Hubby's 5 Star Blue Ribbon Mac & Cheese

How many ways can you make macaroni and cheese? Well... When I put my mind to it, if you count everything from the slightest variations, to your major transformations, my guess would be somewhere in the millions. Yup. I said millions. It's only human nature to want to put your own little stamp on something that you're creating via (or as you'll often see used around the food blog world "adapted from") someone else's formula. Especially something that you're serving to your beloved family and friends.

I have a tried and true "go-to" macaroni and cheese recipe that I've used for many years, but I've also tried at least 30 different versions of the dish at one time or another. It's not that we haven't enjoyed most of the versions that I've made, or that my old standby recipe isn't a pretty decent one. I blame it on a lifetime of going to potlucks, friend's dinner parties or family cook-outs and trying someone else's mac & cheese and thinking in that particular moment, that it might just be better than mine. You know how it goes, you eat something that someone else has made, you love it, you ask them for the recipe and then can't wait to go home and make it yourself. The problem, however, is that in most cases (at least in my experience, anyway) it rarely ever comes out tasting quite the same way that you remembered it.

Now, I have a theory about that and I'm not pointing an accusatory finger at anyone in particular, but I often wonder if the person giving you their "secret" recipe, might just be deliberately leaving one important little ingredient out. Maybe even two. And no... I don't do that. EVER. If I have a recipe that someone really wants, I just give it to them in its entirety. That being said, depending on the person asking, I do sometimes add just a teeny little disclaimer when I write it down for them. I simply state that I won't be held responsible for any kind of substitutions or changes that they choose to make. (you know who you are...) I think that's only fair, don't you?

So, as I mentioned earlier, the Hubbers has always been pretty happy with most of the variations that I've tried, with a few exceptions here and there. But this particular version was like no other mac & cheese that either of us had ever tasted before. And I mean that in a totally "knock your socks off" kinda way. The most incredible thing about it is that it doesn't have any bacon, or lobster, or white truffle oil in it. It was truly a happy accident. And, I simply can't take full credit for "recipe development" on this one, either. I have to share that distinction with, um, my refrigerator. Yeah... I guess I should explain that one, eh?

It happened on one of those nights where 1) you just know that you're not even thinking about entertaining the idea of going out to the store to buy a certain ingredient and 2) your brain kicks into gear and you start thinking, "Hmmm.... I wonder just how many different leftover bricks/bags of cheese I have in that meat & cheese drawer today?" You know the kind of concoctions I'm talking about. They're what I fondly refer to as "cleaning out the fridge recipes". And boy, oh boy... did this one ever work! The Hubster gave it 5 stars and a blue ribbon! And let me assure you my friends, that double distinction has happened only a handful of times in the last 32+ years. And that is why I call this recipe "Hubby's 5 Star Blue Ribbon Mac & Cheese".

Now don't be alarmed by the number of photos in this post. If you've been here before, you know you can just use the "Print Friendly" button in the footer of this post and remove any unwanted photos (or my rambling) before you hit that print button. And besides that, I can assure you that this Mac & Cheese recipe is easy peasy. (maybe I should have said easy cheesy. Hmm? What's tha... Uh, yeah.... right. No) Just remember: as always, make sure to get your mise en place done first and then in just a few short steps, you're about 30 minutes away from a big pan of hot, bubbly, creamy, gooey, cheesy, heaven on a plate!

Hubby's 5 Star Blue Ribbon Mac & Cheese
(serves approx 4 to 8, depending on serving size)

• 16oz Elbow Macaroni, cooked according to pkg directions
• 1 Small Onion, minced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Tbls Light Olive Oil
• 2 Tbls AP Flour
• 1Tsp Dry Mustard Powder
• 1&1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Cups Whole or 2% Milk
• 1 Lg Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 Cup Shredded Smoked Gouda
• 1 Cup Shredded Fontina Cheese
• 8oz Fresh Goat Cheese (Chevre)
• 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

(Set aside about 1/2 cup of the mixture of shredded cheeses (not the goat cheese) for topping the Mac & Cheese before baking.)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Saute the finely minced onion in a small skillet with the light olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until it just starts to become translucent. Add in the finely minced garlic and continue to cook, stirring often. Add in the 2 Tbls of flour and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to turn a light golden color and the oil is mostly dissipated.

2. Add in the dry mustard powder and continue to cook for about one minute, making sure that all of the onion and garlic pieces are coated and any oil that was still in the pan is mostly absorbed. Turn off the heat and spoon the mixture out into a large mixing bowl. Add the cup and 1/2 of heavy cream and stir to combine.

3. Next, slowly add the milk while stirring until everything is mixed well.

4. Shred your Mozzarella, Fontina and Smoked Gouda cheeses, if you haven't already done so. Also, crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it lightly with a fork. Pour the beaten egg into the cream and milk mixture and stir it well, to mix all of those ingredients thoroughly.

