I checked my cell phone and saw a missed call from lil' sis. That's strange. She almost never calls me, preferring instead to text message. She's sick. Been feeling sick for the past three days. Tried to go grocery shopping but all the food made her nauseous. She ate all the food I had made and froze for her. And how come I'm not there to take care of her? If she were home, she'd crawl into bed with me, but since she's not, she just wanted to whine on the phone.
I told her I just made a big batch of mac and cheese.
Ooooh, can I save some for her because she's coming home this weekend?
I told her I made such a big batch that I divided it and froze it into packets for her to bring back to school.
Macaroni and Cheese
For about six servings:
You'll need:
Bechamel Sauce (You can easily halve the recipe.)
1 1-lb bag of macaroni noodles, boiled and drained
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt, or more according to taste
Optional: 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 diced onion, cayenne pepper, chicken, canned tuna, broccoli, anything you wish really!
Prepare the bechamel sauce per my instructions. If you'd like to add the minced garlic or onion, add those to the butter before you put in the flour so it gets incorporated into the sauce. I highly suggest doing this as it lends another dimension to the cheesy sauce.
Add 8 oz grated cheddar cheese. I like Texas Longhorn cheddar or extra sharp cheddar but it's up to you. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until the cheese has melted. I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper at this point, or garlic seasoning if you didn't want to add minced garlic before.
Then add the boiled and drained macaroni noodles.
That's it!
Homemade mac and cheese that's not made of powdered orange cheese. And in about the same amount of time too.
Enjoy!
Who made my recipe for mac and cheese?
Christine||enitsirhC said, "I've never made homemade stovetop mac 'n cheese, but her recipe looked yummy and approachable for a rookie like me."
My other mac and cheese recipes:
Macaroni and Cheese with Beef and Tomatoes
Spicy Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken
*****
1 year ago today, Chao Hot Vit Bach Thao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Preserved Duck Egg).
Poor lil' Sis! Hope she feels better soon. I was cleaning out my freezer last night and wishing for the 100th time that I still had my second refrigerator... to store pho broth and mac n cheese and soups and and and...
ReplyDeleteStill to catch up on your terrific Greek posts...
('tis me, nikkipolani, unable to post comments using the OpenID thingy today)
This is why everyone should know how to make bechamel! I also make a Gorgonzola version. Who said home-made has to be difficult or time-consuming? Seriously, this could put Kraft out of business.
ReplyDelete*squeals with glee*
ReplyDeleteI love mac 'n cheese! I've never made bechamel sauce before, but it looks simple enough.
Hope your sister gets well soon!
Hope your sister feels better! I'm a lil sis myself, however my older brother isn't quite culinarily blessed. This mac 'n cheese would definitely make me feel better!
ReplyDeleteI presume this bechamel is leftover from when you made Patstistio?
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see Mac & cheese bck through the reader and it's nigh for me to make a batch, hopefully as appetizing as yours.
Oh, that mac and cheese should help make your sis feel better when she comes home!
ReplyDeleteIt looks delicious! I like how you serve a great Western classic in an Asian-style bowl!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm....there's nothing like some homemade mac-n-cheese on a chilly day!
ReplyDeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteHuh! Wonder how come the Open ID thing isn't working for you? I wish I had a larger freezer space. My fridge is tiny.
Darlene,
Ooh, I bet mac and gorgonzola cheese would be awesome.
Christine,
Some people add eggs or hot milk, which can make the whole process a little harder. My method works for me so that's good enough.
Sharon,
Aw, that's too bad. Everyone needs a sibling who can make comfort food for when you're sick.
Peter,
Actually, I used all of the previous bechamel on the pastitsio. Still had too much milk left over though so that's why I made the mac and cheese. My sister says she might even like the pastitsio more than regular lasagna.
Pam,
It perked her up the minute she heard I made mac and cheese.
Miss.Adventure,
It's whatever bowl I happen to have on hand. :P
Jonathan,
Haha. "Chilly" here is 60 degrees. :P
I tried making this, but I think I did something wrong. The bechamel texture was somewhat grainy so the resulting mac and cheese tasted like cheesy mashed potatoes. It was good, but how do I make it more creamy and less grainy?
ReplyDeleteAznsouris,
ReplyDeleteHmm. Grainy? Did the flour completely dissolve? Maybe you need to stir it more so it gets incorporated better with the milk? Let it simmer just a bit longer? Hope that helps!
aw what a good sister. looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteTania,
ReplyDeleteLil' sis was pretty happy.
I made this last night and it turned out great! Your bechamel recipe and tips were helpful. I'm glad that I can freeze it and have yummy, homemade mac 'n cheese on hand.
ReplyDeleteChristine,
ReplyDeleteYay! So glad you tried it and it worked out. I love when you play guinea pig. :)
This is delicious! I need to make more and save for times like these when I'm sick and I don't feel like standing in front of the stove for more than 10 minute. What method do you use to freeze it?
ReplyDeleteMoonypants,
ReplyDeleteI just spoon enough for individual portions into zippered sandwich bags. Then lay flat and squeeze out the air and seal. You can then put them into gallon freezer bags if you want additional protection against freezer burn, but it's never been a problem for me.