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longship

(40,416 posts)

59. I make a béchamel sauce and pour it over the cassarole before I bake it.

Fri Mar 8, 2013, 09:19 PM

Mar 2013

I use Pinconning extra sharp cheddar. Spicy! And from here in MI. When you make the bechamel, put some of the cheese in it just when it's almost done. (About 1/3 of the cheese, stir well until it's melted and mixed well. Also, add spices to the béchamel. I use some cayenne and salt.)

Assemble the cooked (a dente) macaroni and chunkily chopped cheese. Toss together, then pour the béchamel sauce over it. Toss again and top with bread crumbs and whatever trips your trigger. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until it's all bubbly and top is crispy.

The secret is aged very sharp cheddar and the béchamel. You'll never have yucky Mac n' cheese again.

The ultimate comfort food. Best when made from scratch.

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Kraft Macaroni and Cheese ingredients called into question by concerned Moms [View all] Redfairen Mar 2013 OP

Thanks for the info Rabid_Rabbit Mar 2013 #1

Which studies have linked those dyes to cancer?...nt SidDithers Mar 2013 #2

Here's a link. Redfairen Mar 2013 #5

No! My ears can't hear this!! Myrina Mar 2013 #3

I know. HappyMe Mar 2013 #7

they changed the macaroni several years ago Viva_La_Revolution Mar 2013 #11

Mine, too! Petrushka Mar 2013 #12

I don't think we are eating tuna any more. I can't stand the stuff I am buying juajen Mar 2013 #73

Uh-oh Aerows Mar 2013 #76

go to www.fda.gov marybourg Mar 2013 #77

Here's a link about the recall . . . NOW including Chicken-of-the-Sea tuna ---> Petrushka Mar 2013 #82

:( I had to toss my Chicken of the Sea Aerows Mar 2013 #84

Good that you found it . . . hope you didn't have to toss more than one can! Petrushka Mar 2013 #85

Does it taste the same to you? The current version seems more bitter than I recall as a kid... Romulox Mar 2013 #18

Strange taste? For me ChazII Mar 2013 #20

No, it doesn't ... and I used to buy the 'additional cheese' too ... Myrina Mar 2013 #22

That was my first thought too. Jamastiene Mar 2013 #19

Have you tried Annie's mac 'n' cheese? subterranean Mar 2013 #29

Yes I have! and this is what I buy for my two grandchildren Samantha Mar 2013 #30

That's what I get. Arugula Latte Mar 2013 #32

My husband makes great Mac and Cheese HockeyMom Mar 2013 #4

that's right, and control fat, too NJCher Mar 2013 #8

Not to mention the salt! Phentex Mar 2013 #15

No, but maybe they're concerned about kids other than their own. subterranean Mar 2013 #34

Sharp brick cheddar and crushed plum tomatoes HockeyMom Mar 2013 #40

Homemade is a billion times better Auggie Mar 2013 #52

I make my own and it tastes better. Fawke Em Mar 2013 #6

Mutant Corporate Foodlike Substance sucks Berlum Mar 2013 #9

Annie's makes a "blue box" version that tastes similar enough to Kraft to fool the kiddo. Robb Mar 2013 #10

I used to eat the Annie's version when I ate cheese. TM99 Mar 2013 #13

I've tried it... pipi_k Mar 2013 #17

Old article ---> "Kraft looks to replace artificial yellow 5 and 6 in macaroni and cheese" Petrushka Mar 2013 #14

Homemade Mac & Cheese marias23 Mar 2013 #16

I make a gluten free, to die for, Mac and cheese. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #21

Please share! BrotherIvan Mar 2013 #24

First find quinoa noodles nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #39

Try adding dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to your base REP Mar 2013 #44

I will... nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #45

TJ's has rice pasta; don't know if that's appropriate for Celiacs REP Mar 2013 #46

Rice pasta falls apart nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #47

So ... appropriate on one level, but not on another :-) REP Mar 2013 #48

Exactly. It took some trial and error to find it nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #49

I have tried the quinoa and quinoa and organic corn BrotherIvan Mar 2013 #55

Oh you welcome nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #56

There are also wonderful buckwheat (it's not wheat) marybourg Mar 2013 #78

Make it for me! Iggo Mar 2013 #25

There is something about yellow dye #5 that makes me madmom Mar 2013 #23

Yes, Yellow #5 is known to cause hypersensitivity in some people. nt subterranean Mar 2013 #35

Yes and it's in everything from food to shampoo and make up. madmom Mar 2013 #36

Message auto-removed lilia moon Mar 2013 #42

Gee, what did I miss? madmom Mar 2013 #43

From my cold dead hands Prism Mar 2013 #26

ever try Trader Joe's mac and cheese? BainsBane Mar 2013 #60

I haven't! Prism Mar 2013 #69

I mean the frozen kind BainsBane Mar 2013 #70

I'll give it a whirl and let you know =) n/t Prism Mar 2013 #72

My husband loves it with Puglover Mar 2013 #79

I'm a strict originalist Prism Mar 2013 #80

Beta-carotene has also exhibited carcinogenic properties in higher doses. Ikonoklast Mar 2013 #27

yikes, i lived on that for a couple decades. here's how it evolved into something much healthier: unblock Mar 2013 #28

excellent post/advice NJCher Mar 2013 #66

I'm sorry. Maybe that is good, but it is not comparable to our comfort food. juajen Mar 2013 #74

that's why i made small incremental changes. unblock Mar 2013 #81

question for those who make mac&cheese from scratch: what's a good, healthy emulsifier? unblock Mar 2013 #31

I make a white sauce using potato starch. After that is cooked I add the cheese and nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #50

I make a béchamel sauce and pour it over the cassarole before I bake it. longship Mar 2013 #59

We are doing almost the same nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #61

My mother would make a carrot salad with Mac n' Cheese. longship Mar 2013 #62

It is tasty nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #64

cool, thanks! unblock Mar 2013 #63

Make it as a white sauce, aka bechamel sauce muriel_volestrangler Mar 2013 #65

Flour-based cheese sauce works well, but even better is sour salt. sir pball Mar 2013 #71

They could always stop feeding this poison to their kids. Paul E Ester Mar 2013 #33

Many of the same ingredient are used in a twinkie. Read this book Javaman Mar 2013 #37

Have some Cheetos -- yellow No 6. FarCenter Mar 2013 #38

Message auto-removed lilia moon Mar 2013 #41

I bought a box of Betty Crocker Macaroni and Cheese. RebelOne Mar 2013 #51

Don't mess with my Kraft M&C. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #53

Somehow I thought that this was going to be about... Kalidurga Mar 2013 #54

I'm not surprised. Watch out for those heavily processed foods. Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #57

Trader Joe's Mac and Cheese is awesome BainsBane Mar 2013 #58

this has been a great thread NJCher Mar 2013 #67

having a kid who essentially lives on M+C. I'd second the recommendations for Warren DeMontague Mar 2013 #68

artificial food dyes need to stop. n/t moxie.lu Mar 2013 #75

I guess I should either be dead, yellow, or mutated somehow. cherokeeprogressive Mar 2013 #83