Twist my Elbow- Your Favourite MAC N CHEESE Recipe?

MaskedMarvel

Greetings friends!

As one of the sides for Easter, I’d like to do a smoked mac and cheese for my family. 

I don’t care for the drier versions. I like cheesy, stringy, and flavorful. Crispy browned cheese on top..

I’d love to hear your recipe!

thanks
8-D

FrostyEgg

Following.

lkapigian

My Award Winning Mac and Cheese 

Below is for a full size hotel pan 

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )
2 pounds Celllentani or large Elbow Macaroni 
1 gal heavy cream
2 lbs Sharp Cheddar 
1 pound Monterey Jack 
500 Grams Mayonnaise 
500 Grams Sour Cream
4 TBS hot sauce ( like franks )
2-3 TBS SPG blend 
2 cups Panko

Dice and fry off bacon till crisp ( divide bacon ) 
mix half the bacon with the Panko and set aside 
make a Roux with some of the bacon grease ( about 4 tbs and same with flour ) make a Bechamel with the Cream , add in cheese to make a Mornay , add remaining bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream hot sauce and SPG… Cook Pasta AlDente , add too full size hotel pan , mix in Mornay ( it will look a bit runny at this point , it will be fine ) and top with Panko Bacon mixture , smoke 275 ish for an hour or until browning around edges….. eat

Moleman

The kenji Lopez baked was mentioned on here before. It is my go to. I add hatch chili”s and some left over brisket. I also use panko instead of the bread, and bacon on top for the win. Broiler to crisp up the panko after the grill. It’s always a hit. 

Stormbringer

I use this one https://thecooksdigest.co.uk/2018/08/18/classic-crispy-mac-n-cheese/

Dyal_SC

KISS method here … 4 ingredients

4 cups mixed cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
12 oz elbow macaroni 

S&P to taste

Cook noodles, drain, combine ingredients, 325 deg F for about 35 minutes

If you like a crispy surface, add another layer of cheese on top. 

Guests usually ask for the recipe and get confused once I tell them how minimal it is. 

ColtsFan

I grew up on elbow Mac, velveeta, milk and pepper. It’s still my favorite. 

dmourati

Malcom Reed has you covered:

https://howtobbqright.com/2015/06/05/smoked-mac-cheese-recipe/

caliking

lkapigian said:

My Award Winning Mac and Cheese 

Below is for a full size hotel pan 

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )
2 pounds Celllentani or large Elbow Macaroni 
1 gal heavy cream
2 lbs Sharp Cheddar 
1 pound Monterey Jack 
500 Grams Mayonnaise 
500 Grams Sour Cream
4 TBS hot sauce ( like franks )
2-3 TBS SPG blend 
2 cups Panko

Dice and fry off bacon till crisp ( divide bacon ) 
mix half the bacon with the Panko and set aside 
make a Roux with some of the bacon grease ( about 4 tbs and same with flour ) make a Bechamel with the Cream , add in cheese to make a Mornay , add remaining bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream hot sauce and SPG… Cook Pasta AlDente , add too full size hotel pan , mix in Mornay ( it will look a bit runny at this point , it will be fine ) and top with Panko Bacon mixture , smoke 275 ish for an hour or until browning around edges….. eat

I cannot abide by this. Firstly, there are measurements... in at least four different units!

Now, please send one of those pans over, so I can see what it's all about

lkapigian

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

My Award Winning Mac and Cheese 

Below is for a full size hotel pan 

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )
2 pounds Celllentani or large Elbow Macaroni 
1 gal heavy cream
2 lbs Sharp Cheddar 
1 pound Monterey Jack 
500 Grams Mayonnaise 
500 Grams Sour Cream
4 TBS hot sauce ( like franks )
2-3 TBS SPG blend 
2 cups Panko

Dice and fry off bacon till crisp ( divide bacon ) 
mix half the bacon with the Panko and set aside 
make a Roux with some of the bacon grease ( about 4 tbs and same with flour ) make a Bechamel with the Cream , add in cheese to make a Mornay , add remaining bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream hot sauce and SPG… Cook Pasta AlDente , add too full size hotel pan , mix in Mornay ( it will look a bit runny at this point , it will be fine ) and top with Panko Bacon mixture , smoke 275 ish for an hour or until browning around edges….. eat

I cannot abide by this. Firstly, there are measurements... in at least four different units!

Now, please send one of those pans over, so I can see what it's all about

lol @caliking I was going to qualify the metric imperial conversions 

Botch

caliking said:
I cannot abide by this. Firstly, there are measurements... in at least four different units!

I noticed this too.  I can abide by weight measurements in grams and scants in tsps, in recipes, but nothing more.  NASA hurled a multi-million-$ satellite way past Mars, many years ago, 'cuz some pimple-faced UI grad mixed Engrish and Metric calcs in the same equation.  

HeavyG

lkapigian said:

My Award Winning Mac and Cheese 

Below is for a full size hotel pan 

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )
2 pounds Celllentani or large Elbow Macaroni 
1 gal heavy cream
2 lbs Sharp Cheddar 
1 pound Monterey Jack 
500 Grams Mayonnaise 
500 Grams Sour Cream
4 TBS hot sauce ( like franks )
2-3 TBS SPG blend 
2 cups Panko

Dice and fry off bacon till crisp ( divide bacon ) 
mix half the bacon with the Panko and set aside 
make a Roux with some of the bacon grease ( about 4 tbs and same with flour ) make a Bechamel with the Cream , add in cheese to make a Mornay , add remaining bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream hot sauce and SPG… Cook Pasta AlDente , add too full size hotel pan , mix in Mornay ( it will look a bit runny at this point , it will be fine ) and top with Panko Bacon mixture , smoke 275 ish for an hour or until browning around edges….. eat

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )

Nice flex!

lkapigian

Botch said:

caliking said:
I cannot abide by this. Firstly, there are measurements... in at least four different units!

