282229 Wed Jan 04 16:02:34 -0800 2006 39 31 Home Cooking 0 1503491 Interesting mac n' cheese recipes today - including one they said was fabulous using uncooked elbow macaroni. You bake at 375 covered for a half and hour, uncover, stir and bake another half hour. I'm definitely trying that one. They also did a taste test of a bunch of store bought mac n' cheese products. One main point of the article was that mac n' cheese is best when you stick with cheddar and even American cheese, and the more the better. Apparently American cheese doesn't get grainy when baked the way many natural cheeses do. Wed Jan 04 16:02:34 -0800 2006 0 Niki Rothman 1 1503494 Yup, I printed those guys out. Thinking in terms of how far off the South Beach wagon I can fall with as little damage as possible, I'm interested in any good recipes that don't use white sauce. Of course, I really ought to use whole-wheat pasta, too...AS IF!! But I probably will use reduced-fat cheese. And of course I'll tell y'all about it, including if it's a ghastly disaster. Wed Jan 04 16:18:32 -0800 2006 1503491 0 Will Owen 2 1503495 If you are on SB diet, how about using caulifower instead of mac? Broccoli slices? Wed Jan 04 16:24:23 -0800 2006 1503494 0 Two Forks 3 1503524 Cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts all get the cheese treatment around here, either the full-creamy sauce version or the sautéed-in-butter (or butter-like substance) and tossed with grated cheese and crumbs, then finished in a gratin dish version. HOWEVER, we are here discussing MAC and cheese, for which there is no vegetable substitute really. The Sterns' book "Square Meals" has a very good non-sauced "School Cafeteria" M&C that's pretty good, made essentially like the blue-box stuff except with grated "real" cheese instead of fluorescent orange powder. I think the problems I've had with that recipe (not blending worth a damn, though the flavor's good) stem from my use of cheddar instead of process cheese; who knew? Candy, how does your lo-carb pasta measure up taste-wise? I have some semi-whole-wheat Barilla stuff that tries SO hard, but it still tastes more Good For You than good... Wed Jan 04 18:54:52 -0800 2006 1503495 0 Will Owen 4 1503532 It tastes just like and looks like regular pasta but you will never get it past al dente, it is a bit chewy, and alas, we have to go out this evening I don't have enough 1/2&1/2 on hand to make the sauce. If I had not had a late meeting I might have gotten to the store earlier but I thought I had more on hand than I did. They make spaghetti, linguini, penne and elbows. I really wish they made a really flat noodle of some sort. Some carb counters find that Dreamfields raises their blood sugar and does not work well for them but it does for us. Wed Jan 04 19:27:28 -0800 2006 1503524 0 Candy 2 1503498 Will, look for Dreamfields Pasta, we are carb counters too and the penne I am going to use for some mac and cheese when I get home nets out at 5g/serving whic is 3/4 C. dry. Candy Wed Jan 04 16:49:22 -0800 2006 1503494 0 Candy 2 1503539 In the last year the NYT did an article on a taste test comparison of whole wheat pastas. You could probably search it. Barilla and Whole Foods both got high marks for a new kind of pasta. Apparently, the latest thing is making whole wheat pasta that tastes and feels to the mouth like regular pasta. But I haven't tried any of these new products yet myself. Wed Jan 04 19:53:51 -0800 2006 1503494 0 Niki Rothman 3 1503687 The folks at NYT obviously have a higher tolerance for what feels "right" in the mouth than I do - yeah, Barilla's stuff is not as yucky as your dead-serious healthfood-store burlap-brown "pasta", but it ain't straight semolina either, and my tongue knows it. There are just some things the Lord did not intend to be made "healthy". I am TOLERATING low-fat cheese and turkey sausage at the moment, and if I want mac'n'cheese I'll have to live with the compromise, but I don't have to love it. Thu Jan 05 16:55:49 -0800 2006 1503539 0 Will Owen 4 1503704 I agree with you. I'm not interested in whole wheat pastas per se, they have always tasted so awful. But if the Barilla stuff shows up at my Safeway, I think I'll give it a try. If I don't like it I'll return it for a refund. You said you compromise for health's sake. The way I compromise in the pasta arena is to mix in some veg. I don't like food that is unrelentingly heavy. Last night I made Trader Joe's white cheddar Mac n' cheese, which I really like (but you have to be careful not to add salted