Do you think I could make this in a slow cooker? The first time I made this I followed the original recipe (meaning I included the nutmeg), but used your advice to puree the cottage cheese first which helped smooth it out. Use half the amount of flour called for in your recipe. it was both and it was a hit! Maybe a low quality cheese? My grandmother always made it with the large elbows, and I carry on her tradition at the holidays for my family that misses her. It’s centerpiece material. YOU LIFESAVER. Listened to you on Martha Stewart Everyday Foods last week while driving to my sons soccer game. Loved this recipe- for my teenage daughter I substituted quinoa pasta and skim plus milk. But there’s yet another problem: 2 teaspoons is 10 grams NOT 6 grams. I have been craving real mac-and-cheese for months! All of the joy of cacio e pepe with none of the hearbreak of the congealed globs of cheese we so often end up with making the classic version. Uh. Thanks, as always, for another winner! Remove and set aside. I then found the hatch powder and have added it to both boxed and homemade mac’n cheese. And, in the interest of fairness, I tested out one more stovetop technique from Smitten Kitchen. We are doing our best to pull of Thanksgiving while living out of the country. I really need that information. If anyone can help me out here, it would be much appreciated. Okay, I am making this for my daughter’s birthday party, I thought it would be perfect to warm up with after we all go to the Christmas parade in town…Wish me luck;-). Return pot to stove and melt butter in the bottom. I love Alton Brown’s Stove-Top Mac, it’s as easy as the box, but homemade. I’ve read that pregrated cheese has a starch powder added to keep it loose and separated. Not sure where I went wrong as I followed the recipe :(. Love this, I only buy the Annie’s brand because of all the crap in the Kraft version. Yum. Worked great! i admit to giving my daughters the boxed stuff pretty regularly, but have lately experimented with a few versions in the instant pot, which were universally hated (too soupy and clumpy!). I usually make baked mac-and-cheese, but just made this using your ingredients and proportions, Deb, but the Delia Smith technique (thank you, SK readers/posters! I just reheated it for lunch. The recipe is delicious! Used sour cream because cottage cheese is another Hard No. OMG! By my calculations, between those two ingredients alone, we are talking 250+ calories; add to that the butter and milk and you’re talking at least 400 calories for a HALF recipe. delicious with mounds of parmesan cloud on top, I have been using a very similar recipe (only difference is a higher sauce-to-pasta ratio) for several years – courtesy of a poster named “Canice” on the old Cooking Light BB. It is soooo rich and cheesy, and I agree that a little cheese on top makes a perfectly crunchy finish! and ten times easier than the recipe i grew up with. I ran into only one (human error) problem. Drain. told you I was lazy, LOL), mix those together a bit to make sure the pasta is all covered and distributed evenly across the bottom of the pan, and then top with 3-4 generous handfuls of shredded cheese. “Repeat as needed”?? I think I followed the directions, what could cause this? Both methods: Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping and add the rest, along with the uncooked pasta, to milk mixture, stirring to combine. How far ahead? I 4x’ed the recipe, which might have been the issue, plus we have way too much pasta and WAY more than 4 people would eat…. Ben and I made it in January (if you click on my name, you can read about it), and were immobile after ingesting all that cheese. I know you don’t keep a Kosher kitchen after your mention of Bo Ssam…! WOWOWOW!!!!!! I’m off to make the by-the-book version now. Thanks. I never measured the cottage cheese or sour cream, just mixed it in until it looked right. I have high hopes! until I read those articles about how much plastic is in that cheese powder from the production process. It’s what makes a good bechamel sauce shine. I’d considered tapioca pudding – because that’s my excess milk default – but now I’m all about the mac and cheese. I did this with sour cream instead of cottage cheese, and a combination of odds and ends of half and half, cream, and soy milk for the milk. