Conference turris::cooks

    I also make it this way but with some minor changes.
    
    Instead of the milk I make a thin white sauce (butter and flour
    cooked briefly in a pan with milk stired in). I find it works 
    better because sometimes milk by itself fails to thicken and
    turns the dish into a disaster.
    
    I also add some chopped onion to each layer to taste and some
    pepper and salt to the top.

    I also like it with milder cheeses. This gives it a whole different
    character.
        
    My family loves this with chunks of leftover ham added to make
    it a main dish.

	This is the recipe my wife taught me... It's different from
	my mom's, as she made a cheese sauce and poured over macaroni..

	Anyways...

	Boil 1/2 lb. of macaroni.
	butter or PAM a 1 1/2 quart cassarole dish.
	open a 16 oz can of peeled tomatoes.
	cut into chunks 3/4 - 1 lb of Velveeta cheese.
	Layer the dish with macaroni,tomatoes,cheese...
	Usually about three layers..
	make sure to top with cheese

	Bake in oven about 1 hr @ 350 (F)

      That sounds pretty good! I'll have to try it that way the next
    time that I make it.
      
      I'm very curious to try it with mozzerella cheese and throw in
    some sliced pepperoni instead of using the cheddar and ham. Has
    any one tried this? How did it come out? I'm hesitant because
    mozzerella always seems to melt so fast, I'm afraid I'd over cook
    it. Is there a secret, or doesn't it work?
    
                                                                   
                                               Kim
    m
    

    Mozzerella, ahhh yes, I've tried that.  Imagine your hungry family
    trying to eat a bite of mac/cheese that will not end.  Strings
    of cheese connect what is on the fork to what is on the plate.
    They wind, and wind, and wind it up until the ENTIRE plateful of
    cheese is on the fork, and there are naked noodles on the plate....
    
    Well, this is a *slight* exaggeration, but do be careful when
    using mozzerella cheese in casserole dishes!  I've found that
    some extra flour helps, as does making the cheese sauce separately
    and blending the milk and flour and perhaps an egg into the cheese.
    But you might want to put scissors by each plate, just in case.
    
    --Louise

    Minor question...do you cover the casserole dish when baking??
    
    Thanks,
    
    Meredith
    

    Meridith,
    
    	I've never covered it, because I like it when the top layer
    of macaroni gets hard and crunchy. I don't see why you couldn't
    cover it if you wanted to. However, I can't promise that the top
    will stay soft.
    
    						Kim

    I suggest covering for most of the cooking time and uncover for
    the last ten minutes or so depending of the level of brownness
    and crunchyness you like.
    
    				Dick

    this macaroni and cheese recipe is from the "vegetarian epicure"
    and is WONDERFUL...i was never a m&c fan until i tasted this one...
    
    VEGETARIAN EPICURE BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
    --------------------------------------------
    
    3 cups Sauce Bechamel (recipe follows, or use any good white sauce
                           recipe)
    1 lb mostaccioli noodles (about 2 1/2 inches long, or use your favorite
                              noodles)
    4 oz. parmesan cheese, FRESH-grated
    3/4 lb. fontina cheese, coarsely grated
    salt and fresh-ground black pepper
    1 cup buttered breadcrumbs (i mix melted butter with FRESH breadcrumbs
                                made by blenderizing some good bread)
    
    NOTE:  both fontina cheese and mostaccioli noodles are readily
    available at just about any stop & shop, star market, etc.  
    
    
    prepare the bechamel according to the recipe, but add more thyme
    and bay leaf than usual. 
    
    having make the sauce, boil the pasta until al dente.  combine the
    grated cheeses and set aside.  butter a 2 1/2 - 3 quart baking dish
    (i use a 9/13 lasagna-type dish).   
    
    when pasta is ready, drain it and put 1/3 of it into the dish. 
    cover with 1/3 of the cheese and pour 1/3 of sauce on.  grate on
    black pepper to taste.  make 2 more layers like this, and sprinkle
    the buttered breadcrumbs all over the top.  bake at 350 for 15-20
    minutes, until well browned and bubbly.
    
