Ah yes, the smug European that has no idea that macaroni and cheese originated in Italy in the 14th century, was extremely popular in England from the 18th century, and was introduced to the US via France.
And yes, it’s cheese. Probably cheddar. You start with a bechamel and incorporate cheese to make a mornay sauce. Combine the sauce with the pasta and serve.
No. Combine the sauce with pasta, put it in an oven proof dish and grate extra cheese on top. Put in the oven until the topping is browned and bubbling. Then serve. (Also, add a bit of mustard to the cheese sauce, it perks up the flavour.)
Huh, I did not know that. Thanks! I was in a discussion over lunch the other day about chemistry - one woman revealed she was a chemistry teacher, which prompted an anti-science member of the group to scoff, “What relevance does chemistry have in daily life?” I gave cooking as a prime example of chemistry - cakes rise, sauces reduce, roasts brown. And now I can emulsifying to the list!
I agree with all points (mustard included, I tend to use a bit of a coarse ground brown), but go further: Add a little truffle oil (and I mean a little, truffle anything is kind of like mustard in the sense that too much overpowers the flavor instead of enhancing it so it should be on the quiet side of subtle) and some parmesan/similar before grating the rest of the extra cheese on top and it’s amazing. I also tend to add a bit of heavy cream and a little butter to the sauce. I don’t enjoy most macaroni and cheese mainly because people make it boring, but this is the perfect medley of umami, acidity, fat, and salt without any one flavor being too loud. As a side I usually split and roast a loaf of bread with fresh garlic and olive oil on top and roast up whatever cruciferous vegetable I have around. It’s a great comfort meal that I particularly enjoy on cold wet fall days.
Edit: a word
Just made some yesterday at the request of my kids. Boil the pasta and grate a bunch of cheese, mix of whatever you have, hopefully some is sharp. Pour the pasta out into a colander (actually mine was half cauliflower, also at request of the kids). Put a whole stick of butter (had 1lb dry pasta plus a lot of cauliflower) in the pot and back on medium heat. Into melted butter put flour to make a light roux. Once that is ready, add milk slowly, whisking continuously until you have a sauce like for biscuits and gravy. Then add the cheese, let it all melt, keep stirring but with wooden spoon; stir in some mustard and any other seasonings you want, then the pasta.
Into buttered dish, topping (I used bread crumbs, shredded cheese works, crushed potato chips also work, or any combination of these) bake at 400f or so until the top is golden.
So good, not healthy even with cauliflower.
No probably with mac n cheese. Mild problem with processed cheese but if actual cheddar is used, that’s fine.
What I do have a big problem with is kraft mac n cheese mix. Got my hands on an American pack of it and it was disgusting. Tasted like I had just drenched the macaronis in weirdly sticky butter.
There was a version where the cheese came in a can and it was fucking glorious, then they discontinued it and now its a powder and its fucking terrible.
That version still exists. The cheese is in a pouch instead of a can now.
What if I told you pure cheese is also made of chemicals? What if I told you you’re made of chemicals too? Would you stop eating yourself? I bet you would, you weirdo.
down voted by people who think any Kraft ceese is real cheese?
It is, you’re just using the FDAs god-awful definition from over 100 years ago that only cheese made in the specific traditional way is “cheese”
Kraft singles are American cheese: typically a cheddar and Colby jack mix with 2 specific chemicals added to allow water to stay in the mixture better. Boil them together, spread thinly and let harden.
Kraft singles have more chemicals and a more complex process so they can get as thin as they do, but they’re cheese by any normal person’s definition.