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan. simply amazing! If I had thought about it, I probably could have guessed that it was going to firm up a lot, but it looked so soupy… it wound up a bit overcooked. I have a yen for a Noodles Romanoff. Got to love it. Yes. The Quick, Essential Stovetop Mac-and-Cheese is exactly as it sounds, a way better than boxed weeknight savior, and it takes, at most, 3 minutes longer to make (the 3 minutes you grate the cheese.) This was ours! also, can I use evaporated milk instead of regular milk? I was looking for a yummy recipe that wouldn’t take me all day long to make. So next time I will decrease the cheese to 3/4 lb and increase the cayenne a bit. Its a keeper. Thanks for the yummy idea! Made this last night. Otherwise, you might try ricotta (if it is available). Six years ago: Double Coconut Muffins I thought you’d love the lack of extra dishes required for this, being a tiny-kitchen-person too. Thank you for yet another perfect and simple weeknight dish, Deb! And Deb, your love for the orange powder is what keeps me coming back. While I was grating the cheese and sauteing mushrooms (I had some for using up) the pasta got nice and soft. AKA, did you know you can buy movie theater butter flavor on Amazon? I call it (so elegantly) Parmesan pasta.The most challenging weeks end with a bowl of this, some red wine, and chocolate ice cream. Jacob looks exactly like software would have predicted your child to look like with Alex, the perfect mix :D. Oh good lord, I just made this and ate it in about 25 min. Next time I will try using some sharper cheese at the end for the adult portion. I was skeptical since it didn’t require making a cream sauce, like most recipes do, but this one was absolutely perfect, especially when paired with a nice light salad. I made this a few days ago for my classmates and it was a big hit! If you like cacio e pepe, you need to try this: https://food52.com/recipes/75234-sue-kreitzman-s-lemon-butter-angel-hair-pasta it takes 10 minutes and is cheesy even without cheese :). Earlier on in the site, I always mentioned grana as an alternative but so many people hadn’t heard of it, I ended up just going with parmesan. Take stick of butter, cut into chunks and dot on top of pasta, salt, pepper add 2-3 cups shredded cheddar, pour milk over the top until it comes about halfway up the sides of the pan – pop into oven at 350. Always delicious and devoured. Deb’s Favorite Vinaigrette I’m broke and eat a lot of pasta with butter and cheese so this is a game changer. I was also tempted to use a crème brulee torch to really crackle it up, but then remembered that I don’t have one because my mean (hee) husband thinks I might be too clumsy to play with fire. This tasted okay but the sauce broke. As Deb mentioned, make a salad with it, and this will be plenty. How was cooking the pasta in broth sounds a bit interesting? I know she’s on the Food Network and therefore hated by many, but the woman can cook and her recipes transcend the originals that inspired them. So here I am again. I know I’ll try it soon just the same. It was always delicious and my children loved it! You are doing a wonderful thing. What timing! Catbatty. I’m hoping it’s a phase and by the time they have kids of their own, they will be eating healthy again. I made this and froze it (to eat in a few weeks when our baby arrives and I’m too crazed to make even something as simple as this recipe)… At what temp and for how long should I bake it when we take it out of the freezer? Happily, no lumps! I loved the cheddar comment at the end! Sometime I will try shredded sharp cheddar, & maybe less Parm, for a more sharp-cheddary taste. Onions? Kim — The other mac-and-cheese will probably freeze better. I just make a nice thick layer, then cover with foil and pop in the oven for the first 30 min. Certainly an easy recipe and with half white sharp and half medium yellow Tillimok this came out as tasty as it looked! I just made a triple batch (that’s a LOT of cheese). @Michelle (143)- If you are still checking this, I used your “lazy girl” recipe and it was the ultimate success! Despite my urging she did NOT do a cheddar/american cheese combo…I suppose I really didn’t care considering the amount that I ended up eating. It keeps the sauce from becoming too starchy and gluey after you add the pasta. So, I am always in search of fabulous Mac & Cheese, always convinced that no matter how delicious, there’s a better recipe to be found. Thanks for a quick and yummy alternative! Yes I am from Italy and can confirm this: Grana Padano is a perfect substitute for Parmigiano, especially if you manage to fin a well-aged type (say at least 24 months). Also, I thought the sauce by itself would be fantastic poured over steamed broccoli or cauliflower, or perhaps sauteed leeks. Just made this and added frozen peas. You end up with a thick top crust and a think bottom crust, which are lovely, but I ended up missing the gooey, creamy middle. Been drooling over your blog for a couple of months now and yesterday, while looking for a chicken recipe, saw this lovely mac one. It failed. Ten years ago: Pear and Almond Tart and Greens, Orzo and Meatball Soup Or maybe “separated” would be a better description. The noodles absorbed liquid well and yet still had a bit of a bite to them, like al dente pasta. I quadrupled this tonight for the family and served it with roasted green beans. I made it a couple of nights ago and it was *delicious*, but it was slightly gritty. It’s my go to for quick comfort food on a cold night! 