On Macaroni and Cheese
A treatise on history and ingredients
Check out Amazon.com's macaroni and cheese recipe books.

Preparations

Macaroni and cheese has become one of America's favorite foods due to how inexpensive it is, how easy it is to make, and how delicious it is. Hundreds upon thousands of different macaroni and cheese recipes exist in cookbooks and on the internet, but by far the most popular one is owned by the Kraft Corporation. To make a Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner, all people need to do is walk into a grocery store, buy a pre-prepared box of macaroni and cheese, and then follow the instructions when they get back home. The microwave instructions to make macaroni and cheese, as found from Kraft Canada appear as follows:

Kraft Dinner: The Original No-Drain Microwave Directions:
  • Empty Pasta into 6-cup (1.5 L) microwaveable dish. Add 1-3/4 cups (425 mL) HOT water.
  • Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 8 to 9 min. or until water is absorbed, stirring every 3 min.
  • Add 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) butter or margarine, 1/4 cup (50 mL) milk and the Cheese Sauce -Mix.
  • Stir until pasta is well coated.

Makes 4 servings (3/4 cup/175 mL each)

The macaroni and cheese dinner from Kraft was such a hit in the United States and in Canada that the company came out with another version of the popular meal. They produced a line called "Easy Mac" that came in smaller packets with the express purpose of being available on the go. The Kraft version of Macaroni and cheese includes a cheese packet consisting mostly of processed cheese. Wikipedia.org defines processed cheese as "a food product made from regular cheese and other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, and food colorings.""Easy Mac" is a product to consume if you desperately need macaroni and cheese but there is none around. If you can help it, eat the original product. It’s better.

Kraft Dinner: Easy Mac
  • Separate pouches before preparing.
  • Pour macaroni into BIG microwaveable bowl. A cereal bowl just won't do the job. Add 2/3 cup (150 mL) cold water.
  • Microwave uncovered, on HIGH 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 minutes or until Macaroni is tender. Do not drain the extra water; you will need it to make cheese sauce.
  • Add Cheese Sauce Mix; mix well. If cheese sauce appears thin, do not put back in microwave. Cheese sauce will thicken upon standing (approximately 1 to 2 minutes).

Of course, not everyone is happy to just be eating the prepackaged meal from Kraft. Actually making the cheese sauce is a bit trickier than just pulling a strange powder out of a box. Also, making macaroni and cheese from scratch would take a lot more time and money since you would have to buy the ingredients you need and mix them together before you even start cooking the noodles. However, successfully cooking macaroni with cheese sauce gives the maker a sense of accomplishment. The cheese sauce is not pre-made. It needs to be built, shaped, and defeated. Victory is delicious.

Homemade: "Marvelicious" Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
  • 2 cups (7 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, optional
Preparation
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour, salt and dry mustard and simmer for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
  • Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups of the Cheddar cheese until melted. Add drained macaroni to saucepan and toss with cheese sauce.
  • Transfer mixture to a greased 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese on top (optional). Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings. (From Enquirer.com)

If you want to have homemade macaroni and cheese, but do not want to spend the time and money on cheese sauce, Velveeta is another option. Velveeta cheese spread can be used in most macaroni and cheese situations, helping to save time, money, and effort. Plus, Velveeta spread is a good way to tweak your recipe. Instead of focusing on the sauce, you can find other things to put into the dinner. It really is up to you. All you really need is basic starting recipe (which is graciously offered from http://www.cooks.com) and you are good to start experimenting.

Mac 'n' Cheese: Velveeta
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 lb. Velveeta pasteurized process cheese spread, cubed
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 c. (7 oz.) elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
Preparation
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Reduce heat to low. Add Velveeta cheese spread and milk; stir until Velveeta is melted. Stir in macaroni; spoon into 2-quart casserole. Bake 15 minutes. Garnish as desired. 6 servings. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Another method to making macaroni and cheese is to bake it. Baking foods generally makes them healthier, which is rather popular among the dieting. Also, baking the macaroni and cheese is a good way to convert a plate of cheesy noodles into a casserole fit for kings. Preparing the macaroni and cheese with an oven takes a little bit more skill than it would by just squeezing Velveeta out of a tube. There are countless recipes for baking, and most of them are different. The following recipe shows the variety of items that can be included in a macaroni and cheese casserole. Everything from Spam to onions can be included. Just because it’s healthier doesn’t mean you have to hate it.

MAC AND CHEESE BAKE
Ingredients
  • 2 pkg. Kraft macaroni and cheese
  • 1 lg. can Spam
  • 1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, any variety, as red bell pepper, broccoli and baby onion
  • 1 can Durkee fried onions for garnish
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 c. milk
  • Shredded cheese
Preparation
  • Bring water to boil, add macaroni and vegetables. Cook until tender, drain. Chop Spam and add butter, cheese mix, milk and additional shredded cheese. Mix well. Place in casserole dish and top with fried onions. Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.
(http://www.cooks.com)

Here is another variation on the baking method for cooking macaroni and cheese. Notice that there are a lot more steps in baking the dinner than there is for just cooking the cheese and noodles. Baking macaroni and cheese is more of an art. It may not end up looking as good, but it will taste fantastic.

BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients
  • 2 c. (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup minced onions
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 2 c. of milk or light cream
  • 1/2 c. dry white wine (or water)
  • 2 c. grated sharp cheddar (1/2 pound)
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (topping)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Cayenne to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
Preparation
  • Bring 4 qt. salted water to a rapid boil and cook the macaroni until not quite tender.
  • Drain macaroni and set aside.
  • In saute pan, melt 1/2 the stick of butter (or 4 tablespoons). When melted, stir in the breadcrumbs and toast just until lightly browned. Remove breadcrumbs from pan and set aside. Wipe pan clean with paper towel and re-use for next step. Breadcrumb topping: Melt remaining butter, add onions, and stir over low heat until onions are just translucent, but not browned. Stir in the flour and seasonings. Continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, then gradually stir in the milk or cream.
  • Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Add cheese and continue stirring until the cheese melts.
  • Combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce. Turn out into a generously buttered casserole dish (approximately 1 1/2 quarts). If you have any extra grated cheese, you can sprinkle this on top along with the 1/2 cup of buttered, toasted bread crumbs.
  • Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 20 minutes or until heated all the way through and golden brown on top.

The important thing to remember is that macaroni and cheese is a personal preference. All you need to get started is a basic recipe and the ingredients. After that, it is completely up to you. You will never have to worry about adding something that is not socially acceptable to be in macaroni and cheese because it is all personal preference. No one will be allowed to tell you that you are wrong because it is not their food. Put whatever you want in there. It is okay.

TANGY MAC AND CHEESE
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb. bacon
  • 1 onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 can Rotel
  • 1 lb. Velveeta
  • 1 (16 oz.) bag macaroni
Preparatiom
  • Brown bacon, then in grease cook onion and celery until transparent. Then cook macaroni. Add all ingredients together but bacon. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and add bacon on top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until hot.

There are many more macaroni and cheese recipes available at www.cooks.com. The actual cooking instructions for Kraft products are available at Kraft Canada. For best results, finding your own recipes is the best way to go. If you want to put pieces of liver in with your noodles, go right ahead and do it. After all, you will be the only one eating it. Macaroni and cheese is a food that has been around for decades and has taken on many different forms. Pick whichever one you like the most.