5. Cook your macaroni in a large pot of liberally salted, boiling water until it's al dente. (just barely tender) Empty the cooked macaroni into a colander, give it a couple of shakes and set it in the sink or over the empty pot to drain thoroughly.

**Kitchen Tip: If you overcook your pasta, it won't absorb as much of the cream and milk mixture while baking and your finished Mac & Cheese could turn out a bit soupy or runny.

6. Fold your softened goat cheese and the shredded cheeses into your creamy mixture. (making sure to keep out about 1/4 to 1/3 Cup of the shredded cheese to layer on the top before baking)

7. Add your onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir well. Then pour the drained macaroni into the bowl and stir gently to combine everything thoroughly. The mixture will be runny or soupy at this point.

8. Once the cream mixture, cheeses, seasonings and macaroni are well combined, pour the entire mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheeses over the top. Place the dish into your pre-heated 350°F oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated all the way through and the top is light golden brown and bubbly.

**Kitchen Tip: Sticking a butter knife into the very center of the dish and carefully touching it to your lip or your fingertip, is a good way to see if a casserole is fully heated all the way through.

9. Allow the macaroni and cheese to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. If it's going to be a bit longer than that before you're ready to eat, you can cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and place it in your turned off oven, with the door open just a bit, to keep it warm.

10. Serve with a big tossed green salad or another vegetable of your choice and some crusty bread and you've got a delicious, comforting weeknight meal.

Or, you can always serve this as a side dish, accompanying a lovely baked ham, a juicy roast turkey or braised pork shoulder, or some crispy fried chicken as part of an awesome Sunday Lunch or Supper!

Enjoy!

Mary

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One Pot American Chop Suey (Goulash)

I grew up eating goulash. Not the Hungarian style goulash that I've shared with you HERE. I'm talking about the dish that most New Englanders call American Chop Suey. So, where did the name come from? Well, according to Wikipedia, it got the name because it's "often a haphazard hodgepodge of meat and vegetables". OK. Sounds plausible to me. It's also called Macaroni and Beef, Beefy Mac and Hamburger Casserole in other areas of the country.

Regardless of what you call it in your neck of the woods, Goulash is a dish that transcends regional culinary boundaries and even more important, considering the skyrocketing cost of groceries these days, an economical and delicious way to feed the family a hearty, filling and most of all, delicious meal for virtually pennies a serving.

If you do a web search, you'll find that there are as many recipes for this dish as there are home cooks serving it to their families. But the basic ingredients are pretty much the same across the board. Ground beef, tomatoes, macaroni, onion and green bell pepper. Some cooks use tomato sauce, paste or puree and others use whole or diced canned tomatoes.  Some use onions, but not green peppers and some use additional veggies, different seasonings and/or toppings. It can be cooked on the stove top, or in a crockpot and it can be baked in the oven. I prepare it pretty much the way my mother made it, but I do one major thing that she didn't.

I cook it all in one pot. Yup. No more filling a huge pot with water and waiting for that water to boil. No more waiting for the pasta to be cooked just right and then practically melting your face off when pouring it into a colander to drain. And... That also means that there are fewer dishes to wash.

You're welcome.

American Chop Suey (Goulash)

• 1&1/2 Lbs Ground Beef
• 1 28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 14 oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Med Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced (I used green and red)
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbls Vegetable or Light Olive Oil
• Dried Basil
• Dried Oregano
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Water or Beef Broth
• 1 Lb Elbow Macaroni

In a large dutch oven or stockpot, drizzle in the vegetable or light olive oil and cook the onions, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat until they are just getting soft. Season with the salt pepper, oregano, basil, onion and garlic powders. I don't measure these but I probably use about a teaspoon of each.

Add the ground beef to the pot and turn the heat up a little bit. (about medium high) Cook the beef until it's lightly browned, breaking it up with a spatula or fork as it cooks. I sprinkle in a little bit more of the seasonings at this point, too. You want this well seasoned because you're going to be adding the extra water or broth to cook the pasta.

When the beef is fully cooked, add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and one full can of water or beef broth. (the 28oz can) Stir well to combine and allow it to simmer on medium-low for about 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered.

Add the box of elbow macaroni and if needed, another (small) can of water/broth. You want the liquid in the pot to just cover the macaroni once it's been stirred in.

If you like your goulash to be a little juicy, use only 2/3 of the box.

Partially cover the pot and simmer on medium-low heat for about 8 to 12 minutes. (depends on how much macaroni you're using) I give it a good stir about halfway through. Check it at 8 minutes, if you prefer your macaroni to be more al dente.

I usually make a big tossed green salad and slice up some crusty Italian bread to sop up all of that tomato-y, herb-y, onion-y goodness.

Hubbers likes grated parm on his (lots of hot sauce) and if he's not in a cheesy mood, he'll top it with a little sour cream. I use a little bit of shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack, if I happen to have any in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Mary


Wow! My Chicken Enchilada Lasagna was featured this week at Addicted To Recipes!


Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!

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Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!