1 cup Cottage cheese, full-fat 2 cups Low-fat or whole milk Cheese Recipes Pasta Recipes Side Recipes Lunch Recipes Vegetarian Recipes Kitchen Recipes Cooking Recipes Cooking Pasta Creamed Onions Nikki – I’m glad you liked the brownies, and hope you’ll love this mac and cheese as much. So than I decided to make it less creamy by baking it more. Thoughts? I think it’s hard to ruin pasta. They have different densities. I can’t wait to try out this stovetop mac and cheese! It tasted good but it definitely wasn’t “luscious.” It was dry and curdled. I used almost a tsp. Cool,it’s almost exactly the same as the 1784 recipe I saw on boing boing https://boingboing.net/2018/02/27/how-to-make-macaroni-and-chees.html Three: this is no time for whole wheat pasta or artisanal orecchiette, elbow pasta works best. Best attempt at this yet…this is my new go to recipe for baked mac n cheese! It was beyond amazing, and easy easy easy (as advertised!). I have EVERYTHING to make this at home and plan to do this as soon as I battle my way there from work this evening. Meant to add – I used a thick nut milk (Nutpods – combo of coconut and almond) bc I had no regular milk at home and it still worked great. It’s a snack a few times a week at least. It’s rainy, soggy, windy and cold here in Seattle and this will be the first time I’ve ever made homemade Mac & Cheese. Wondering if baking ahead will dry it out? This is AMAZING, the toddlers in my house love it, and I feel like a good Mom. I make the Martha version all the time but only half the recipe since we are only two people. Thanks Deb! Really, super delicious, and the leftovers were great the next day cold for lunch. It really hits the guilty pleasure but with real ingredients sweet spot, and is so easy for nights I don’t want to cook. I always ended up back at the Martha Stewart recipe. Delicious dinner last night and, reheated, a luxurious lunch today. Thanks! I don’t drink milk and never have any so I substituted reserved pasta water (risky but it worked) and added a little extra parm and holy cheesy deliciousness. Oh dear, I just made this for dinner tonight and I don’t know where I went wrong! I did a loosely mimicked (due to the constraints of what was in my fridge) version of this that turned out pretty well. Ok good job posting this just before lunchtime! This recipe looks similar to mine too. Great mac n’ cheese recipe. Used Grey Poupon as well b/c I didn’t have any mustard seed. I have made this several times now. Can you ask your dear Mother in Law if it’s a real Russian recipe or an American invention. Thank you for this! Cook it until firm tender, then drain. Oh gosh! Here’s an even simpler recipe from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/042wrex.html This is just ineffably perfect. it did – it was totally gummy. Kicking myself for the times I’ve made a bechamel when this existed. Whipped it up for lunch in less than 15 minutes, with ingredients I always have on hand. The best stovetop mac and cheese I’ve ever had, hands down. 3. I think this is the best mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted-and I was a big fan of the other recipe you refer to before this. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. A few other tips: I find using smaller quantities of water than usually recommended for pasta is fine for mac-and-cheese, where we want a starchier effect. Ever since my severe gluten allergy was diagnosed 7 years ago, I’ve been searching for ways I can still eat pasta with thick creamy sauces. Gradually add milk and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Sprouts carry the Mizithra cheese. I’d recommend dry mustard rather than prepared (and if you use prepared, don’t use that much and mix it in really well) but I think the hot sauce sub was just fine. The cheese had definitely separated, and oily liquid oozed out of the mound of macaroni. Sorry for the length, This was perfect, so creamy and cheesy. I love the addition of cottage cheese in mac n’ cheese. Did u use full fat? with foil, reduce heat to 350, 20 min. I tried just puree the cottage cheese first in the blender and was unsuccessful. Yikes! i.e. Any chance this same recipe could be