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The rise of macaroni cheese!

(110 Posts)
kittylester Wed 03-Jan-18 08:11:48

Or, rather, mac 'n' cheese. Why, what's it all about?

Macaroni cheese is a rather dull meal from my childhood, not really worth revisiting, and definitely not a 'side'.

Has anyone got any really delicious recipes to change my mind?

cornergran Wed 03-Jan-18 08:16:19

Sorry, kitty, in a word - no grin. Be interested if others have as our older two grandchildren say they love the stuff, never on the menu here.

kittylester Wed 03-Jan-18 08:18:05

It's a 'thing' isn't it, corner? tchconfused

Grannyknot Wed 03-Jan-18 08:27:08

We love Mac 'n Cheese, it's not the boring sloppy white sauce stuff, but made from my mother's recipe:

Make a base sauce of fried, chopped onion and tomato.

Cook the macaroni pasta.

Layer the onion and tomato sauce, then layer of pasta, then grated cheese (liberally). Repeat.

Eat until none left.

Beat 2 eggs into a cup of whole milk, season with salt and pepper and pour over the waiting pasta dish tilting it this way and that to distribute.

Bake for about 35 minutes until "risen" (it sort of puffs out like a pie) golden brown and the final layer of cheese has melted.

Grannyknot Wed 03-Jan-18 08:28:03

Oops "Eat until none left" was meant to be at the end grin

ginny Wed 03-Jan-18 08:32:17

Love it. Similar recipe to above but haven’t used the tomato except sliced on top. Accompanied by toast. Yummy !

ginny Wed 03-Jan-18 08:33:30

Oh, forgot to say , I put a little bit of mustard in the sauce.

jusnoneed Wed 03-Jan-18 08:49:49

I make it sometimes, nice with a mixed salad.
I make a strong cheese sauce and add the cooked pasta. Sprinkle some grated cheese and breadcrumbs on the top to make a nice crunch when it's baked.
I sometimes add some chopped, fried bacon. Never tried it with tomato in the dish although I have served roasted tomatoes with it as a side, with toast or garlic bread.

Maggiemaybe Wed 03-Jan-18 08:58:57

I love it. I just make mine the traditional way, with a white sauce base, to which I add loads of strong Cheddar and a goodly amount of mustard powder, then plenty more grated cheese to give it a crispy topping. The only thing I've ever added occasionally is a tin of sweetcorn. I think the tasteless stuff most of us remember was just due to stinginess with the cheese.

Greyduster Wed 03-Jan-18 09:03:53

I think it is the most boring dish on the planet, but my both DH and DD would eat it all day long. Like jusnoneed I think it is marginally improved by the addition of a bit of chopped ham or bacon (ANYTHING!!), but DH likes it straight (DD is veggie so bacon is a no-no).

J52 Wed 03-Jan-18 09:09:53

It was a staple meal when DH and I were penniless students! I used to crumble an OXO cube in for added flavour!

Smithy Wed 03-Jan-18 09:11:12

I used to dread this on the school dinner Menu, but you all make it sound delicious!

annsixty Wed 03-Jan-18 09:18:19

Not for me Thank you.

annodomini Wed 03-Jan-18 09:23:15

Macaroni cheese is my perfect comfort food. I got the job of cooking it for the family when I was a teenager. Strong cheddar and a dash of mustard were the secret to making it a very tasty offering and by no means dull.

Nwieaa Wed 03-Jan-18 09:36:47

I like it with crushed cheese and onion crisps as a topping!

Charleygirl Wed 03-Jan-18 09:46:48

I love it and having been without the use of an oven since before Christmas it is easy to make using a microwave. I intend to batch cook it today and freeze it having bought several single plastic lidded dishes in a sale. Cheap, tasty no nonsense food.

harrysgran Wed 03-Jan-18 09:48:25

Never made this before but now I've seen recipe going to give it a go love the addition of cheese and onion crisps

morningdew Wed 03-Jan-18 09:52:35

I make a strong cheese sauce add diced onion, diced cooked gammon add the cooked macaroni , pour into a dish scatter grated cheese on top then top with sliced tomatoes .

Ronnie Wed 03-Jan-18 09:59:41

It’s always a must at our family Christmas get together, my niece gets the job of producing it. The younger members of the family just love it & I have to say the dish gets bigger ever time, so what ever the recipe she’s doing something right! It is scrummy though?

mcem Wed 03-Jan-18 10:01:20

Lots of mature cheddar in the sauce. Add bacon and onions. The favourite topping here is a layer of sliced tomatoes then finished with cheese and breadcrumbs for a crispy top.
My late MiL made it with very little cheese but with mince and baked beans.
I hated it but the kids loved it - a treat enjoyed only at Granny's house!

Esspee Wed 03-Jan-18 10:11:40

Ginny, that is macaroni pie, I love it and it is great to take on picnics when cold. I fry the onions with red, green and yellow peppers and sun dried tomatoes if I have any opened. Quantities to suit your taste and I use a lot of freshly ground black pepper and a little salt when whisking the egg and milk. Fresh tomato slices only on the top, not inside and sometimes breadcrumbs mixed with the cheddar on the top. Well, that's solved what's for lunch.grin

Kim19 Wed 03-Jan-18 10:14:26

I'm with anno on this. The number 1 comfort food! It used to be scrambled egg as a child but now it's mc every time. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who deposits a portion on my doormat if she discovers I'm under the weather. Blessed indeed. And hers is far superior to mine which is a double whammy.

acanthus Wed 03-Jan-18 10:17:02

I love it - useful if you want a meat-free meal. It may be old-fashioned, but one of our daughter's friends has made quite a successful business out of preparing potfuls of the stuff and selling it at outdoor events, music festivals etc.

I also make cauliflower cheese (the only way I can eat cauliflower!).

Esspee Wed 03-Jan-18 10:17:06

Sorry should have acknowledged Grannyknot's original recipe.

luluaugust Wed 03-Jan-18 10:17:22

I love it but due to eating to much of it when we were first married and penniless DH can't stand. Remember doing a few streaky bacon rashers and tomatoes to cheer it up.