butter. It calls for maybe 2 tsp. of fat - use unsalted butter or olive oil, because otherwise it is way too salty). Anyhow, I lightened up that TJ's mac n' cheese with chopped up steamed broccoli. It was delicious. When I make tomato sauce pasta I routinely include zuchini or chunked eggplant to lighten things up without harming the flavor - actually tastes better than plain pasta and sauce. When I make tuna noodle casserole I use finely chopped red & green bell pep., onion, and celery. Just some examples. My ultimate cooking goal,if that's not to grandious a statement, is to have what I cook be both delicious and healthy. Thu Jan 05 19:42:10 -0800 2006 1503687 0 Niki Rothman 1 1503497 I'm actually making the "crusty" one tonight; was planning to make mac and cheese tonight anyway since I had a large hunk of fine aged cheddar that we didn't finish over the holidays. So the times article was quite appropriate. The crusty recipe is pretty much what I've always done anyway; just cheddar (though I usually just use "store brand cheddar"), milk, and noodles baked till it gets hard on top. Wed Jan 04 16:37:51 -0800 2006 1503491 0 Donna Gresh 2 1503541 Just ate it; have to say, it was nice, but I'm not sure it outshines my normal rendition with the "store bought" cheddar; not as creamy (as the article suggests). Sometimes I guess you have to "go with the flow" and not try to make it more fancy--- Wed Jan 04 19:54:36 -0800 2006 1503497 0 Donna Gresh 3 1503617 Thanks for the report! :) Did you use the American that it called for? Or just cheddar? --Dommy! Thu Jan 05 11:52:55 -0800 2006 1503541 0 Dommy! 4 1503634 for the second cheese the recipe said either cheddar or american, and since I didn't have any american.... It probably would have been better with some american cheese too. But overall I like my regular sharp cheddar (A&P brand) best. Thu Jan 05 13:31:41 -0800 2006 1503617 0 Donna Gresh 5 1503639 Thanks Donna! I love Sharp Cheddar, but it appears that may not the be the best thing to use for the texture I want... I will make the creamy version of the Mac and Cheese soon and report! :) --Dommy! Thu Jan 05 13:48:05 -0800 2006 1503634 0 Dommy! 1 1503501 Thanks so much for giving me the heads up. I've tried for YEARS for the perfect velveta like Mac and Cheese. I also don't like typical Mac N Cheese Recipes because the sauce is NOT nearly creamy enough for me. I've tried in vain with several supposedly creamy recipes with only one thing holding me back... I just won't use Velveta. It made my heart sink to read the author kinda suggest doing just that by using American Cheese. The only one that came close to the sauce I desire was Martha Stewarts version which was a cheese sauce that included Cream Cheese. But mixing in that cream cheese by hand was a pain... eventually my sauce has tiny white flecks of Cream Cheese... :P I can't wait to try the NY Times version with the puree of Cottage Cheese! :) However, I'm giving in and am willing to try the recipe with American Cheese (NOT velveta!)... But who sells a GOOD 'American Cheese" by the brick so that I can shred? Should I just go to my local deli and have them slice off a hunk of their 'stick'? --Dommy! Wed Jan 04 16:57:28 -0800 2006 1503491 0 Dommy! 2 1503504 It is common knowledge in certain circles that commodity cheese makes the best baked mac n cheese (aka "government cheese"). If you're not in the income bracket to receive gov't cheese, try hitting up seniors on fixed incomes. The federal commodities program gives it away in big hunks to senior citizens, and most seniors living alone can't possibly consume that much cheese. Make a deal with your neighborhood oldster: you'll supply the mac & cooking if they'll break ya off some cheese. (My source is a coworker's 85-year-old mother.) Wed Jan 04 17:08:26 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Hungry Celeste 3 1503508 OMG... I haven't thought about that stuff in years... but you are correct. That stuff melted SMOOTH! (My parents are kind souls who would frequently volunteered at a soup kitchen near our inner city home and had me tag along with them as soon as I was strong enough to pour the the big tin cans of Gov't Grapefruit juice:)) That food really does feed families who would otherwise go hungry... So I'll leave it for them to enjoy and probably head down to my deli to ask for a hunk of the American stuff! :) But thanks for the trip down memory lane... :) --Dommy! Wed Jan 04 17:19:22 -0800 2006 1503504 0 Dommy! 