Martha Stewart's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish  
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn or diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces 
• 5 1/2 cups milk  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour  
• 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste  
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)  
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)  
• 1 pound elbow macaroni (or other small pasta shape)

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter (alternately, melt butter in the microwave). Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside. Pull out 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar, and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and reserve.

Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. In the same pot you used for boiling the pasta, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano. Stir reserved macaroni into the cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. If after 30 minutes, it's not browned to your liking, broil the topping rather than leaving it in the oven, which may cause the pasta to overcook and sauce to dry out. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Fried Mac & Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

 

1 (7.25 ounce) package macaroni and cheese mix
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup pimento cheese spread
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
4 cups peanut oil for frying, or as needed

 

Directions:

Fill a pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Drain. Stir in the 2 tablespoons butter, the 1/4 cup milk, and the cheese packet from the package.

While the macaroni is still hot, stir in the Cheddar cheese, pimento cheese spread, and Italian cheese blend, and continue to stir until melted. Place the macaroni and cheese mixture in a container and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the macaroni mixture from the refrigerator, and, using a cookie scoop, scoop into balls. Place mac balls on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Whisk the bread crumbs with the paprika, chili powder, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne in a shallow dish; set aside. Beat the eggs with the 3 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Remove the mac balls from the freezer, coat in the egg wash, and then dredge in breading.

Fry the mac balls in small batches until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain briefly on a paper towel-lined plate; serve hot.

Cheez-It Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

1 box elbow macaroni
3/4 stick butter
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups Cheez-Its, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped chives, to garnish

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 

Boil macaroni until it's tender.
 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add a splash of cream. Add a handful of cheese and stir until combined. Add another splash of cream and stir again, add more cheese and stir again. Repeat this process until you only have a little cheese left (reserve that to sprinkle on top).
 

Return macaroni to pot, pour cheese sauce on top and stir. Pour into an oven-safe pan or casserole dish. Stir in some crushed Cheez-Its and salt and pepper.
 

Sprinkle remaining cheese and Cheez-Its on top.
 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until Cheez-Its are lightly toasted on top. Serve with a chive garnish.

Sloppy Joe Mac & Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (1.3 ounce) envelope Sloppy Joe seasoning mix
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups half-and-half cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and sloppy joe mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain macaroni; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth. Gradually add cream and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well.

Spread two-thirds of the macaroni mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Spread beef mixture to within 2 in. of edges. Spoon remaining macaroni mixture around edges. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-6 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Mac 'n' Cheese Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

16 oz pasta
8 oz grated fontina
8 oz grated parmesan
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 whole head of garlic, roasted.
1 cup of cream
Bread crumbs
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, roast the garlic in foil for about 30-45 minutes.

Boil water for pasta and cook until al dente.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a pan, toss in the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat for 5 minutes. Add in the brandy and reduce to about half. 

Pour in the cream and simmer. Stir in the grated fontina until melted.

Stir in the cooked pasta until all the pasta is covered in the cheese mixture, pour in the grated parmesan and stir until fully mixed. Pour into oven proof dish or cast iron pan and sprinkle over the bread crumbs to coat.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For the actual grilled sandwich use thickly sliced bread. Melt a little butter in the microwave and brush one side of each slice. Heat a grill pan to medium-high and place a slice of bread butter side down, “spread” over a layer of the mac n cheese and place the other slice of bread butter side up.

Cover with the panini press and grill for two minutes, turn over and grill for another two minutes or until each side is charred.

Mac and Cheese Pie with Bacon Topping

Ingredients & Directions:

For Pastry

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
2/3 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
5 Tablespoon ice water

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
 

Using a pastry cutter, cut in the grated cheddar cheese and cold butter into the flour until the size of small peas.
 

Gradually add the Tabasco sauce and the ice water one tablespoon at a time until, when you press the dough between your fingers, it holds together. Do not over mix.

 

Wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator roll it out, about 1/8″ thick. Place the dough into the pie plate and crimp the edge. Using a fork, pierce the bottom of the crust several times.

If the dough has become soft from rolling, place the prepared pie plate in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.

Line the inside of the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, then remove from oven. Remove the beans and parchment paper and line the edge of the pie crust with foil. Return to the oven for 5-7 more minutes until the crust is golden. Remove. Keep the oven on.

For Filling and Topping

1 package of mac’n'cheese (premade; follow package directions)
1 package bacon

Fill the pie with the remaining mac’n'cheese.
 

Create a lattice top with bacon, making sure to cut the bacon strips long, since they will shrink in the oven.
 

Return to the 425 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until the bacon is cooked. Remove.

Serve with hot sauce and maple syrup.

Baked Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray 2 cups dried breadcrumbs 8 ounces small pasta such as pennette, shells, or elbows 8 ounces ground turkey or chicken, preferably dark meat 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese 1 ½ cups grated white cheddar cheese 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 2 cups chopped broccoli, blanched, see Cook's Note 1 pound asparagus, cut into ¾-inch pieces, blanched

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 12-cup muffin or cupcake pans with vegetable cooking spray. Using 1 cup of breadcrumbs, coat the inside of each muffin cup with breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, or chicken, if using, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Set aside and cover to keep warm. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the cooked turkey and the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the prepared pasta mixture into the cupcake molds, filling evenly to about 2/3 full. Place a few pieces of tomato, broccoli and asparagus in each cup. Top with a thin layer of the remaining breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes and carefully un-mold with a spoon.