{"id":740,"date":"2015-07-12T14:10:57","date_gmt":"2015-07-12T17:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ronspencer.com\/?p=740"},"modified":"2015-07-15T14:14:23","modified_gmt":"2015-07-15T17:14:23","slug":"mac-cheese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/?p=740","title":{"rendered":"Mac & Cheese"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"3419626839_2ea9b914f1_o\"So….a little help from the Pioneer Women<\/a>!<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing that can be said.<\/p>\n

But there is much to be eaten.<\/p>\n

Come, my child\u2026come. I shall take you by the hand and take you where you need to go.<\/p>\n

I shall show you the food that is solely responsible for my bones and tissues multiplying and growing at a young age.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s macaroni and cheese. And it\u2019s the only food I consumed until I was about fourteen years old.<\/p>\n

Come\u2026come, my child.<\/p>\n

I shall show you the way.
\n\"REE_2485\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Elbow macaroni. You can buy it in bulk, and you can buy it cheap.
\n\"REE_2483\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need butter. Regular, salted butter.<\/p>\n

And just note that I pretty much never use unsalted butter except for a few select baking recipes.
\n\"REE_2486\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

All-purpose flour.<\/p>\n

WHOLE MILK. Pretend there\u2019s a photo of whole milk sitting on a counter you can\u2019t see.
\n\"REE_2487\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Dry mustard. I love this ingredient in macaroni & cheese. It provides a tangy sharpness without injecting a definable flavor.
\n\"REE_2488\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1 egg. Trust me.
\n\"REE_2493\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

And cheese. One glorious, beautiful pound of freshly grated cheese. I\u2019m using all sharp cheddar today, but I almost always mix cheeses: Colby, Monterey Jack, Fontina, Mild Cheddar, Pepper Jack\u2026even a little Gruyere if I allow myself to be in denial about how expensive it is.<\/p>\n

But today, it\u2019s all cheddar, all the time.
\n\"REE_2496\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Cook 4 cups dried macaroni until it\u2019s very \u201cal dente\u201d. Keep in mind that we\u2019ll be baking the macaroni after we mix it together, so it needs to be quite firm when you bring it out of the water. I usually test a macaroni noodle about 5 minutes into the cooking process\u2014if it\u2019s too firm to serve and eat immediately, it\u2019s time to take it off the stove and drain it.<\/p>\n

Nutshell: Undercook the macaroni! You\u2019ll be glad.<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Set aside.<\/strong>
\n\"REE_2500\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Add a good teaspoon or so of salt to the water.
\n\"REE_2502\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt 1\/4 cup (1\/2 stick OR 4 tablespoons) butter.
\n\"REE_2503\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sprinkle in an equal amount (4 tablespoons) flour.
\n\"REE_2505\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Whisk the mixture together over medium-low heat (careful not to burn!) until totally combined\u2026
\n\"REE_2507\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Then continue cooking for around 5 minutes, whisking constantly.<\/p>\n

This is called a roux, which is the basis of a cream sauce or gravy.<\/p>\n

(I have another mac & cheese recipe that does not begin with a roux. Here\u2019s the link:\u00a0Not Your Granny\u2019s Mac & Cheese<\/a>.)
\n\"REE_2508\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Pour in 2 1\/2 cups whole milk. You could use 1% or 2%\u2026but why?<\/p>\n

Seriously, the fat content in the whole milk, in my opinion, makes for a creamier, more delicious mac & cheese. But I\u2019m not here to make anyone\u2019s choices for them so feel free to use a lower fat milk product.
\n\"REE_2510\"<\/a><\/span>
\n\"REE_2512\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Immediately dump in 2\u00a0heaping<\/em>\u00a0teaspoons of dry mustard.
\n\"REE_2513\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

You could certainly add another teaspoon with impunity\u2026but see how 2 tastes first. If you like it, dump in some more.
\n\"REE_2515\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, whisk the mixture together and cook for about 5 minutes. It will get extremely thick, almost like a cream gravy.
\n\"REE_2516\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

At that point, reduce the heat to low. Use a 1\/4 cup measure to retrieve a small amount of the sauce.
\n\"REE_2518\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Pour the small amount of sauce into the beaten egg slowly\u2026
\n\"REE_2519\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Begin whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.
\n\"REE_2521\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Keep whisking until mixture is cooled. This is called \u201ctempering\u201d: rather than dump the beaten egg into the very hot mixture in the pan\u2014which would result in the eggs scrambling\u2014you introduce some of the hot mixture into the egg.
\n\"REE_2523\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

THEN you dump the tempered egg into the pan.
\n\"REE_2524\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Whisk it together\u2026
\n\"REE_2525\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Until totally combined.
\n\"REE_2526\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now dump in all but about 1\/2 cup of the grated cheese. Look at this wonderful cheesiness.
\n\"REE_2528\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

And stir together until it\u2019s all melted. Go ahead and turn off the heat.
\n\"REE_2530\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time for seasoning! Add about 1\/2 teaspoon salt, 1\/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Lawry\u2019s.) If you\u2019re sensitive to salt, start really low and work your way up\u2026and remember that the cheese imparts quite a bit of salt to the mix.<\/p>\n

BUT\u2014and this is important\u2014be careful not the UNDERSALT the mac & cheese. It really needs ample salt to put the flavor over the top.<\/p>\n

*I also use paprika, cayenne pepper, even ground thyme every now and then. Play with different ground spices and see what you like best.
\n\"REE_2531\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, add plenty of black pepper, of the Black Dust variety. Honestly, I love freshly ground pepper\u2026but not in homemade Mac & Cheese. For me, it has to be the powdery stuff.
\n\"REE_2532\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now THAT\u2019s what I\u2019m talkin\u2019 about.<\/p>\n

And guess what? You can just steam some fresh broccoli and spoon some of this over the top. Kids from all over the land will show up at your doorstep.<\/p>\n

Did you know a single serving of broccoli is positively loaded with Vitamin C?
\n\"REE_2534\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now just dump in the drained, not-fully-cooked macaroni!
\n\"REE_2536\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

And stir the mixture together.
\n\"REE_2538\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I use a little less than the full amount of cooked macaroni, because I love it extra creamy and coated. Just add it according to how you like it.<\/p>\n

Now, you can either dish it up as it is right now, which makes for an ultra-creamy love fest\u2026
\n\"REE_2543\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

OR you can pour the macaroni into a buttered baking dish. This is a 2-quart dish, but a 9 x 13 pan would work just fine.
\n\"REE_2545\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Next, top the dish with the rest of the grated cheese.
\n\"REE_2548\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now bake it for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.
\n\"REE_2552\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Kinda like this.
\n\"REE_2553\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The secret to good, baked mac & cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom.
\n\"REE_2558\"<\/a><\/span>
\n\"REE_2559\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Hello, lover.
\n\"REE_2560\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve had a beautiful life together, haven\u2019t we? Thank you for allowing me to grow and develop.
\n\"REE_2567\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for making my life complete.
\n\"REE_2569\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

And thank you for being you: unpretentious, unrefined, and real.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So….a little help from the Pioneer Women! There\u2019s nothing that can be said. But there is much to be eaten. Come, my child\u2026come. I shall take you by the hand and take you where you need to go. I shall show you the food that is solely responsible for my bones and tissues multiplying and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[29,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bermudafoodie-2","category-food"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p82n0m-bW","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=740"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":745,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions\/745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronspencer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}