3 1503542 Is government cheese much different from, say , Jiffy Melt (ten bucks for five pounds at Sam's Club) or EZ Melt? I'm only 59, so I can't qualify for the free cheese yet. Jim Wed Jan 04 19:58:10 -0800 2006 1503504 0 Jim Washburn 3 1503568 So true! I am a foodservice director at an elementary school, and it took me a long time to understand why the school's mac and cheese had a much nicer consistency than what I was making at home with "better quality" cheeses. Wed Jan 04 22:27:06 -0800 2006 1503504 0 David 4 1503576 ....Cheese Louise! so is this "better living through chemistry"?! How about the kids you're feeding (& teaching about food)? Maybe they could be exposed to something besides 'cheese product'? Why dumb it down to a "Kraft's" level? Show kids how sublime real cheese is. Try a Fontina/Gruyere/Parm cheese mix with a white sauce heavy on thyme, peppercorns, and bayleaves. Plain Whole wheat bread crumbs on top. I can't afford to make it once a week--besides, it isn't all that good for me--once every month or two is a real treat, something to look forward to! Thu Jan 05 00:35:01 -0800 2006 1503568 0 toodie jane 5 1503640 Of course, the dish that you mention would be sublime, but there are many factors that stop us from being able to serve dishes prepared on that level. Cost is a major factor, the finicky tastes of children, and time/labor in the kitchen. We have roughly three hours to prepare mac and cheese for 2,300 people. Not to mention that the pasta needs to boil in the same kettle that the sauce is cooked in. Trust me, it's a feat that still amazes me. Thu Jan 05 13:58:37 -0800 2006 1503576 0 David 2 1503505 "But who sells a GOOD 'American Cheese" by the brick so that I can shred? Should I just go to my local deli and have them slice off a hunk of their 'stick'? " Why not? I do that all the time when I ask them for an inch-thick slice of maple-baked ham when I make Mac & Ham & Cheese. I've had several people hear what I'm using it for (I just cube it and toss it in the mix and bake it) and they then ask the deli guy for the same thing. Not sure if they can do a big cut like 4" wide, but if they've got a knife back there (and I'd assume they do) they should be able to accommodate you. Wed Jan 04 17:10:42 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Linda W. 2 1503537 Hi Dommy! Yeah, I can't wait to try that recipe with the cottage cheese and American cheese myself. I am going to look for American cheese at Trader Joe's and see what happens. Their cheeses are really great and cheaper than elsewhere. They usually have what I'm looking for even before I know what it is I'm looking for - I love that store! Wed Jan 04 19:48:15 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Niki Rothman 2 1503606 Land O' Lakes makes a great deli American cheese (white or yellow). Make sure you get it at the deli counter and NOT in the cheese section; the deli version is closer to "real" cheese and less like plastic. Thu Jan 05 10:15:56 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Chorus Girl 3 1503632 Have always used sharp cheddar for mac'n cheese but I agree with you that the Land o' Lakes deli sliced American is actually very good. That and the Kraft Deluxe American Cheese (not cheese food - which I think is downright nasty) are my preferred cheeses for grilled cheese sandwiches -- all the other natural cheeses get a little too oily for me when they melt. Thu Jan 05 13:06:25 -0800 2006 1503606 0 mshpook 3 1503676 So we're sacrificing taste for texture here? Sounds like only processed-type, American-type cheese will work. In my extremely snooty without any basis opinion, American cheese has no taste whatsoever and who cares if the consistancy is creamy? I mean, I could make it with Velveeta in a jar. Thu Jan 05 16:23:40 -0800 2006 1503606 0 oakjoan 4 1503685 All I can say, is that in my short time as a home cook, I've already long discovered that not only appeance, but texture does play an overall role on how taste is percieved... But that discussion belongs on another board... :) But basically, that and I just like to experiment with different recipes... :) --Dommy! Thu Jan 05 16:54:36 -0800 2006 1503676 0 Dommy! 4 1503768 My kids absolutely loved macaroni and Cheez Whiz (the sine qua non of the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich). Just remember the words of the prophet: to everything there is a seasoning, and a time for every pasteurized processed cheese food under heaven. :) Fri Jan 06 08:43:50 -0800 2006 1503676 0 Striver 2 1503642 Dommy, have you tried Alton's stove top version? I believe Krissywats recommended it to me a while ago, but I still haven't made it. It sounds like it has a high creamy quotient from the eggs, evaporated milk, and butter. Uses sharp cheddar instead of Velveeta or American. Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18423,00.html Thu Jan 05 14:05:43 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Carb Lover 3 1503667 Actually I've made it three times... The first time I made it with SUPER aged pricy cheese and it came out grainy and souffle like. I blamed it one the pricy cheese and that I was silly expecting it to melt smooth. A few weeks later, Mr. Taster posted some revisions to the recipe and guaranteed that it would come out creamy. I used the type of Sharp, but not super aged, Cheddar he recommended and it came out grainy and Souffle like... In my mind the recipe was already banned from my Kitchen, when BF who LOVES Alton wanted to make the recipe... He thought he could figure out if there was a way to make the Bemachel SMOOTHER... He took very special care in making the sauce and.... what came out was grainy and Souffle like... LOL!!! In all fairness, it's a great basic recipe, with great cheddar cheese it tastes AMAZING (Especially fresh from the oven with a Panko Crust!) but sadly not what I'm looking for... :) --Dommy! Thu Jan 05 16:05:53 -0800 2006 1503642 0 Dommy! 4 1503668 ACK! Need to read closer... Actually, I haven't done the STOVE Top one... The three above were the baked one... Hmmm... I love the panko bread crust, I guess I could prepare on stove top and then put in dish and zap it in the broiler... Hmmm!!! I will add this recipe in the try list! Thanks Carb Lover! :) Thu Jan 05 16:10:33 -0800 2006 1503667 0 Dommy! 5 1503675 Glad you caught that detail...I've decided that I like stove top more than casserole mac and cheeses. I find the latter tend to dry up, clump, and/or have an unpleasant grease slick from ingredients separating as it cooks...plus they take a little more effort and wait! Report back, as will I. BTW, nja posted a good-sounding baked mac and cheese recipe a bit down this page should you want to persist w/ that kind. Liked how they were baked in individual ramekins. Thu Jan 05 16:23:17 -0800 2006 1503668 0 Carb Lover 2 1503672 And does "American" cheese include Canadian Black Diamond or Cabot's Extra Sharp? Or are we talking about that orange crap that comes in a brick or shredded? What about extra sharp Tillamook (sp?)? Thu Jan 05 16:20:08 -0800 2006 1503501 0 oakjoan 3 1503688 The brick... and I would do a mixture... 1/2 Extra Sharp and 1/2 American... And if it makes you feel better, I'll use the white cheddar and american cheese, so no orange food dye... ;) --Dommy! Thu Jan 05 16:57:03 -0800 2006 1503672 0 Dommy! 4 1503755 rotfl! Fri Jan 06 01:29:41 -0800 2006 1503688 0 oakjoan 2 1503739 The best Mac and Cheese is made with American Cheese (like Velveeta) combined with sharp cheddar. What do you have against a great product like Velveeta? I wouldn't serve it as part of a cheese course, but let's not get carried away here. Thu Jan 05 22:36:59 -0800 2006 1503501 0 Fleur 3 1503805 Personally, I think Velveeta and American Cheese taste terrible. Plus, I'm nervous about consuming all the additives. I'm very happy with the texture I get using the recipe linked below. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/281838#1500606 Fri Jan 06 12:59:56 -0800 2006 1503739 0 nja 1 1503741 If you all are looking for a natural healthful dish, Mac and Cheese is not for you. American cheese and velveeta are no worse nutritionally than cheddar... loaded with fat and sodium. Make it the best way, half Velveeta for texture and creaminess, half sharp cheddar for flavor. Top with buttered bread crumbs and enjoy! Thu Jan 05 22:40:33 -0800 2006 1503491 0 Fleur 1 1503779 call me weird, but i don't use american or cheddar, i don't use a stove top or baked recipe, and i don't use a box. cook elbow or other mac until just shy of al dente mix in a ton of shredded gruyere mixed with mont jack and maybe some lightly sauteed vidalia onions microwave for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the mac is done sprinkle some really good hungarian paprika on top forget all about that orange "creamy" crap and enjoy! Fri Jan 06 10:31:16 -0800 2006 1503491 0 Loren3 1 1503928 The best Mac & Cheeze is mine! My recipe consists of 5 cheeses: Sharp Cabbot Cheddar Bleu Asiago Parmesan & Provolone Maybe a little lobster claw meat!! Fri Jan 06 23:53:59 -0800 2006 1503491 0 CTChef