Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mac

My heart lies with Mac and Cheese. Really, if you know me, you know that I could eat it for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. It makes me so happy. My mom made it constantly, and she got me addicted.

Pioneer Woman’s Creamy Mac
Printable Version

4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
4 Tbs. Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
½ tsp. Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 pound Cheese, Grated (I used 8 oz. colby jack, 6 oz. velveeta, and 2 oz. american)
1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 4.

White Cheddar Mac

Yep, that’s right! Another Mac and Cheese to add to my list. This is Panara’s recipe. If you have never been to Panara, you are missing out! It has amazing sandwiches, bagels, soups and salad. AND, as of last year, this Mac and Cheese. From the second I tasted it I have been trying to duplicate the flavors at home. I have gotten close, but never hit it right on. Recently, Panara posted the recipe on their website! I made it immediatley and it was spot on! I changed a couple of things, less mustard, parmesan to top, and I changed the milk to cream ratio. We loved it. I will be making it again soon. Thanks Panara, for sharing the creamy yumminess!

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Printable Version

16-ounces pasta shells
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½  cups 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 slices white American cheese, chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
Parmesan cheese, to top

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is boiling, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Drain and stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Top with Parmesan and enjoy the creamy yumminess!

Serves 4 to 6
Recipe adapted from Panara.

Gnocchi Mac n'cheese

How on earth did I not think of this before?! Seriously, if there is a Mac and Cheese guru, it is me. I have a major obsession (confession: even with boxed mac and cheese!) with this comfort food. I have tons of recipes if you click here, you can try them all! I think in the future I will do a tutorial on mac and cheese. They beauty is you can completely change the flavor just by switching up your cheese choice. Yum Yum. This particular meal was so amazing. You can purchase gnocchi at any major grocery store in the pasta isle. Try it if you never have before, you are really missing out.

Gnocchi Mac n' Cheese
Printable Version

1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded montarrey jack cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and mustard. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Combine cheeses, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with additional parmesan over top.

Recipe adapted from thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com
Serves 2.

Bobby's Mac and Cheese

I heart Mac and Cheese. If you know me, you have not a doubt in your mind that I could eat Mac and Cheese EVERY day for the rest of my life and I would be completely and utterly happy. My all time favorite will always be my Momma's Mac and Cheese, but with this crazy "need to cook a new recipe all the time" attitude, I have to mix it up a little. I have also loved this Cheddar Mac and Cheese, and to make it into a full meal Creamy Mac with Parmesan Crusted Chicken rocks. However, if you want Mac and Cheese with some real Bobby-flay flavor, this is it. The mixture of cheeses makes this flavor so unique, I love it! My hubbs loves the bacon and the cayenne pepper to jazz it up a little, so really it is a win-win for both of us! Enjoy...

Bobby’s Mac and Cheese
Printable Version

Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1-inch-thick slice pancetta or bacon, cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) grated asiago cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Irish white cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated American cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup (4 ounces) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-by-10-by-2-inch baking dish and set it aside.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until lightly golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 3 to about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, 1/4 cup at a time.
Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Combine an additional 1/4 cup each asiago, cheddars, fontina and parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.
Recipe from Bobby Flay

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This dish was inspired by the Noodle Company. They serve a delicious macaroni and cheese and you can add some crusted chicken to the meal for just $2...anyway...this is not a plug for them, but for me! I wanted to try to replicate it...and this was pretty close! The flavor of the mac and cheese was just a little different, but O SO DELICIOUS! It comes in a close second to my Momma's Mac and Cheese. This is perfectly creamy and the Parmesan Crusted Chicken adds the perfect crunch.

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Printable Version

Creamy Mac and Cheese

16 oz. desired noodles

1 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup 1% milk

1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and 8x8 glass baking dish and set aside. Boil noodles until al dente, because they will cook the remainder of the way in the oven; drain.

While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Add cream and milk, constantly stirring, and increase heat to medium. Add 1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan, stir until melted and slightly thickened. Add noodles and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles. Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken, below.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/8 inch thickness
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, then eggs, then bread crumb/parmesan mixture. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium, being careful not to burn panko crumbs. Cook, turning once, until crumbs are golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.

Recipe Adapted from Giada

Serves 4.

Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Now, nothing beats Momma's Mac and Cheese, but it is Sunday, and I have absolutely NO Velveeta! Cody really wanted some yummy cheesy something, however, so I nabbed this recipe from Food Network, and changed it to fit our tastes: AKA SIMPLE! It was pretty much delicious, so next time that I am fresh out of the ingredients for the good stuff, I will make this again!

Whole wheat pasta

3 Tbs. butter

2 cups milk, warm

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Boil pasta until done, drain. While pasta is cooking, melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil, continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases. Stir in 3 cups cheese until it melts.

Top pasta with cheese sauce and enjoy! You can also bake this at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then eat it, I just didn't have time!

Momma's Mac and Cheese

So obviously I had a lack of similar noodles for this round of Mac and Cheese! We are a whole-wheat clan, but, as you can see, this is quite the array of noodles! It made it fun for a change. This is by far my favorite meal growing up. My mother never ceases to amaze me with this dish. And...the best part...dun dun dun...it is EASY!!!

Momma's Mac and Cheese

Printable Version

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup wheat flour(or organic wheat rice flour to be GF)

1 1/4 cup milk

8 oz. velveeta

1 lb. cooked pasta(Rice pasta for GF)

Alpine Touch (or salt and pepper for those of you not from MT!)

Melt butter and add milk. Heat on low, add velveeta. When all velveeta is melted, whisk in flour. Serve over cooked noodles and season with the amazing ALPINE TOUCH!

Chef's tips:

We are big whole wheat fans. If you choose to use wheat flour for this dish, slowly add it until correct consistency. 1/4 cup seems to be just too thick for me. As for the Alpine Touch. I have a MASSIVE bag of it, so those of you here in UT, if you would like to experience the amazingness of this seasoning, PLEASE don't be afraid to ask! Us Montanans put it on EVERYTHING!!!

Recipe from Mom

Serves 4.