroni, enough to cover the bottom, in the casserole dish.
• Add a layer of cheese slices covering the macaroni.
• Very lightly season with salt and pepper (I actually skip this and we add salt and pepper to taste on our individual servings).
• Repeat these layers until you are out of pasta.
• Pour milk over the casserole until the milk almost reaches the top of the casserole dish (It doesn't take much because the dish is already full of pasta and cheese).
• Bake covered for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven.
• You'll know it is finished cooking when the milk is no longer liquid.
• Sometimes I add leftover ham chunks to the layers.
• Cook time and servings are approximate!