I noticed this too.  I can abide by weight measurements in grams and scants in tsps, in recipes, but nothing more.  NASA hurled a multi-million-$ satellite way past Mars, many years ago, 'cuz some pimple-faced UI grad mixed Engrish and Metric calcs in the same equation.  

To be honest, when I decided to write it all down ( it’s a riff off of Malcom reeds , tweaked over the years ) I got tired of cleaning measuring cups of sour cream and mayo , so I weighed them lol 

billt01

lkapigian said:

My Award Winning Mac and Cheese 

Below is for a full size hotel pan 

2 pounds bacon ( preferably homemade )
2 pounds Celllentani or large Elbow Macaroni 
1 gal heavy cream
2 lbs Sharp Cheddar 
1 pound Monterey Jack 
500 Grams Mayonnaise 
500 Grams Sour Cream
4 TBS hot sauce ( like franks )
2-3 TBS SPG blend 
2 cups Panko

Dice and fry off bacon till crisp ( divide bacon ) 
mix half the bacon with the Panko and set aside 
make a Roux with some of the bacon grease ( about 4 tbs and same with flour ) make a Bechamel with the Cream , add in cheese to make a Mornay , add remaining bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream hot sauce and SPG… Cook Pasta AlDente , add too full size hotel pan , mix in Mornay ( it will look a bit runny at this point , it will be fine ) and top with Panko Bacon mixture , smoke 275 ish for an hour or until browning around edges….. eat

I'd make adjustments for a smaller recipe..
except for the bacon..the bacon stays..

fishlessman

this is the recipe i make, but its not the gooey melty kind you are looking for. i believe it could be made that way with some sodium citrate added to the milk, stuff really smooths out the heavy cheddars

https://www.nutmegnanny.com/gorgonzola-bacon-mac-cheese/

Elijah

Just made my first F#&$?! @ Mac and cheese. Dang good. @ikapigian

rekameohs

MaskedMarvel said:

Greetings friends!

As one of the sides for Easter, I’d like to do a smoked mac and cheese for my family. 

I don’t care for the drier versions. I like cheesy, stringy, and flavorful. Crispy browned cheese on top..

I’d love to hear your recipe!

This may not be a great fit to do on an egg, but it is a really good Mac & Cheese.
From our local James Beard winning chef - https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/the-pooles-diner-mac-and-cheese-recipe/

lkapigian

Elijah said:

Just made my first F#&$?! @ Mac and cheese. Dang good. @ikapigian

Awesome , a process but a winner !

Dyal_SC

This one was good. From the back of the box of elbow pasta. Already threw the box away, but pretty sure it was basically this, but I ad libbed a bit. 

16 oz box elbows, cooked and drained
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
S&P
4 cups whole milk
3 cups mix of cheddar and Swiss 
Extra cheese to top 

Preheat oven to 375 deg F

Cook and drain noodles, then to the empty pot add in butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and let the roux get happy. Slowly whisk in milk, S&P. Let thicken a bit. Take off heat, add 1.5 cups of the cheese and let the cheese melt. Add in cooked noodles. Spread 1/2 of the mixture into greased dish. Top with the other 1.5 cups of cheese.  Layer on the other half of the noodles. Top with another hefty layer of tillamook cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes. I used a 15x10 glass dish. 

Had a nice crispy top and the family destroyed it. Not the fanciest, but a good and simple home style recipe. Liked it better than my other 4 ingredient recipe shared above. Will be a repeater. 

danhoo

This one is easy, and you can adjust the heat up down or sideways as desired by changing out the quantity and type of pepper.
Lots of choices for cheese too. I've been using shredded Mexican blend from Costco because we have it and it works well and it is already shredded.

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni

4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons AP flour
1/2 teaspoon salt ( more if using unsalted butter )
< customize your spices for your taste. >
This is a fairly mild amount of spice:
heaping 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8+ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 + teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

Edit. I've been doubling the white pepper and HH paprika 

1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
( or 1 1/2 cup milk and 3/4 cup half and half )

2 to 2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.

Cook time...

Preheat your oven, or have a grill ready at 325F.
Get a pot of water boiling with salt added. You'll want it boiling when starting the sauce.

Have everything above measured out and ready to go before you start as there is no time once the cooking starts.

Cook the macaroni for 5 mins and drain while very al-dente.
The sauce takes about 5 mins so the timing works great.

Melt butter in a sauté pan, which is the final serving pan so it needs to be a decent size.
add flour, salt and spices, and stir while cooking over medium heat forming a rue
( about 2 mins )

slowly add half the milk/cream cook a minute or so then add the rest stirring all the time. I use a silicon whisk.
cook for a couple of minutes and when the sauce starts to thicken, turn off heat.

Add one cup of shredded cheese into the sauce and stir.

The macaroni is done about the time the heat is turned off on the sauce so drain it, and dump it into the sauce and stir.
Add another 1/2 + cup of shredded cheese and stir that in to the hot mixture.

sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese ( or more if you like a lot of cheese ) on top.

Bake uncovered at 325 for 15 to 20 mins.

Botch

Here's an odd collection of Mac-n-cheese recipes I just watched.  Yes, this should've been posted on Friday night, but hey.
 
https://youtu.be/S6AKDODgLwU?si=DhgVPCCcPOxT0dUZ

danhoo

I forgot to mention, I started using cellentani instead of elbow macaroni.

The extra twists are great for mac-n-cheese

Stormbringer

This is another one ... mushroom and spinach mac 'n' cheese: https://thecooksdigest.co.uk/2020/12/11/spinach-and-mushroom-mac-n-cheese/