I confess to having a huge weakness for Macaroni and Cheese. It wasn't something my mother ever really made for us when we were growing up, but something which I had at my friend's houses. I loved it then. I love it now.
There is no shortage of macaroni and cheese recipes here on the blog. Can you ever have too many recipes for mac and cheese? I think not!
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That's why when I saw this recipe on the NY Times page for Southern Macaroni and Cheese the other day I just had to print it out! The recipe was adapted from one by Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx.
Reading through the recipe and looking at the photograph I knew that it was a version of macaroni and cheese that I wanted to try, so I thought I would adapt it for a small batch recipe.
Small batch or not, it still makes four servings of the most decadent, rich and creamy macaroni and cheese you could ever want to eat! I kid you not!!
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It probably also has about a bazillion you don't want to know how many calories in it! I daren't even think about it. There is a reason why southern cooking is so delicious. Its loaded with tons of rich decadence and calories.
This is meant to be a treat. A once in a blue moon kind of a dish. One that you reserve for special occasions. With plenty of cheese and a gooey molten cheesy center, as delicious as it is, this is one you will only want to eat on very rare occasions!!
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Having said that however, it is also one of the easiest macaroni and cheese recipes I have ever made. There was very little fuss and no muss. No need to make a cheese sauce.
You just cook the macaroni, drain, and stir in everything else, layering the mixture in a buttered dish with a layer of cheese in the middle, and bake. You really can't get much easier!
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOUTHERN MAC & CHEESE
Simple every day ingredients. You will want to make sure that you use the best quality of these that you can.
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces (2 cups 228g) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (240ml) full fat milk
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces/241g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces/130g) grated Jack cheese, divided
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The recipe calls for elbow macaroni. I know that this is not something which is easily accessible in the UK. Just use the tubular macaroni that you can find there. Once in a while I could find the elbows at ASDA, but in the Greek food section Weird that!
You want to use a really good quality sharp cheddar cheese. I used a brand of strong cheddar that is imported from the UK that I really love. Cathedral City. I remember bringing a large package of it home with me when I came back to visit my parents a few years after I had been in the UK.
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I just knew that my father would love it. It was confiscated at the air port. I had no idea you couldn't bring it in. Back then anyways. It might be different now.
Did you know that they have food sniffing dogs at the airport? I also tried to take all beef hotdogs back to the UK when I returned. Also confiscated. I gave up trying to bring food back and forth. I don't know how my ex boss got away with it!
She brought back food all the time. She had a rule. Never throw out any American food, even if it was out of date. She said it cost her too much to bring it over. But I digress.
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Don't be tempted to use low fat milk. I don't think you would get the same rich silky milk/egg base that you get from using full fat milk.
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HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN MAC & CHEESE
Nothing could be easier. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente according to the package directions. (Mine took 5 minutes.)
Drain the macaroni well. Rinse with cold water until cold and then drain well again.
Whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl. Add the cold macaroni along with 1 cup (4.25 ounces/120g) of the cheddar cheese, butter, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well together to combine.
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Pour half of the macaroni mixture into your baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of the Jack cheese (97g) sprinkling it over the macaroni to cover. Top with the remaining macaroni mixture, spreading it out evenly. Cover the casserole dish tightly with a sheet of foil.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler/grill of your oven to high.
Uncover and sprinkle the remainder of both cheeses over top of the macaroni evenly. Pop the casserole beneath the heated broiler/grill and grill for a further 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown in spots. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
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And that's it. Nothing could be easier or more decadent. This is pure indulgence
If you are wanting a mac and cheese that won't quite send your arteries into a panic attack, might I suggest the following:
BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE - This is a much healthier version where half of the pasta is replaced with cauliflower and broccoli. Its fabulously tasty. I can promise you that you won't miss the extra pasta!
SKINNY MAC AND CHEESE - This recipe uses whole wheat pasta and also contained cauliflower, plus it uses lower fat cheese and milk. In using whole wheat pasta and then cutting down the amount by replacing some of it with cauliflower, you are using good carbs and increasing the protein and fiber in the dish in a good way. Its really delicious also! You can't go wrong!
Southern Mac & Cheese
Yield: 4
Cook time: 40 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 55 Min
I thought I had already tasted the ultimate in mac and cheese until I tasted this. This is incredibly rich and delicious with a gooey, molten center. Its meant to be a once in a blue moon treat. I would save it for special occasions! Its also very easy to make in comparison to other recipes with there being no requirement to make a cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces (2 cups 228g) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (240ml) full fat milk
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces/241g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces/130g) grated Jack cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente according to the package directions. (Mine took 5 minutes.)
- Drain the macaroni well. Rinse with cold water until cold and then drain well again.
- Whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl. Add the cold macaroni along with 1 cup (4.25 ounces/120g) of the cheddar cheese, butter, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well together to combine.
- Pour half of the macaroni mixture into your baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of the Jack cheese (97g) sprinkling it over the macaroni to cover. Top with the remaining macaroni mixture, spreading it out evenly.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with a sheet of foil.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler/grill of your oven to high.
- Uncover and sprinkle the remainder of both cheeses over top of the macaroni evenly. Pop the casserole beneath the heated broiler/grill and grill for a further 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Is the 8 oz of macaroni cooked or uncooked?
ReplyDeleteUncooked. That’s why I tell you to cook it in the recipe directions! Hope this helps! -Marie
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