Rich and Fattening Macaroni and Cheese
This is the most wonderful mac & cheese, but a version I make only once or twice a year because it is too-too rich. Of course, you can use whole-wheat pasta, skim milk, and a diet substitute instead of the cream and butter, and 2% cheeses to enjoy this more often, but it's nice to have a really sinful dish once in a while.
This is the most wonderful mac & cheese, but a version I make only once or twice a year because it is too-too rich. Of course, you can use whole-wheat pasta, skim milk, and a diet substitute instead of the cream and butter, and 2% cheeses to enjoy this more often, but it's nice to have a really sinful dish once in a while.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pound velveeta cubed
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni noodles
- 2 1/2 cups light cream
- 1 1/2 cups cooper's sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 teaspoons white pepper
- 1/2 cup ritz cracker crumbs
- Carbohydrate 158.30467125 g
- Cholesterol 930.1175 mg
- Fat 288.18558 g
- Fiber 4.9225000333786 g
- Protein 94.6708475 g
- Saturated Fat 176.87579575 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1420g)
- Sodium 1979.308875 mg
- Sugar 153.382171216621 g
- Trans Fat 15.3968668749999 g
- Calories 3567 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350?.
- Cook the macaroni to "al dente", drain rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Mix the shredded cheddar cheeses together and set aside. Melt Velveeta cubes on low heat in ? cup of milk, stirring occasionally until melted.
- Mix cornstarch, salt, pepper and mustard together.
- Melt butter in a large pan. Add the cornstarch mixture, stirring to blend into a paste. To this add the rest of the cream, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 2 cups of the mixed shredded cheeses.
- Blend both melted cheese sauces together. Fold in cooked macaroni.
- Pour into a 9" x 13" greased baking dish. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese mix, and sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
- Bake uncovered until lightly browned, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Mix 2 heaping cups of fully baked diced ham or Polish krakowski into the casserole before topping with cheese.
Standard recipes suggest mixing ingredients blindly, but the ingredient quantities here demand precise temperature control to prevent the cheese proteins from seizing. Cooking elbow macaroni exactly to al dente prevents the pasta from turning mushy during the thirty to forty minutes in the oven, as starches continue to absorb moisture from the cream sauce while baking. Managing the dual-cheese base requires attention to the starch thickener and dairy ratios before the casserole ever hits the heat.
- Rinse boiled macaroni thoroughly in cold water to halt the cooking process and wash away surface starch that can make the sauce pasty.
- Melt the Velveeta slowly on low heat with a measured splash of milk to create a smooth emulsified foundation without scorching the milk solids.
- Whisk the cornstarch directly into the melted butter before adding the cream to hydrate the starch evenly and eliminate lumps.
- Bake uncovered in a nine by thirteen-inch dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cracker crumb topping turns light brown.
Refrigerated leftovers reheat successfully within three days if covered tightly to prevent the pasta from drying out. Subsequent warming benefits from an additional tablespoon of cream stirred into individual portions to restore the sauce emulsion.
