Better Than Nana's Mac and Cheese
My Nana used to make the best macaroni and cheese. I watched her make it for years and called her each time I'd make it from my own home in my twenties. Now...I've made a few updates and it's "Better than Nana's Mac and Cheese"
My Nana used to make the best macaroni and cheese. I watched her make it for years and called her each time I'd make it from my own home in my twenties. Now...I've made a few updates and it's "Better than Nana's Mac and Cheese"
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 8 oz new york cheddar in a brick ... not pre-shredded
- 8 oz sharp cheddar in a brick ... not pre-shredded
- 8 oz swiss in a brick ... not pre-shredded
- 1 box dreamfields elbow pasta
- 2 tbls butter please use real butter
- 2 tbls kosher salt
- 1 tbls white pepper freshly ground when possible
- 1 tsp nutmeg freshly ground when possible
- 1 tbls dehydrated onion this works best with this dish
- 1.5 can 2% milk use the mushroom soup can to measure
- 1 bag leftover potato chips crush 'em up real good
- 8x8 glass baking dish
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 large bowl for mixing
- 1 food processor
- 1 large whisk
- 1 paper towel
- Carbohydrate 49.4509457236842 g
- Cholesterol 98.1295 mg
- Fat 37.5565407017544 g
- Fiber 2.29288639951944 g
- Protein 30.4388099122807 g
- Saturated Fat 21.147986 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (250g)
- Sodium 2498.879625 mg
- Sugar 47.1580593241648 g
- Trans Fat 3.60936932675439 g
- Calories 658 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Slice off 1 tablespoon butter and grease the dish using a paper towel.
- This is used for those that appreciate the crispy edges of baked Mac 'n Cheese.
- Set the dish aside.
- Grate all the cheeses in the food processor and put in the mixing bowl.
- Bring water to a boil and add 1 T Kosher salt.
- This flavors the pasta.
- Cook Dreamfields Elbows as directed, shy of 2 minutes to al dente.
- Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add to the cheese in the mixing bowl.
- In the same pan used to cook pasta, whisk the soup and milk and heat over a medium low setting.
- Add the remaining Kosher salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder and dehydrated onion.
- Bring to a slight simmer.
- Pour the soup mixture over the pasta and cheese and combine thoroughly.
- Pour the pasta, cheese and soup mixture in to the baking dish.
- Crumble the potato chips over the dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and edges are clearly yummily-crispy.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes (if you can) before serving.
- This will allow the delishousness to set up before you dig in.
- Enjoy!
Grated block cheese melts significantly better than pre-shredded varieties because industrial anti-caking agents like cellulose are absent. Grating your own New York cheddar, sharp cheddar, and Swiss in a food processor removes those unwanted coatings, ensuring a smooth emulsion when mixed with the warm dairy base. Pre-shredded bags are coated in starches designed to prevent clumping in the bag, which directly works against the smooth, cohesive sauce required for a rich pasta bake. When selecting cheeses, consider how fat content and aging affect meltability. Younger cheeses retain more moisture, while sharper, aged cheeses break down into oil when heated too quickly. Combining sharp cheddar, mild New York cheddar, and Swiss balances moisture levels and prevents the sauce from graining out.
Dairy availability shifts throughout the year, but standard 2% milk combined with canned cream of mushroom soup creates a reliable, high-protein velouté base without requiring a from-scratch roux. Whisking the soup and milk over medium-low heat allows the starches in the canned soup to hydrate fully without scorching the milk proteins on the bottom of the saucepan. Adding freshly ground white pepper and nutmeg introduces aromatic warmth that cuts through the dense fat content of the three-cheese blend. Freshly ground spices impart volatile oils that stale pre-ground powders lack, which is critical in a dish featuring high dairy fat.
Boiling the pasta two minutes shy of the package directions leaves the internal starch structure firm, preventing the noodles from turning mushy as they absorb moisture during the 45-minute baking time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Letting the finished bake rest for 15 minutes before serving drops the internal temperature enough for the melted proteins to firm up, yielding clean portions rather than a loose soup. Crushed potato chips baked on top add a dry, salted crunch that contrasts against the tender interior.
