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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
SUBMITTED BY:
USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson
PHOTO BY:
EFY2178
"Macaroni and cheese is perfect supper food. It's a kids' favorite, and adults like it too. My recipe is simple and almost as quick as the boxed variety."
RECIPE RATING:
Read Reviews
(140)
Review/Rate This Recipe
SERVINGS
(
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)
Servings
US
METRIC
INGREDIENTS (
Nutrition
)
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound elbow, shell or other bite-size shaped pasta
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
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DIRECTIONS
Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see notes) to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.
FOOTNOTES
This recipe was originally featured in the USA WEEKEND article
Change up Mac 'n' Cheese
on August 12, 2005
Find the Perfect Recipe from
Pam Anderson
.
Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks, including her latest,
Perfect Recipes for Having People Over
.
Copyright 2005 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.
REVIEWS
Reviewed on Aug. 6, 2006 by CarsonMaciMommy
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CarsonMaciMommy
Aug. 6, 2006
This is absolutely amazing mac and cheese and I am picky when it comes to my mac and cheese! Here are my thoughts: 1. For those who think its too saucy or grainy, it may be because it wasn't whisked long enough in the part where you whisk the flour/butter and milk mixture. The recipe said 3-4 mins, but it took me almost 12 minutes to get it thick and bubbly like it asked for. I know in making things like this before, if you don't do it long enough, it won't be quite right. So put in the extra elbow grease and stir! : ) 2. I am a cheese lover. I used fresh grated parmesan and also added 1 cup of mozzarella in addition to the sharp cheddar. I also find adding other cheeses to sharp cheese sauces helps to cut out any graininess. 3. I omitted the step of pouring the noodles onto a cookie sheet. I simply added a teaspoon of oil into the water when cooking the noodles, drained them and left them in a strainer with a plate on top. I had no problems with sticking and it was easy. 4. This makes a TON and I mean a ton! I will probably 1/2 the recipe next time since there are only 2 of us but we already are looking forward to eating leftovers! 5. I omitted the salt, took out 1 T of butter, used 2% milkfat cheese and low fat evaporated milk and there was no difference in taste. 6. This will be a hit at potlucks, baby dinners, etc..and we will make it often! 7. My picky 4 year old ate two bowls!
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19 users found this review helpful
This is absolutely amazing mac and cheese and I am picky when it comes to my mac and cheese!...
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Reviewed on Dec. 27, 2007 by Momof3
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Momof3
Dec. 27, 2007
This macaroni and cheese is awesome! I also used Alton Brown's recipe until I found this one. Its easier and just as good if not better! If you really like Kraft or Velveeta brands of mac/chs, you probably won't like this. If you like real homemade Mac&chs, you will love this! I changed the servings to 4 and it still made a ton! The only changes I made was to use ground mustard instead of Dijon (too strong) and only 1/2 of a tsp (for 4 servings) or 1 tsp for the full 10 servings. Too much is overwhelming. I also substituted heavy cream instead of evaporated milk and that made it unbelieveably creamy. In fact I tried the evaporated milk when I made it a second time and I will NEVER make it that way again. It did not compare to the cream. I would recommend half and half or cream. And I also used a few slices of velveeta to make it creamier and not grainy but if you cook the butter and flour well, you won't get the grainyness anyways. Very very delicious. My new favorite!
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14 users found this review helpful
This macaroni and cheese is awesome! I also used Alton Brown's recipe until I found this one....
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Reviewed on Jan. 21, 2006 by
Lianne
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Lianne
Jan. 21, 2006
This was really, really good, and so much easier than the mac & cheese recipe I've been using (Alton Brown's). It was a bit thick, though, so next time I think I'll add an additional can of evaporated milk. Also, to suit my family's tastes, I added a bit of garlic and onion powder to the roux before adding the liquids. Also used dry mustard powder (maybe 1/2 a teaspoon?) instead of the dijon. I also used a third each of sharp cheddar, mild cheddar and monterey jack. The "grittiness" several previous reviewers noticed is due to using only sharp cheddar-- I just read about that somewhere and using milder cheeses definitely results in a smoother, creamier texture. Finally, I did pour this into a casserole and baked it for about 30 minutes until it started to brown on top. My picky 11 year old loved this, as did my husband (and I!) so this is now going to me my new mac & cheese recipe!