done in the crock pot if I parboiled the noodles? So, I guess I’m interested in knowing which cheeses are worth it, if there are any spices that really need to be high quality purchases, when you really should splurge on a quality ingredient, etc etc etc. Can I substitute another ingredient (and please don’t say something equally as distateful, like ricotta) or can you pinky swear promise upon consumption that I won’t even remember I added the dreaded ingredient? I made this with ricotta rather than cottage cheese like a few commenters had suggested. This was sooooo good BUT my sauce curdled/ which happens every time I try a Mac and cheese recipe without a roux. Cutting it was into chunks first. I top it with a bunch of sauted kale, you know, to be “healthy.”. The secret is to underboil the elbows and let the mixture sit for at least overnight before you bake it. My one-year-old and I are scarfing this down right now. This recipe is very forgiving. I love this recipe so much! Made a different SK Mac & cheese based on a Martha Stewart recipe a few weeks ago that was amazing. What a great recipe!!! I did use spaghetti (it was already cooked in the fridge), which maybe made it all get stuck together even more, but I wish the sauce had been a bit more… loose. Just tried your mushroom lasagna, apple and cheddar scones. But it was actually a tasty, peppery addition. i double it for my family of 6 and we all eat until we are stuffed. I’ve made this with cottage cheese and didn’t like the consistency – even after pureeing it was a bit gritty. Thank you for posting this – it was perfect for my home-alone supper last night: something warm and satisfying using ingredients I needed to use up and so easy to make. Thank you 😊. 1. I tried the Modernist recipe and thought it tasted plastic-ey. Tonight I am cooking for 40 hungry Jews; 6x’ing this recipe. It’s crazy how often I think of the old CLBB regulars and wonder what’s happened to them, where they are, how they’re doing. I made a half-batch last night and due to family dietary requirements (my husband is mildly lactose-intolerant, altho he gets on better with well-cooked dairy, and doesn’t do well with sharp spices; Mom for whom I’m also cooking is *supposed* to be on a low-salt, low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, but owing to years of hot-pepper eating, has burned out her taste buds so anything not rather highly seasoned tastes bland/flavorless to her) made it in 4 individual casseroles. Second time: used Breakstone’s 4% small curd cottage cheese. W00t! I haven’t had curdling on this but it is near the top of my to-revisit list this winter so I should be able to tell you more soon. So, this is an UNHOLY amount of cheese to sauce. Muffy — where? It’s so easy and great for family parties. My husband–who previously said he didn’t think homemade could beat Annies boxed–has requested I make it once a week. This is, hands down, the most delicious Mac & Cheese I have ever had! It was better the second time I made it – I posted a comment with what I changed today, so it will be at the bottom of this page. so much more satisfying and classy. Smitten Kitchen. 3.5 Years Ago: Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Can it be put together in advance and baked later? Ah- one more question…how does this do when making ahead? There are 3 mac and cheese recipes on SM and personally, this one didn’t give me the cheesy ooze I want in macaroni and cheese. We only use Cabot cheese at our house because it’s Lactose Free !! Looking for simple, fool proof meals I can get the kids to eat on a raimy British camping trip. which we’d never had (we are from India, so growing up our intro to this was cartoons and syndicated tv shows). It was delicious. We went to Wichita for sushi last night, but the whole way down we were talking about this mac and cheese. I’ve been a fan of yours for years but it seems odd to me to call this recipe your own, even with the “adapted from” line when it’s almost 1:1 to the original New York Times recipe, especially when looking at your 2006 version of the recipe. husband, myself, sister-in-law, AND brother-in-law were happy all around! Give it a go! Second time for my husband who came home later than usual. I think I only have a blade option. It’s snowing like crazy here in London, my bank have left me without a debit card, my heart got broken a few weeks ago, and I’m feeling more than a little blue right now. It’s very, very easy to make (provided you have the sodium citrate), and you can experiment with a bunch of different cheese combinations. And, adding cauliflower? Last year I gave my brother another recipe (because he makes the Thanksgiving dinner)which was