Start with 2 cups of dried noodles (I used medium shells). Bring to a simmer in ~4 cups of milk. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are cooked as you'd like. Remove from heat, and add 1 cup cheddar cheese, and a bit of mustard (this part they were spot on about). I also added garlic powder and cayenne, along with some Tony's.
I think the key to actually making this revolutionary would be a greater amount of patience (shocker, I don't possess it ;) ). More routine stirring to prevent sticking at the bottom of the pan, and adding the cheese after the pasta is completely removed from the heat for a couple of minutes. I had turned the burner off but not moved it, and as you can see from the photos, my sauce broke. From my preliminary google search, it seems that happens when it's too hot...anyone else have any great tips how to avoid this blunder? (Dad?)
A very exciting post I know...a fairly flopped recipe. But that is what's cooking around here, and if you are one of the 5 people who read my blog, you've probably come to terms with that.
Hope your week is lovelier than this mac and cheese!
I'm twenty percent of your readership?? :) Here's my favorite "mac" and cheese: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/18/healthy-mac-cheese-makeover/ om nom.
ReplyDeleteThat looks SO GOOD! I will definitely be trying that next....and you might not be 20%, but you are probably 15% anyway ;).
DeleteBut did it taste ok? I've wanted to try that recipe but always end up making my grandma's... it's a béchamel sauce mixed with cooked noodles, layered with chunks of cheese (usually sharp Irish cheddar, but whatever you want will do), topped with bread crumbs and butter and baked like a casserole. It's a bit of extra work but it's so delicious. Time to break out of the rut? The addition of dijon and cayenne sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty good, especially if you didn't break the cheese sauce. But I am betting yours is better ;). What I liked about it is it is less of a time commitment than others I have made, so as weeknight mac and cheese with no prep before dinnertime it might be a good option?
Delete