Recipes

[Mj12]

On 1/2/2014 DiamondGirly said:

I'm interested in seeing the recipes people post. I made the recipe by Paula Deen, but it just seemed grainy to me....I'd like something more smooth, too!

Hi DiamondGirly and OP I highly highly recommend this mac & cheese recipe from Sheila Ferguson. (I found it years ago in her cookbook Soul Food: Classic Cuisine From The Deep South). Love everything else in that cookbook, too.

Monstrous Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Sheila Ferguson
2 large eggs well beaten
2 tbs salt (reduce this if you need to....)
2 cups uncooked elbow or short macaroni
1/4 cup butter, softened
2-2 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 lb grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
paprika
cayenne pepper (optional)
Bring plenty of water to a boil while you beat the eggs. Add the salt and the macaroni and boil for 12 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F/108C/Gas 4.
Remove macaroni from heat and drain. Pour over a little cold water over the drained macaroni in the pan and swish it around then drain. Quickly stir in the butter.
Add the eggs to the evaporated milk (i use one large can and one small can)
and mix well.
Put a layer of macaroni into a buttered 2 quart (UK 2 liter) casserole, then a layer of cheese and then macaroni again and carry on until you use them all up, ending with a layer of cheese on top.
Pour the egg and milk over and top with a healthy sprinkle of paprika. Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 45 minutes or until brown and bubbilicious.

[Beebee2]

On 1/2/2014 oceantown said:

I agree, don't use the pre-shredded stuff. Freshly grated only, as I mentioned in my recipe notes above. I love & recommend Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese, but if it is not available, choose another top quality brand.

Oceantown, I, too, am a Tillamook fan. We learned about it when we lived in Washington State and it was widely available. Then, as luck would have it, the Tillamook factory in Oregon was on our way when we were travelling South. A tour of the facility further strengthened our loyalty to their product. My favorite is the sharp cheddar, but I enjoy them all.

[oceantown]

On 1/3/2014 Beebee2 said:

On 1/2/2014 oceantown said:

I agree, don't use the pre-shredded stuff. Freshly grated only, as I mentioned in my recipe notes above. I love & recommend Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese, but if it is not available, choose another top quality brand.

Oceantown, I, too, am a Tillamook fan. We learned about it when we lived in Washington State and it was widely available. Then, as luck would have it, the Tillamook factory in Oregon was on our way when we were travelling South. A tour of the facility further strengthened our loyalty to their product. My favorite is the sharp cheddar, but I enjoy them all.

Hi, Beebee2,

We have been to the Tillamook factory many times! I always go through the line and get the samples. It is all so delicious. I love the sharp cheddar too. We enjoy watching the workers and the cheese getting packaged.

In fact the recipe I listed called for sharp cheddar, and I bet it Tillamook freshly grated sharp cheddar would be delicious in the recipe. But, I usually have Tillamook Medium Cheddar on hand, and I used that.

Thanks for the reply, Beebee!

[Beebee2]

On 1/3/2014 oceantown said:

On 1/3/2014 Beebee2 said:

On 1/2/2014 oceantown said:

I agree, don't use the pre-shredded stuff. Freshly grated only, as I mentioned in my recipe notes above. I love & recommend Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese, but if it is not available, choose another top quality brand.

Oceantown, I, too, am a Tillamook fan. We learned about it when we lived in Washington State and it was widely available. Then, as luck would have it, the Tillamook factory in Oregon was on our way when we were travelling South. A tour of the facility further strengthened our loyalty to their product. My favorite is the sharp cheddar, but I enjoy them all.

Hi, Beebee2,

We have been to the Tillamook factory many times! I always go through the line and get the samples. It is all so delicious. I love the sharp cheddar too. We enjoy watching the workers and the cheese getting packaged.

In fact the recipe I listed called for sharp cheddar, and I bet it Tillamook freshly grated sharp cheddar would be delicious in the recipe. But, I usually have Tillamook Medium Cheddar on hand, and I used that.

Thanks for the reply, Beebee!

Oh, lucky you to visit often! I'm going to copy your recipe and give it a try; I think it would be fun to have all that goodness wrapped around cauliflower! Thank you.