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12 users found this review helpful
This was really, really good, and so much easier than the mac & cheese recipe I've been using...
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Reviewed on Feb. 20, 2008 by
Yvonne
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Yvonne
Feb. 20, 2008
Superb. The best homemade mac and cheese. Huge hit hit the kids. I excluded the parmesan cheese, mustard, and pepper and it still came out great. It didn't stir for 30 minutes as other raters did, although I did stir for 10 minutes which is longer than the recipe said. Left overs heat up excellent without the cheese getting clumpy. Excellent for school lunches. Will definately make again. Update: When I made the second time I found that heating the broth mixture for five minutes in the microwave reduced the amount of time needed for stirring to five minutes. Also, if you stir too long before adding the cheese then it comes out too clumpy.
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11 users found this review helpful
Superb. The best homemade mac and cheese. Huge hit hit the kids. I excluded the parmesan...
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Reviewed on Oct. 13, 2005 by
CALLIE
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CALLIE
Oct. 13, 2005
This is the creamiest mac and cheese. It has a real nice sharp cheese bite at the end and my husband didn't care for that so the next day I added about 1 1/2 c. of mozz and topped it with seasoned bread crumbs, heated it in the oven and it was awesome. We all loved it. I won't be looking for another recipe. This is it !!!
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9 users found this review helpful
This is the creamiest mac and cheese. It has a real nice sharp cheese bite at the end and my...
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Reviewed on Apr. 2, 2008 by
CariMel
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CariMel
Apr. 2, 2008
I would give this zero stars if I could. The dijon mustard overpowered the dish, and I'm pretty sure the parmesan also played a part in that. The sauce is way thick, and the sauce to pasta ratio is way off. I would never recommend this.
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8 users found this review helpful
I would give this zero stars if I could. The dijon mustard overpowered the dish, and I'm...
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Reviewed on Oct. 28, 2006 by Bonnie
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Bonnie
Oct. 28, 2006
This is perfect..except for the amount of time needed to stir & thicken sauce (on medium heat)it took me 30 minutes of constant stirring, which is the right way to do it if you want to avoid graininess. I only had one can of evap. milk,so i just refilled the can (to measure)with 2% milk. I didnt have dijon, and liked it better anyway with dry mustard. I added the salt & pepper periodically, and think i used less than a tablespoon of salt.I didn't want the sauce too thick, so i added the rest of the 14 oz can of chicken broth i opened.I also added just a dash of tumeric(its yellow & good for you). This recipe is a keeper, thanks!
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8 users found this review helpful
This is perfect..except for the amount of time needed to stir & thicken sauce (on medium...
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Reviewed on May 24, 2006 by
Nikki
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Nikki
May 24, 2006
Although this was the creamiest mac and cheese I ever had, it was WAY to saucy for us! Also, I didn't care for the Dijon in the sauce (I even cut back a little on the Dijon) and it overpowered it. We had to throw the whole batch out :(
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8 users found this review helpful
Although this was the creamiest mac and cheese I ever had, it was WAY to saucy for us! Also,...
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Reviewed on Nov. 13, 2005 by JAQUAYW
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JAQUAYW
Nov. 13, 2005
I was so nervous to make this recipe, but I don't know why....it was HIT @ my house!!!! I actually added 1 (10.75oz) of cheddar cheese soup to thicken up the sauce & make it cheesier! I pour the mix into a casserole dish, topped w/cheddar cheese & baked in the oven for 40min. It was absolutely delicious. This is definitely a KEEPER!!!
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8 users found this review helpful
I was so nervous to make this recipe, but I don't know why....it was HIT @ my house!!!! I...
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Reviewed on Jan. 3, 2008 by Avg_Guy