Macaroni cheese

[HaroldMeeker]

Can anyone share their absolutely perfect, would die for a serving, recipe for macaroni cheese please?

I make my own, and whilst it's okay, it's not divine. I make a basic white sauce, add cheddar, add cooked macaroni and then bake it in the oven for 20 mins or so to thicken. It's just......basic. And pretty damn boring. Even a lot of cheese leaves it less cheesy than I think it should be. Is there a secret I'm missing? Anyone?

@Ninkanink

I use white pepper because it’s a better pairing for cheese sauces imo. It’s also often used in white sauces for aesthetic reasons where you don’t want black specks to ruin the look of the dish. Doesn’t really matter though - it’s fine to just use black.

Ah, ok, TBH it’s years since I’ve used white pepper but I’ll try it.

Nigella's recipe in her Christmas book is a favourite of mine, made with evaporated milk. I also recently made her crab macaroni and cheese which I think is in At My Table. That was delicious.

@HaroldMeeker

I'm making the Barbados recipe tonight (slight deviation, I don't have evaporated milk so I'm making a runny white sauce with whole milk instead) but will DEF try the bacon and jalapeno suggestions. Breadcrumbs sound fantastic too. I knew I could count on you lot!

Well @HaroldMeeker, don't leave us hanging! How was your dinner last night?!

Her and her family live in Glasgow and were born there. Is it an old person's word maybe?

I used to work with elderly people. I've still never heard anyone say that. I wonder if it was a family term rather than a regional one. I've seen people mention on MN that their family called objects a certain name and only realised when they used it with a friend, that no one else called it that.

Oops. Wrong thread. GladI stumbled upon here though for the great macaroni and cheese suggestions.

Personally I cheat and use creme fraiche instead of making a sauce. It has a nice tang to it which I enjoy. Onion is a must and a little bit of garlic. And of course Colman's mustard.

I want to know what the word is!

Macaroni cheese needs fried onion & garlic (and bacon, if you're not veggie). Then it must have wholegrain mustard, thyme and nutmeg in the cheese sauce. The best cheese mix is strong cheddar and some parmesan.

I want to know what the word is!

Shock to mean a stroke in Glasgow. Only I'm from there and have never heard anyone say that.

Which type of pasta do you all use? I like macaroni but sometimes use penne or even farfalle.

Chopped bacon, fried until crispy.

From Glasgow and not heard that one!

To give it a bit more oomph -- use three or four small spicy chorizo sausages, sliced and fried in a little oil then stirred through the macaroni cheese (with all the lovely red oil) before it goes into the oven dish.

I use gruyère and parmesan cheese in the sauce and the topping. i blitz some bread, a knob of butter and more cheese into rubble then spread it thickly over the macaroni mixture. Bake till it's bubbling and very crisp.
You could also drizzle a little truffle oil over it as you serve it. Or Tabasco. Your choice.

I use packet cheese sauce and pre-grated 4 cheeses, and usually add in veg like broccoli or cauliflower, top with breadcrumbs - white sauce made from scratch cheese sauce should taste better but it just doesn’t!

I use wholegrain mustard sometimes, otherwise mustard powder. My mum used to put in a drained tin of tomatoes sometimes which was different but nice.
Sadly my family don't really like macaroni cheese whereas I love it :(

Secret ingredient: Sweet potatoes (also mustard and paprika)

Best recipe ever from Simply Nigella

Delia Smith's is lovely. Nadiya's looks good - she includes cheese puffs

www.besthealthmag.ca/recipes/butternut-squash-sage-cauliflower-mac-cheese/?_cmp=stf&fbclid=iwar06yhire4wro2fyu3li6w329nm8iir-akkzf3cv73vkmxbdfm5keyhiwyw
take it up a notch with veggies that blend right in and leave zero aftertaste.

I recently discovered the Macaroni and Cheese recipe from
manysimplerecipes.com/creamy-stovetop-macaroni-and-cheese-boiled-in-milk-main-dishes/
I was in a hurry and had a load of end of date milk to use, so with great trepidation, I put the ingredients together and then simmered the macaroni in the milk!
After it was off the heat, I stirred in cheddar and Brie and an odd end of Stilton.
It turned out absolutely gorgeous, needing no extra thickening.

I think the recipe would be a bit blander than what we usually have, so added my usuals: extra garlic powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce
With more time, I would have topped it with tomatoes and more cheese to go brown under the grill.
My macaroni cheese is never the same twice, as I always bung in whatever cheeses are about, usually tomatoes, sometimes capers, mushrooms, anchovies, bacon, ham, chives or olives.
But I don't think I’ll bother with all the hassle of making a cheese sauce, oven etc, when I can do it this way.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/macaroni-cheese-marmite made this the other day and the addition of a tsp of marmite is amazing !

I went off macaroni cheese as it always ended up dry. So now I do a cheesy pasta and don't bother baking it.
We use Gouda, Parmesan and Mozzarella and lots of mixed herbs and pepper.

You can bake it but I prefer it gooey. Still lovely with some grilled bacon and roasted tomatoes if you want.

Packet cheese sauce, leftover cream, bacon and butter with grated cheese on top

Penne rather than macaroni and we add cauliflower and lardons

Mustard and salt and pepper in sauce, fry some crumbled cooked croissants in olive oil and sprinkle in cheese on top

My DS used to come home from a friend's house raving about his mum's macaroni cheese and how amazing it was so I asked her for the recipe. It's now my failsafe one. I don't let myself eat it very often but everyone loves it:

www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/m/mac-n-cheese.html

Oh that’s a good point! We hardly ever use macaroni, preferring to use penne instead. I keep it gooey, don’t like it when it becomes too dry and stodgy.

Might have one last taste this week before I go back to low carbing...

@HaroldMeeker

This is a stupid question but how much cheese, for 2 portions, do you think? I feel I add loads but it's still not very cheesy. I use a mature cheddar.

Salt and mustard will both make the cheese cheesier, @HaroldMeeker.

I like to add crispy bacon lardons to my macaroni cheese, and I top it with breadcrumbs and cheese.