Cheesy, Creamy, Deliciousness: It’s My Momma’s recipe

20 Nov Cheesy, Creamy, Deliciousness: It’s My Momma’s recipe

Thanksgiving is around the corner, you will be practicing some safe social self-care and you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to bring to the family potluck or what new dish you want to try your hands at this year. Do you want your guest to rant and rave about your potluck dish? Well, I have just the recipe for you and it’s a classic that is sure to leave your family asking for more. And guess what, you are in luck because I am giving you my momma’s recipe that never disappoints.

In just 5 ingredients plus season salt and pepper you will have a pan of cheesy, creamy, deliciousness, also known as mac-n-cheese. Before I go any further with the recipe there are 3 things you CAN NOT change for you to pull this off. Sharp cheddar cheese is a must. If you like a more intense flavor you can go extra sharp but sharp cheddar cheese will hit the mark. This recipe requires you to take the extra time to grade your cheese. Trust me, the time you spend grading your cheese versus buying pre-graded cheese you will get back in flavor. Secondly, this recipe calls for canned milk; Carnation evaporated milk to be exact. Do not, I REPEAT, do not substitute homogenized milk.  Again, the flavor is in the ingredients. Lastly, when preparing this recipe, it is essential that your noodles are hot.

 I used to make my noodles in advance but modifying this step will reduce the marrying of ingredients and creaminess that you accomplish when your ingredients are warm. Sounds crazy I know, but I didn’t listen for years and I could not figure out why my nephews thought my mac-n-cheese was different from granny’s. That one change made the difference in creaminess and the cohesiveness of the ingredients. It was like magic. Ok, ok, ok…. You’re ready to get in the kitchen, right? So here it is.

Dish: Mac-N-Cheese

Servings: 10 – 12

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1lb Bag of Large Elbow Noodles
• 1lb of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I prefer Tillamook)
• 2 Eggs (gage the number of eggs by the amount of milk you use)
• 1 – 1 ½ Cans of Evaporated Milk (I prefer Carnation)
• 1 Stick of Butter (real butter)
• Season Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

• Bring water to a boil (optional: add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking to the pot
• Boil noodles until slightly tender (do not over cook because they will cook more while in the oven)
• While noodles are boiling, we are going to do some light arm work. Time to grade the cheese.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Once noodles are ready, strain in a colander, and place in a bowl. Mix butter with noodles while they are hot. After the butter is completely melted combine ¾ of the shredded cheese into the bowl, season to taste and mix. Cheese should begin to melt and create creamy goodness. Gradually pour in your milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Lastly, crack eggs, whisk and combine with the mixture. Put the eggs last so that you can taste your mixture before mixing in the eggs. Once all ingredients are combined place into a pan, put left over cheese on top and place in the oven on 375 for about 30 minutes.

It’s time to enjoy your labor of love. Let me know how your mac-n-cheese comes out, and if you would like to share a recipe or what your secret is to your mac-n-cheese let me know in the comment section of the blog. Happy Holiday and may you be safe and enjoy. #takecare #weareinthistogether