Ever since I’ve had a real kitchen (a.k.a. not a dorm kitchen), I’ve experimented with many mac and cheese recipes. I suppose you could say that I’m on a quest for the perfect mac and cheese. Stove top and oven baked. Haven’t tried the broiler yet. I’ve tried whole milk, skim milk, soy milk, chicken broth, and now heavy cream. I’ve tried 1 egg, 2 eggs, no eggs. And now, ever since our recent Wisconsin visit, Velveeta has found its place on the ingredients list.
The recipe below is pretty darn close to what John and I would consider perfect mac and cheese. We’re almost there! (We also served this recipe at dinner/movie night on Sunday – blog entry coming soon!)
Ingredients
1 lb elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
3 cups soy milk (original is ideal, but vanilla is okay)
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups shredded cheese (ideally cheddar)
8 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes
Cook pasta until al dente – you don’t want the macaroni to get too soft. In a large saucepan/pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well and break up any lumps that form. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and mixture begins to boil. Add cheddar and Velveeta.
The mac is ready to be enjoyed, but this is when you can stick the mac in the oven if you prefer it baked. Keep the heat low (350F), so it doesn’t dry out too much. Bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly. I’ve found that the baking is not absolutely necessary.
Notes & Extras
I typically season my mac with 1 tbsp thyme and 1 tsp paprika. Sometimes I’ll also add a dash of chili powder. In the past, I’ve also simmered a couple bay leaves in the flour and milk mixture. The bay leaf should be removed before adding any cheese.
To make the mac more interesting, I’ll add some frozen peas and carrots, chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, and half a package of Yves veggie ground beef. John used to think my extra ingredients were a bit weird, but I think he enjoys it now. Adding veggies is my way of making this a teensy, tiny bit less bad for you. Hah!
In the past, I’ve also added an egg or two to the mixture before adding the cheese. Beat the egg(s) in a separate bowl before adding it to the saucepan. I’ve experienced issues with the egg(s) curdling when the mac is baked. Even when the oven’s temperature is only 350F. I suspect that using the broiler will help solve this problem, but haven’t experimented with that yet.
Sometimes, I’ll stir in 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (after adding the cheese) to add texture. If you’re baking the mac, more breadcrumbs can be sprinkled on top before baking.
Kinda like bruschetta, but sans the fresh basil. I placed the chopped tomatoes and garlic in a tupperware with some olive oil first thing in the morning. Seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, and thyme before placing on the slices to bake. 
The other crostini is a spinach and cream cheese crostini. Really simple. 10oz frozen chopped spinach, 8 oz cream cheese, salt and pepper. 
