Macaroni and Cheese
What is your favorite comfort food?
When I think of comfort food my mind goes back to my childhood and dinnertime. My mom used to make fried pork chops with a milk gravy. The pork chops were crispy but moist and tender and the milk gravy had bits of the crispy coating from the pork chops. My favorite part of the meal was the milk gravy over bread. I haven’t eaten this since I was a kid.
My kids would say their comfort food is macaroni and cheese. The most tasty and easiest recipe we have found comes from the America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook. We altered the recipe to suit our tastes.
Mac n’ Cheese
16 ounces macaroni (4 cups) I prefer Rotelle pasta. I use the whole wheat from Trader Joe’s.
Salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in a teaspoon of water
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
12 ounces grated cheddar cheese ( approx 3 cups)
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the macaroni. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and the macaroni and cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.
While the pasta is cooking mix together the eggs, half of the evaporated milk, the mustard mixture, Tabasco, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Set the pot over low heat and stir in the butter until melted.
Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheddar until the cheese is melted. Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring the remain milk and cheddar, until the mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
62 Comments September 25, 2010