    
    SAUCE BECHAMEL
    --------------
    
    3 tbls butter
    3 tbls flour
    1/2 onion, minced (i use more, but then i really like onions)
    2 1/2 cups HOT milk
    peppercorns (or grated pepper if you don't plan to strain the sauce)
    thyme
    1 small bay leaf
    salt
    grated nutmeg (i find i like to use a lot of nutmeg, but i don't
                   really know what "a lot" is)
    
   in the top of a double boiler, heat the butter until bubbly.  add
    the findly chopped onion, and let cook over very low heat for 3
    or 4 minutes...stir in the flour and continue cooking a few minutes
    more, then begin adding the milk.  pour in the milk bit by bit and
    stir with a shisk while you do.  the sauce will begin to thicken
    after a few minutes (NOTE:  it doesn't really thicken all THAT much).
    add pepper, thyme, bay leaf, salt and nutmeg; let it cook slowly
    for 10-15 minutes, then strain through a sieve (NOTE:  i DON'T sieve
    the sauce for m&c...why waste all that good onion?)
    
    

    1 pkg Cracker Barrel cheese - gold wrapper
    1 pkg Cracker Barrel cheese - silver wrapper
    3/4 stick BUTTER
    8 oz container sour cream
    3/4 cup milk
    1 lb macaroni (I like to use large shells - no not the stuffing
    shells!   :-)
    
    Melt butter in a large frying pan over low heat.  Cut cheese into
    ~1/2 inch slices (melts easier) and add to butter.  Melt over
    low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burned cheese.
    
    Boil macaroni.  Try to time it so the macaroni and cheese are ready
    at the same time.  I usually start melting the cheese when I add
    the shells to the boiling water.
    
    Drain macaroni - put back in pot it was cooked in.  DO NOT RINSE
    OR COOL!
    
    Stir in container of sour cream.  Stir in milk.  Add melted cheese.
    Stir well.  Put in baking dish, cover, and bake for approx. 30 minutes,
    or until bubbly.
    
    This freezes well, and makes great leftovers.  If it is cold when
    you put it in the oven, it will probably take closer to an hour
    to heat.  (350 degrees)
    

    I've been making this for 15 years.  It's the best macaroni and
    cheese I've ever had.
    
    			Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe

    1 7-ounce package elbow macaroni
    2 cups small-curd cream-style cottage cheese
    1 cup dairy sour cream
    1 egg, slightly beaten
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    Dash of pepper
    8 ounces (or more) sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
    Paprika
    
    Cook and drain macaroni.  Combine macaroni, cottage cheese, sour
    cream, egg, seasonings, and cheddar cheese.  Turn into a greased
    9x9x2 baking dish.  Sprinkle heavily with paprika.  Bake at 350
    degrees for 45 minutes.  Makes 6 - 8 servings.
    
    							Pat
    
    P.S.  It's good enough for company, and freezes beautifully!

    
    	Everybody thinks there macaroni and cheese recipe is the best
    and I am no exception.  I grew up with this recipe and have since
    come up with a few variations too.   As kids we used to fight over
    the buttered bread crumbs and cheese on the top.  
    
    			Macaroni and Cheese
                        
4 C macaroni cooked
4 T butter 
1 C grated bread crumbs
4 T butter 
5 T flour 
1-1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp pepper               
1/2 tsp dry mustard 
1 small chopped onion 
2-3/4 C milk 
1/4 C milk 
1 can campbells cheddar cheese soup 
12-14 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese 
    
Melt 4 T butter. Pour over bread crumbs and set aside. Then melt 4 T butter
and add flour, salt, pepper, mustard and onion. Add 2-3/4 C milk slowly. Mix
1/4 C milk and soup. Add to sauce. Add cheese, reserving 1/2 C. Put macaroni
in greased casserole and mix in sauce. Top with buttered bread crumbs and
reserved cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees. 

    
    Notes:  I usually half this recipe, thus I leave out the can of
    soup.  And occasionally I add worchestshire sauce to taste.
    You can also make "red-hot macaroni and cheese" by adding some
    hot peppers and the worchestershire sauce.  It makes an interesting
    variation.

