I love macaroni and cheese. Who doesn't. I don't think I have ever had anyone tell me they do not like macaroni and cheese. But if you are going to have macaroni and cheese, it needs to be done right. None of this orange stuff in a bowl that it heated in a microwave. That is not macaroni and cheese. Follow me through my recipe for delicious macaroni and cheese and you will be delighted when you make it for your family.
Crest Avenue Macaroni and Cheese
1-1/2 - 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup real butter
1/4 cup copped onion, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-2/4 cups whole milk
8 ounces Gruyere
Cook macaroni as directed on package (usually 10 minutes in boiling water for elbow macaroni). Cook and stir butter, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
Place macaroni in ungreased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Bake uncovered in 375℉ oven for 30 minutes.
So, let's get started.
We start with the milk at top, butter, onion, flour, gruyere, salt and pepper. I neglected to take the price tag off the gruyere before I photographed this. I just realized that as I was posting. Yes, ... eight ounces of good gruyere will cost you $8.29. But it is so worth it!
Let the gruyere sit on the counter until it is room temperature. This is very important. Then cut into 1/2" cubes.
The elbow macaroni was cooking while I was preparing the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes in salted water, then drain, but do not rinse. Just let it sit in the colander while you prepare the rest of the dish.
I used the same pot I boiled the macaroni to cook the onions in butter and salt and white pepper. Watch this very closely. You do not want the onions to brown at all. You just want them tender. Stir continually. This will take one minute or less.
Once the butter has fully melted and the salt and pepper are incorporated, this is what you should see.
Add the flour and stir. Continue to stir until the flour is completely mixed in.
This is how it should look. You are working fast during these steps. A minute is about all you need for both steps. Lift the pan from the heat by one side if you feel it is cooking too fast. We are not browning anything. Just incorporating.
Stir in the milk and increase temperature to high to bring the mixture to a boil. Boil and stir one minute being careful not to burn the mixture. Remove from heat.
After about one minute, this is your mixture. This is perfectly done.
Drop in the cubed gruyere and stir until melted or at least until it is mostly melted.
Remove the macaroni from the colander to an ungreased casserole dish.
Give your cream and cheese sauce another stir.
Then add the cream and cheese sauce over top of the cooked macaroni.
Stir together using a rubber spatula. The one I used in the cream and cheese sauce is perfect. It has a nice sturdy wooden handle and the spatula is shaped like a large plastic spoon end but it is flexible. It will not tear the macaroni. Place the casserole dish in the lower half of the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn at 15 minutes.
And thirty minutes later this is what will emerge. The most beautiful macaroni and cheese casserole you have ever seen. This is hot. Hot, hot, hot!!!! It will need to set for at least 30 minutes before it is suitable for table.
I served it, cubed, on white plates with sliced, baked chicken breasts, coleslaw and gravy. I added some green and yellow squash noodles atop the chicken for presentation. And a drizzle of the chicken gravy over the mac and cheese cubes.
I simply cannot tell you how delicious this is. It is even better the next day. It is delicious hot. It is delicious cold. It is delicious with chicken gravy. It is delicious with marinara. It is delicious, ... period. I hope you will try it.
Crest Avenue Macaroni and Cheese
1-1/2 - 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup real butter
1/4 cup copped onion, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-2/4 cups whole milk
8 ounces Gruyere
Cook macaroni as directed on package (usually 10 minutes in boiling water for elbow macaroni). Cook and stir butter, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
Place macaroni in ungreased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Bake uncovered in 375℉ oven for 30 minutes.
So, let's get started.
We start with the milk at top, butter, onion, flour, gruyere, salt and pepper. I neglected to take the price tag off the gruyere before I photographed this. I just realized that as I was posting. Yes, ... eight ounces of good gruyere will cost you $8.29. But it is so worth it!
Let the gruyere sit on the counter until it is room temperature. This is very important. Then cut into 1/2" cubes.
The elbow macaroni was cooking while I was preparing the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes in salted water, then drain, but do not rinse. Just let it sit in the colander while you prepare the rest of the dish.
I used the same pot I boiled the macaroni to cook the onions in butter and salt and white pepper. Watch this very closely. You do not want the onions to brown at all. You just want them tender. Stir continually. This will take one minute or less.
Once the butter has fully melted and the salt and pepper are incorporated, this is what you should see.
Add the flour and stir. Continue to stir until the flour is completely mixed in.
This is how it should look. You are working fast during these steps. A minute is about all you need for both steps. Lift the pan from the heat by one side if you feel it is cooking too fast. We are not browning anything. Just incorporating.
Stir in the milk and increase temperature to high to bring the mixture to a boil. Boil and stir one minute being careful not to burn the mixture. Remove from heat.
After about one minute, this is your mixture. This is perfectly done.
Drop in the cubed gruyere and stir until melted or at least until it is mostly melted.
Remove the macaroni from the colander to an ungreased casserole dish.
Give your cream and cheese sauce another stir.
Then add the cream and cheese sauce over top of the cooked macaroni.
Stir together using a rubber spatula. The one I used in the cream and cheese sauce is perfect. It has a nice sturdy wooden handle and the spatula is shaped like a large plastic spoon end but it is flexible. It will not tear the macaroni. Place the casserole dish in the lower half of the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn at 15 minutes.
And thirty minutes later this is what will emerge. The most beautiful macaroni and cheese casserole you have ever seen. This is hot. Hot, hot, hot!!!! It will need to set for at least 30 minutes before it is suitable for table.
I served it, cubed, on white plates with sliced, baked chicken breasts, coleslaw and gravy. I added some green and yellow squash noodles atop the chicken for presentation. And a drizzle of the chicken gravy over the mac and cheese cubes.
I simply cannot tell you how delicious this is. It is even better the next day. It is delicious hot. It is delicious cold. It is delicious with chicken gravy. It is delicious with marinara. It is delicious, ... period. I hope you will try it.
