It's Time for the Talk: the Truth about Macaroni and Cheese

Dearest followers, it's time. It's time to have "The Talk". The Talk about the nitty gritty. The Talk about the reality of the world around us. The Talk about the noodles and the cheese.

Now let's face it, I am rarely described as a patient woman. I am, however, often described as a woman who loves her cheese. Once, on a long cold winter night, I asked my dearest friend, Michelle, to make me her mother's macaroni and cheese. She then shelled out hours of her time and many of her dollars slaving over an amazing dish that I historically called "not as cheesy as I was expecting". This statement clearly began a curse that proved quite difficult to shake off.

Then, a couple of months ago, I asked Michelle to send me the recipe (yes, this is the Michelle of Delicious Enchiladas fame). She did, and though concise, I felt it adequately expressed the steps needed to acquire my own dish of creamy amazingness. I also thought that I knew better than the years of experience that went into the recipe and I thought that I would simply make it cheesier. I was wrong. The resulting sandpaper and noodles was so unpalatable that even Adam agreed we should throw it away. A mad cooking panic ensued, wasting not a few pounds of cheese and boxes of noodles, and driving me over the edge. Even Adam's grandfather commented on my inability to make this simple dish (although he did encourage me to continue trying). So I present to you the learning curve of the ever classic Macaroni and Cheese.

First of all, there really is a particular cheese ratio that makes the recipe work. THIS is an example of entirely too much cheese:

And THIS is how much cheese you are supposed to use:

In fact, it is exactly how much cheese you should use (when the recipe is halved). Turns out that if you follow directions, these things work out far, far better in the long run. It also makes a big difference if you use cheeses outside of the usual cheddar. Michelle suggested a bit of Fontina, which I've decided is my new favorite cheese (quiche recipe coming soon!). It's buttery, smooth comfort flavor was perfect to round out the sharpness of the cheddar and add another layer of creaminess. I probably would have shredded up the whole block if I wasn't determined to follow directions for a change. I can be pretty headstrong when I start to feel like a failure.

Then came time to make the Béchamel sauce. This is where my problem with patience comes into play. This sauce requires warming milk and flour...


...and letting it get thick, then adding in your cheese of choice until it is well melted.


When I first attempted this, I left the heat on through the whole process and ended up with a sad version of liquid sandpaper. In fact, I was so frustrated with it, that I gave up on the Béchamel sauce altogether! My next attempt involved a sad slow cooker recipe made primarily of evaporated milk and the tears of starving children. The sauce and I needed some time apart.

After a bit of counseling we got back together and learned that when you add your cheese, you MUST KILL THE HEAT. This is important. Turns out if you do it, you get a sumptuously perfect sauce that is fit to serve to anyone!


At this point I caved and starting eating greedily, but to properly finish this dish you should bake the sauce into the noodles and get a tasty cheesy crust on the top.

All told, Michelle and her mom seriously know what they are doing when it comes to the Macaroni and Cheese. The key is to follow instructions, follow them patiently, and trust in years of trial and error. I present to you, with some elaboration:

Mom's Mac 'n Cheese
from Michelle and her mom

8 oz macaroni, cooked al dente

2 and 2/3 cups of milk
1/2 cup of flour
seasoning salt
pepper

Stir flour, salt, pepper into cold milk. Cook at medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. If too thick, add a little milk. After boiling for at least a couple minutes, turn off the heat add the following:

4-6 oz shredded sharp cheddar
2 oz shredded fontina
a couple of slices of swiss, cut into small pieces
Parmesan if you like

Stir to combine. Drain pasta, combine with cheese sauce, and bake at a 375 until brown (~30 mins).