Extra Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

As most of you know I have been really under the weather for about a week or so now. This is one incredibly nasty chest cold. I just can't seem to shake it. All of that coughing is very tiring and wearing.
I do have to eat however and I was in the mood for some comfort food. Something that wouldn't require a whole lot of work. I have about run out of my single serve meals that I put into my freezer, so it was going to have to be something from scratch.

The other day when my sister was here helping me clean my refrigerator, (yes I have been that ill) we noted that I had some sharp cheddar that would need using up soon. I hate waste so I had made a mental note of that.

I had seen a recipe for what looked like a really delicious macaroni and cheese on Spend with Pennies. There are lots of nice recipes on that page, many of them simple and thrifty as well.

The only problem was that it made 8 servings. Even in my wildest dreams I just cannot eat 8 servings of macaroni and cheese! It looked so creamy and delicious however, so I decided to make it and cut the recipe in half.
I could freeze half for another time, and then enjoy half of it today and the other half for breakfast tomorrow. (Don't judge, lol) I happen to like supper for breakfast and breakfast for supper. Anyone who has ever eaten pizza for breakfast knows exactly what I am talking about!!
It has been my experience that the heartier the breakfast I eat, the less I will eat as the day progresses, so for me it helps to keep my appetites in hand. That's my story anyways!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EXTRA CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

With the exception of the tinned soup (and that is optional), you only need some very simple ingredients.

You will need:

6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) dry macaroni noodles
1/8 cup (30g) butter
1/8 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
3/4 cup (180ml) full fat milk
1/2 cup (120ml) light cream (10 - 12% milk fat, in the UK single cream)
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
`/2 tsp onion powder
salt and black pepper to taste
splash of hot sauce
1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (completely optional)
2 cups (241g) sharp (strong)
cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1/4 cup (45g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To top:

a handful of buttery crackers, crushed (such as Ritz, Town House, Tuc, etc.)
1 TBS butter, melted

I used elbow macaroni. A funny thing is when I was in the U.K. I missed elbow macaroni. It was only ever a very rare find. Now I am back in Canada, I miss the straight macaroni of the U.K. I guess you always miss what you don't have. I have searched high and low for it where I live now, to no avail.
Not even on Amazon.
Do use full fat milk for this recipe. There is cream in it anyways, so calorie wise you are already in for a penny. Full fat milk helps to make this richer and creamier.

Make sure you use a good strong sharp cheddar cheese. You can use white or orange. Today I happened to have orange as that is what I had. A good cheddar will make all the difference in the world. The sharper and better the cheddar the better the flavor of your sauce.
Do grate your own cheeses if possible. They add things to pre-grated bags of cheese in most cases to help the cheese flow better. This can alter the flavor and consistency of your sauce.
You do not need to add the condensed cheddar cheese soup. In my opinion you could add cheese whiz (which is a processed cheese spread product) in its place, or leave it out altogether. It is not necessary.

HOW TO MAKE EXTRA CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

If you can make a cream sauce, you can make this simple and very tasty dish.

Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Butter an 8 by 11 inch shallow baking dish well (or baking dish large enough to hold all of the macaroni). Set aside.Cook the macaroni according to the package directions to al dente. Drain well, rinse in cold water. Drain again. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, mustard powder, onion powder, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. (remember cheese is very salty)

Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, Remove from the heat. Whisk in 2/3 of the cheeses until melted into the sauce. If you are using the soup, whisk it in now.Toss the cooked macaroni together with the sauce to combine well together. Pour into the prepared baking dish.Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Crumble the crackers and mix together with the melted butter. Sprinkle this over top of the cheese.Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and just beginning to brown. Do not over cook. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.

RECIPE HINTS AND TIPS
1. Don't overcook your macaroni. You will want it slightly undercooked (al dente). This will help to prevent it from going soggy when baking. Also cook it in generously salted water for the best flavor.
2. Rinse your macaroni well in cold water after draining and drain again. This will help to prevent it from clumping together while you make the sauce.
3. Grate your own cheeses for the best flavor and consistency of sauce.
4. Don't skip the crispy crumb topping. If you don't have any crackers, you can also use crispy salad onions, or potato chips, etc. Anything crispy works well.
5. Leave it to rest for a few minutes after baking. It will continue to thicken up as it sits.

I served this hot with some lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes on the side. I also had some garlic bread in the freezer which I added as a side. Altogether this made for a really delicious meal that I really enjoyed despite still not feeling really well.
There is something about comfort food when you are a little bit under the weather that just helps you to feel better and oh so loved.

I have never really met a dish of macaroni and cheese that I didn't love. Here are a few other options I have cooked in the English Kitchen that you might also enjoy!

MACARONI & CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE - This is a hearty and delicious favorite. A fabulous combination of two old favorites. A tasty glazed meatloaf is at the bottom of the dish and is prebaked prior to adding a rich macaroni and cheese topping to finish off in the oven to a comfort food supper sensation! Everyone love LOVES this!

SHEETPAN MACARONI AND CHEESE - If the crispy bits are your favorite then this is the macaroni and cheese recipe for you! It is important that you use the right sized sheet pan for this. You want one where you can spread everything out in a nice thinnish layer so that you can get optimum surface crunch, with more of the macaroni and cheese being exposed to both the hot sheet pan and the hot oven. This is quite simply fabulous!!

Yield: 4Author: Marie Rayner