    I grew up on the strangest macaroni and cheese recipe. I loved it
    when I was a kid but I'll never go back after tasting other versions.
    My mother's recipe goes like this:
    
    cooked macaroni
    can of Campbell's tomatoe soup
    pat of butter
    a couple slices of sliced americam cheese torn in small pieces
    milk to moisten
    salt and pepper
    
    mix all ingredients in caserole dish, put sliced american cheese
    over the top and bake. 
    
    It's really different!
    
    Linda

Re. -1

	Your recipe reminded me of the one my father use to 
	serve us kids on the weekends..  My mom use to work
	nights, so on Saturdays we had to be quiet around 
	the house..  The one bargaining chip my father used
	was his 'Goulash' as he/we called it...


	Cook 1 lb of elbow macaroni until tender..

	Drain... and put back in the pot..

	Put in some butter/margarine  (2-3 TBsp)

	Add two cans of Tomato Soup
	Add two cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup

	Add grated cheese...  (I've used combinations of
				American, Velveeta, Mozzerralla,
				Cheddar, Parmesian...  Anything
				left in the fridge..)


	I knew this is "BAKED", but it still was good...

	I've mixed up a batch for my kids occasionally, and they
	all love it...  Passing from one generation to another...

	Charlie

    re: .12
    
    Dump them macaronis in a mug of Campbell's tomato soup and eat the
    mess with a spoon.  Another childhood favorite....
    

    I was looking through this note for a different M&C recipe and decided
    to make up my own...it was really good.   Unfortunately, I did not
    measure the cheese so I am guessing.   If you don't think there's
    enough cheese, by all means, add more.  I think the more cheese
    the better.
    
    1 lb elbow macaroni
    1 can Progresso Mushroom Soup
    1 small can mushrooms
    1 cup milk
    1/3 block of Velveeta..shredded      (maybe 1 cup?)
    1/3 block of Sharp Cheddar shredded (maybe 1 1/2 cups?)
    3/4 tsp of Seasoning Salt
    Pepper
    
        
    Spray Pam all over inside of dish.  Put all ingredients in dish except
    1/2 cup cheddar & milk and mix up.  Add milk and put the rest of
    the cheddar (more if you like) on the top.
    
    Bake at 350 for 1 hour. 
    
    I think ham, chicken, tuna would taste good added as well.

  I have a question: How much cheese (assuming it is straight cheese and not
a cheese product such as Velveeta) should you use per pound of macaroni (be-
fore cooking) to make macaroni and cheese come out right? And how much cheese
should you use PER SERVING (assuming a Tobin's-size serving)?
  I am asking because the Tobin's caf here at LKG recently began serving mac-
aroni and cheese (their own, not Healthy Choice) in which I can't taste any
cheese. I have already complained on their postcard, but I don't expect it will
do any good, so the next time I complain, I would like to suggest how much
cheese they should use.
  As an aside, my mother told me years ago that if you make macaroni and cheese
with only mild cheese, you almost can't taste the cheese in it.

       <<< Note 749.16 by TOOK::MORRISON "Bob M. LKG1-3/A11 226-7570" >>>
                -< How much cheese in proportion to macaroni? >-

Well, it depends.  I'd say 1/2 pound of sharp cheddar per pound of macaroni.
But I wouldn't bother trying to change Tobin.  I just wouldn't buy their
macaroni and cheese!  ;-)

Here's my mother's recipe, which is excellent.

2 Tbs margarine or butter
2 Tbs flour
2 cups of milk (low fat or skim is fine)
pepper to taste
onion powder to taste
8 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar
1 pound of elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 large box (1 pound?) of Cheez-It crackers, crushed
1/2 stick margarine, melted

Melt 2 Tbs butter in saucepan.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  Slowly add milk, 
whisking constantly*.  As it starts to thicken, add pepper and onion powder.
Add grated cheese, stirring until melted.

Mix cheese sauce with elbows.  Toss in two handfuls or so of cracker crumbs
and mix.  Mix remaining cracker crumbs with melted margarine and use as
topping on macaroni and cheese.  Makes two 1-1/2 quart casseroles (and 
freezes well).  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.

* Basic white sauce!

NOTE:  Cheez-Its are small, square cheese crackers made by Sunshine Baking Co.