[Sooner]

I probably haven't made it a dozen times in my life, but I don't use a recipe. I start out with probably a third to a half stick of butter in a medium saucepan, add probably 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour or more (stir in the melted butter until it makes a loose mass), stir about a minute to a minute and a half until it bubbles and almost browns. I add a cup or two of milk to thicken as much as I want and more if needed and let this white sauce cook a while, then, grated cheddar or sharp white cheese of some kind, salt and pepper, and dump in as much macaroni as I like.

That's it. I don't always bake it either--sometimes serve it out of the pan. Sometimes it is sort of grainy depending on the cheese you use. I never use Velveeta either. It is just slick to me.

[wildcat fan]

I love David V's bacon mac & cheese. Not a creamy texture, but very yummy!

[oceantown]

Beebee,

I hope you enjoy the recipe! I know the last time I made this I used half & half, but I really can't remember if I have used cream in this recipe. Sometimes I have cream on hand, sometimes I have half & half. Cream would be great, I am sure.

I decided to take a look on the Tillamook Cheese Website, and what do you know, they have a recipe section. At first I did not see a mac & cheese recipe, but then realized there were more pages to scroll through. Anyway, I found a delicious looking mac & cheese, and it has a video. Actually the ingredients for the cheese sauce are very similar to the George Stella recipe I love, as it uses cream, not flour & butter, and no eggs. There is also a video that shows this recipe being made, and I think it has some helpful tips.

http://www.tillamook.com/kitchen/recipes/Baked-Mac-and-Cheese--68-recipe.html

I hope you enjoy the cauliflower 'mac' & cheese. I really love the cauliflower, and daughter does too.

[skuggles]

switch out some of the cheddar for American cheese slices, at least 6, and the sauce made with milk (bechamel), will be creamier.

[Beebee2]

On 1/3/2014 oceantown said:

Beebee,

I hope you enjoy the recipe! I know the last time I made this I used half & half, but I really can't remember if I have used cream in this recipe. Sometimes I have cream on hand, sometimes I have half & half. Cream would be great, I am sure.

I decided to take a look on the Tillamook Cheese Website, and what do you know, they have a recipe section. At first I did not see a mac & cheese recipe, but then realized there were more pages to scroll through. Anyway, I found a delicious looking mac & cheese, and it has a video. Actually the ingredients for the cheese sauce are very similar to the George Stella recipe I love, as it uses cream, not flour & butter, and no eggs. There is also a video that shows this recipe being made, and I think it has some helpful tips.

http://www.tillamook.com/kitchen/recipes/Baked-Mac-and-Cheese--68-recipe.html

I hope you enjoy the cauliflower 'mac' & cheese. I really love the cauliflower, and daughter does too.

Ohmygoodness! That has to be No. 1 on the Killer Mac 'n Cheese list. I liked it because I share some of his philosophy about what he does and doesn't prefer in his recipe, no eggs, flour, etc. I think that makes for a much creamier sauce, too. I notice that Tillamook is making a shredded cheese; that kind of surprises me since I'm assuming the use of some kind of dessicant. Will have to check it out. So, I don't think I'll be able to do the 'lobster claw' thing, but I can do the Panko crumbs. Thanks for the link, OT. Really enjoyable.

[oceantown]

Beebee,

That is what I like about those two recipes..... cream & cheese!

I was a little surprised he used shredded for some of the cheese. But, I think a person could use their own variety of cheeses, all Tillamook would be great, in my opinion. It was interesting he used cubed cheese too. He said not to have the cream too hot. That is good to know, when making either the George Stella recipe or the recipe from the Tillamook website.

That variety he used sure did look delicious. The different flavors, YUM. Interesting about the mozzarella.

I would skip the seafood on the top too. The crumbs look so good, but I would probably skip those when I am really watching the carbs, lol.

I also like the individual casserole dishes. That is how I make my mac & cheese too. My picture is a fiestaware individual casserole dish. Mr. oceantown does not really go for mac & cheese, so I made two casseroles, one for then, one for later--for me! lol.

Another very interesting note from him, is that he makes plenty of cheese sauce and can save it for later, just adding the cooked pasta, or using in another dish.

Now I am hungry for cauliflower & cheese!