good, but this year I am submitting this one…..YUMMO. As does Arrowroot powder. It’s what you sprinkle on moussaka or pastitsio. Curry? IM-MO-BILE. I used Parmesan and a small piece of leftover Comté. Then let bake until the top achieves the preferred amount of cripyness. Made it tonight for a fantastic Fat Tuesday dinner and it certainly fit the bill! Sometimes add some cherry tomatoes or shaved proscuttio for more indulgence. Made this, but my kid (2yo) wouldn’t eat it – then he went and pointed to a box of mac ‘n cheese and said he wanted that (insert the palm to face emoji here). I make my mac & cheese this way too but after I portion out the kid’s shares (making a larger batch) I put some in a little ceramic dish with extra grated sharp cheddar on top and throw it under the broiler for a few minutes. ), haaaay! fat, protein, etc. It’s tangy and scrumptious. Good thing it’s a single serving. when I splurge and where I don’t. Didn’t have quite enough milk but I added a few tablespoons of water and hoped the full fat sour cream would balance it out. It’s a winner. Love it. It turned out very oily on top and not creamy or saucy at all. down. Heh. It’s a Greek cheese. Granted, I altered the recipe by substituting ricotta for cottage cheese, so this isn’t entirely a fair review, but I did not love this. I know, ew. Recently she’s been open to trying ‘white’ version and she loves the Panera one. Even at altitude (6200 ft), it worked! When I read this a few days ago, I figured I’d never have a call for just one serving of mac n cheese. 1. I only had gemella pasta, a twisty thick shape that actually worked–instead of 11 minutes, I cooked it about 8.5 mins remembering that you advise undercooking in the Martha Stewart recipe. Small recipe so great way to use up a little leftover ingredients when you don’t have high-quality dairy. 1-3/4 milk Bechamel sauces with low proportions of mild cheeses? Thank you for everything you’ve done with this site, you continue to amaze me. I’ll try completely off the heat next time as per instructions. Making it again right now. With onions. Jessie – What happened? Park Cafe has the awesomest mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted. Other than that I stick to the recipe (other than adding minced onion…). Did someone else turn the oven off? I intended to double the recipe for two of us, but only had 5 oz of pasta in the pantry (rookie mistake!) Easiest mac and cheese I’ve ever made, and definitely a repeat. There are no contradictions (none that I can see anyway). It didn’t form a thick crisp shell, only a thin one (I had centered it in the oven). You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Anyway, this was so easy and a crowd pleaser. I didn’t like it but yours sounds lovely. Hi Deb The amount of phthalates found in cheese powder was even four times higher than in other cheese… :-/. Hi Lauren — I don’t do beer and wine recommendations. Deb, I’m often disappointed with a lot of stovetop mac n’ cheese recipes because the cheese sauce was so heavy and overly cheesy (didn’t think it was possible, but yes, too cheesy). i always forget that boxes (particularly for products that have been around forever) have recipes on them and not only that, they are super time-tested and, normally, easy to adapt to my needs. or maybe subsituting fage greek yogurt might work as i have seen people using sour cream instead of the cottage cheese. very easy and satisfying; has a nice ‘kick’ from mustard, ground pepper and healthy dash of cayenne. https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/books/delias-complete-how-to-cook/all-in-one-white-sauce. Thanks for the quick/simple recipe. My mom never used the box. Great recipe for kids. Every recipe I have tried on your site has worked! you can buy movie theater butter flavor on Amazon? First time commenting, but a huge fan. Sprinkle in flour and whisk and cook 2-3 minutes. Muffy – I totally want to go to Nashville! I think it calls for liquid smoke which I eliminated, and I think I use more dry mustard. A few changes that have evolved over the years: I use corn flour instead of white flour as a thickener (got the idea from Heston Blumenthal) I thin the sauce with a splash of white wine or white sherry instead of milk, and some saved drained pasta water. :). Six Months Ago: Fried Rice with Zucchini and Tomatoes and Cheesecake Bars with All The Berries Can yogurt be substituted for sour cream? When it comes out, I sprinkle with another generous handful of cheese (no butter) and pop back in for the last 30 min. KikiLee – I’m so glad someone tried the crusty one! My cheese sauce did get a little stringy as some people mentioned, so I added a bit more butter/milk. Great