The Pancake Chronicles

The Pancake Chronicles: <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">(Still) The Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the World</span>

The Pancake Chronicles

Friday, October 12, 2007

(Still) The Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the World

Hello! I would like to interrupt the recent slices of PIE for a sampling of The Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the World. And if a sampling for you is three large ladlefuls and drowning in ketchup who am I to judge?

Cheddary, creamy, baked goodness.
It is my favourite cuit au four macaroni et fromage. And if I wrote that incorrectly it's because I, Canadian girl that I am, never actually took French in high school. Makkaroni und Kaese? Germans? Help me.
Anyways. If you believe you have the best mac & cheese recipe by all means tell me. Please know I am not a snob about how incredibly tasty this is. I am willing to rip this recipe into a thousand pieces and name it Mud if I find a better one (when it comes to food I'm completely unfaithful). But it must be simple. If it gets too exotic (ie. ingredients not presently in my house) well ... for me that's what eating out is for.

The Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the World

2 cups macaroni, uncooked
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2½ cups milk
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ cups (6 oz) cheddar, shredded
2 oz. (roughly ¼ of 250 g pkg) cream cheese
3 tbsp
parmesan
¼ cup
onions, minced (optional)
¼ cup
breadcrumbs
1 tbsp parmesan

Cook yer macaroni. Whilst macaroni is cooking melt butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Stir flour in and cook for 4-5 minutes. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to keep smooth. Cook over medium heat until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Stir in dry mustard, salt, paprika, pepper, all cheeses and onions. Continue to cook until cheese is melted. Combine cheese sauce with cooked macaroni. Transfer to greased casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over macaroni. Bake at 350˚F, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
*

16 Comments:

Blogger Rachel said...

That looks absolutely delicious, comforting and I could go on and on. I love mac 'n cheese.
I use a recipe from 'The Rest of the Best of Bridge' that's pretty good. Sounds like I'll have to give this one a try...for scientific comparison purposes!

12 October 2007 at 19:05  
Blogger Talena said...

Sounds delicious, Colleeny.

Oh, and I tagged you.

12 October 2007 at 20:19  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not much of a cheese eater but this might just win me over!

12 October 2007 at 22:51  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Colleen! You have just made my day, just by being back in blog land. I wrote you a long message this morning but then the server went down and it got lost. The point being, I read your blog entries and had the biggest smile on my face - loved them all. I'm so sorry some of your holiday photos didn't come out, how very annoying. And the moment I find the ingredients to your macaroni cheese, I am going to throw a dinner party for my friends here and we will toast you! Seriously, I am so happy you're back and writing, I've missed you. Oh, and when were you in Haiti?

Big hugs to you,
xxxx

13 October 2007 at 06:40  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I LOVE mac & cheese! Just reading the recipe made me hungry for it. I can hardly wait to try your recipe. 3 large ladels full.

13 October 2007 at 10:26  
Blogger Monika said...

This sounds very yummy indeed, I may have to try this sometime!

13 October 2007 at 13:18  
Blogger Ace said...

This sounds evil. All evil sounding things taste utterly delicious. (Hence Devil's Chocolate Cake)

Please can you tell me when you return from your adventures so I am on it when you resume posting?

Thanks!

Missed you,
A. x

14 October 2007 at 05:03  
Blogger Colleen said...

Rachel - please let me know the results of your scientific research because, seriously, if your recipe is better I will promptly abandon this one. I've always wanted to get a Best of Bridge cookbook but am daunted by the plethora of choices. Which is the best one to get?

Scrap! Hello, you! I thought of you after I posted this, thinking is it possible to Maker this recipe? This mac & cheese is almost the only time I eat pasta anymore. I find that amazing! I used to pack away the stuff but overall it's lost it's appeal. Except when it comes to THIS. :) Anyhoo, it's cool how things can change, ain't it?

Oh Clara, if you are not much of a cheese eater than I would highly recommend you NOT eat this. If I hated cheese I think this recipe would kill me. ;)

CAT! And you've made mine! I was hoping you'd be back and wondered what the accessibility of "the net" was in Kabul. Hooray! (And I'm bidding fare thee well to the message that is eternally lost thanks to defunct servers. Poo. I'll just make up things in my mind and pretend you wrote them and then smile when I think of them ....) I'm so glad you like it here. I've been thinking about you tons and praying for your safety and whatnot. Hmmmm ... I'm having a hilarious time picturing a dinner party in Kabul featuring my baked macaroni and cheese complete with glasses clinking. I have never dreamed so big. :D
I was in Haiti in March-May 1998. You lived there for awhile, didn't you?
xo

Sonya - what??? no KETCHUP?!?

Moni - this no Makie. Hee!

Ace, Ace, Ace - how the heck are ya? Yes, it is evil. But in a good way .... Wait, is that even possible? When it comes to evil food I don't like to skimp on flavour so I just try (TRY) to slooooow dooooown and try (TRY) to remember the old "less is more" thing or "less is enough" or "enough is enough" or "______ is ______ but only when the ______ meets _______'s ________ ". Or something.
And I'm back. And glad to be back. xo.

14 October 2007 at 06:35  
Blogger villagegirl said...

I use the same recipe as Rachel and I think it is pure heaven. I could practically eat the entire thing myself. Yours looks pretty tempting though! I believe you can find the recipe on the best of bridge website. If you'd like to do your own experimenting.

14 October 2007 at 19:49  
Blogger Kori's House said...

Ok, I am with Rachel & Jill, will have to give this one a whirl and compare it to the other one.
The Best of the Best has 'velveeta', not cheap and I don't ever have it on hand. Will try your recipe looks like very creamy, yum!

14 October 2007 at 20:59  
Blogger Colleen said...

Jillian, Kori - I'm headed over to their website RIGHT NOW. I will absolutely test it.

Goodbye.

15 October 2007 at 09:43  
Blogger Mobachs said...

Colleen!!
I made this for supper tonite and David and i loved it.. i dind't think that Madi would eat it casue i have made her pasta before and she just picked at it.. but she ate 2 huge spoonfuls of it.. and she wanted patapata (ketchup) all over it... she loved it.. definately a new family fav!

17 October 2007 at 23:21  
Blogger Colleen said...

Anne! That's so cool! I'm pretty stoked. I originally got the recipe out of the Looney Spoons cookbook but made some small alterations - less pasta so it's saucier and instead of lowfat everything, um HIGHfat everything. :D I'm really glad you liked it and Madi, too! Is it challenging to find something all three of you like?

P.S. I also like patapata on my mac & cheese. (too cute.)

18 October 2007 at 10:21  
Blogger Mobachs said...

No not too challenging.. she usually eats what we eat..even if its just a little bit..she loves veggies and fruit..not a huge meat eater but she will pick at it. We aren't too picky.. as long as she eats something and tries everything we are happy!!!
She devoured another plate full of macaroni tonite!

19 October 2007 at 00:15  
Blogger Theresa said...

Ok, it is baking right NOW!!! Any way to make it bake faster?!?!?! I can hardly wait!

21 October 2007 at 18:18  
Blogger Colleen said...

Anne - so is there a sibling yet? WHEN??? WHEN???

Theresa - I'm sorry I missed seeing your comment until now. I hope you liked it. It's my FAVE. But then you know that already. :)

3 November 2007 at 17:08  

any questions?

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