The rise of macaroni cheese!

marpau yes I can remember that, it was often served, well slopped actually, for dessert at my senior school, I rather liked it, but have to say, I can eat anything and everything at all times

This is still the meal of choice for my adult children and was always requested for birthdays etc; even their childhood friends used to request it on days they were coming to tea with us. I make a really cheesy pasta sauce and serve it with tomatoes and bacon, or layer it with cooked mince, or serve it with broccoli or cauliflower. Toppings can be crushed crisps, or breadcrumbs or extra cheese with sliced tomatoes on top. The Wonderful Man once put onions in it and has never lived it down - the children were horrified!

Yep I remember the pudding version too!

I love Mac cheese, always have done but especially after a visit to the USA where I discovered it's even better when called mac cheese and has even more creamy cheese than I'd have used. I add all kinds of things but honestly, creamy mac cheese can't be beaten. In fact, that's what we're eating tonight.

Is there a particular cheese that's used in the USA?

marpau my husband introduced me to macaroni pudding when we were first married (56 years ago). We made it just like making rice pudding with evaporated milk poured on the top before baking to make it extra creamy. Haven't done it for years but the whole family loved it.

Love mac'n'cheese. Best comfort food ever. Doesn't need tarting up, it's perfection as it is.

We have a pub in Glasgow and they hold a mac 'n' cheese night xx You can have your wedding reception in their ballroom and have the mac n cheese as your meal!!

Oh, if I wasn't already married Leenyloo80 ..

I do a pasta bake with short pasta, lasagne mince and cheese sauce all mixed in and topped with grated cheese but wouldn't really think about that as macaroni cheese.

Yes marpau, similar thing to rice pudding but richer sauce - you can buy it in tins.

I put a teaspoonful of either Marmite or Vegemite
into the cheese sauce.

I make strong veg broth to cook the macaroni, really and small pasta. Penne is gc favorite. Too much sharpe cheddar in white sauce, nutmeg, gammon cubes, buttered crumbs on top. Scrummy.

I make a cross between macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese except that I usually do it with penne rather than macaroni.

I make a cheese sauce with extra strong cheese, some times adding odd bits of any other cheese which is leftover.

The vegetables (about 3 times the quantity as the quantity of pasta) might include cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, onions, celery, asparagus, beans or sweetcorn - usually three or four of these and sometimes some garlic. I would never use peas, root veg or leafy green veg other than spinach.

When the veg, pasta and sauce is mixed I put it all into a large shallow oven proof dish, grate more cheese on top and finish with sliced tomatoes, black olives, and sometimes (depending on who will eat it) small pieces of bacon or a few anchovies. Then bake or grill till the top is bubbling and crispy.

In the ‘50 if you were late into dinner you were someone’s directed to the veggies table. The first time I sat there I wondered what weirdness would be on my plate. Macaroni cheese - delicious!
One of my GC would happily have mac’n’cheese for every meal. While his siblings discovered new taste in the US he discovered new twists on mac’n’cheese!

* ‘50s
someTIMES
tasteS

We didn’t get that EDIT facility for Christmas!

It's comfort food!
I bought some macaroni before Christmas but haven't made macaroni cheese yet.
DM used to put whole tomatoes in it. I use strong cheese and some mustard powder and/or nutmeg in the sauce and usually mix strong cheese with a few breadcrumbs to make a crunchy topping

Ordinary white sauce with grated cheese added and nutmeg (my secret ingredient) pour said sauce over boiled macaroni of the cheapest sort and bake in oven for 35 minutes.

Note to Pendant's corner the Americanism mac 'n cheese really riles me!

Note to Pendant's corner the Americanism mac 'n cheese really riles me!
Me too, it's not even much of an abbreviation
Is it a MacDonaldism?

Love it. Cheese sauce must have lots of extra mature cheddar and some mustard. We add fried onions and mushrooms and a cheese and breadcrumb topping. Like the tomato topping idea too mcem.

Sorry haven’t read all previous posts.

I used to buy Amy’s Kitchen mac cheese but my local supermarket stopped selling it. It was all natural gluten free - macaroni made from rice. Totally delicious for a quick treat if I was out all day.

If making my own, I add mustard and cayenne pepper. Only ever buy mature cheddar but red !eicester would add colour. Sometimes add florets of cauliflower and/or broccoli, even chopped carrot (all previously cooked).

Served with chips here.

I make my cheese sauce with cornflour and no butter. Just beat the flour into the milk and heat. Much easier and there is plenty of fat in the cheese.

Just made some for lunch with left over strong cheese and added cream. Very ? yummy.

Tizliz isn't that a bit carb heavy?

Now, cauliflower cheese and chips, that's a different matter!

I make cheese sauce like that for just us, but if it is for cauliflower cheese when guests are coming, I do use the traditional roux method.

Cauliflower cheese in a jacket potato, yummy, particularly if it's leftover cauliflower cheese and only needs reheating.