recipe. I loved this. 1/2 cup (1 ounce or 30 grams) finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese Bring a small-to-medium pot of very well-salted water to a boil and add your dried pasta. To clarify, just the blade versus another food processor part? I’ve been thinking of mac and cheese for ages. It was very cheesy and sharp. A disappointment? It was DELICIOUS! Second time: already ground nutmeg. Curious if this will freeze and thaw well? For my daughter’s 4th birthday, we tried the Serious Eats version of mac and cheese that is supposed to taste like Kraft and it was a big fail! I also used mozzarella, the authentic parmesan cheese [not Kraft] and cheddar. I remember as a child my mother adding dried Coleman’s mustard to her version of mac n cheese. I hope you like it, too. Sarah – So easy! I experimented recently, making it in a slow cooker. I look forward to more yummy post. I’ve been using your recipes for a little over 4 years now. Love your site; even when you post recipes for foods I don’t necessarily prefer, your photography makes me want to eat it anyway! Blech! Remove from heat and stir in Combine drained pasta, spinach and cheese … Just made this with jalapeños and bacon! Yesterday I tried to make it. Almost everything else will be ahead of time or in a crockpot for a small quarantine group. That’s how it works, right? My fiance doesn’t even like macaroni and cheese, and he has been devouring the leftovers with me! Discover Pinterest’s 10 best ideas and inspiration for Smitten Kitchen. In fact my kids didn’t get it very often. This is way too delicious and easy to make. I quadrupled this to use a full pound of pasta. Definitely a recipe I’m holding onto! As mac and cheese cools, the sauce tightens and loses some of its creaminess. One note though – this recipe serves about 4 if making individual servings. With a 2:1 cheese to pasta ratio, it definitely made everyone happy, sure. I made this a few months ago and it was deeeeeeeeelicious. http://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/melty-queso-dip/. Deb, love what you do. And I love the KD shells with 3 cheeses so fear not, you are not alone. Oh my goodness! It tasted good but just didn’t hit the spot for mac and cheese that we were looking for. But they are possible solutions. Wow – I’ve made this three times and it was so sinful and delicious. Ok, best thing ever. It was a little flat for me. Perfect texture – the pasta on top was just chewy. I think you do need a lot of cheese that melts into strings (which ricotta doesn’t do, but cottage cheese kind of does), to make it cheesy. Luisa – Nice! It usually ended up in the compost. I think I cooked it too long because it was kind of dry. If so, what time and setting should I use? This is a keeper. You might need to experiment with amounts – I think corn starch is about half the amount of regular flour…. American cheese. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and boil noodles until cooked. My daughters, now 25 and 26 (how did that happen!) Mine curdled too. I love orange cheese powder and I do not wish to keep it to myself any longer. Yum! sad…. I ate so much homemade mac and cheese during my second pregnancy that it turned me off for years…! We also loved the Kraft box orange stuff. I just made it with 1/2 c 2% greek yogurt and 2 1/2 cups whole milk – delicious! 7. just tried this gem and it turned out fabulously! Deb, I have made this recipe dozens of times for myself and friends when I wanted some comfort food. This recipe really works. You’re very talented. We eat homemade mac’n cheese (The Joy of Cooking) and huge salads all the time! Highly recommend doubling it “for the kids.” It was also really easy, not harder than boxed and only a few minutes extra hands on time. We have been looking for a good baked macaroni and cheese recipe for awhile… so we were excited to run into yours. I let it cook for 10+ minutes with the oven turned off. This is not a quest for followers -scarcely ever use the platform- but I can be found on Twitter: @SoupOnSunday (and now you know it’s really, really me!! It was anything but. Okay, I’ll start thinking about it. it wasn’t bad, just kind of meh. And… it goes equally well with a beer or a foofy wine. YES – it was heavy – but my older daughter and husband loved it. Very rich and delish. Thanks! It would work well here. Thanks, I love your site. Mine also curdled! I love the idea of no-boil pasta and everything in one pan. I have tried Martha’s mac and cheese but didn’t think it was worth the time and effort. It’s so good, my friend asks that I bring it to her holiday party every year. I can’t wait to try this! Perfect fall comfort food; will make again.