Macaroni and cheese

Recipe origin: United States Great Lakes Region

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• Water
• ½ pound elbow macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup crushed croutons or cornflakes

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Fill a large saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil.
4. Add the macaroni to the boiling water.
5. Cook until the macaroni is done, about 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Drain macaroni in a colander, then return it to the saucepan and set aside.
7. In another large saucepan, melt the butter or margarine on low heat.
8. Whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture is bubbly, about 3 minutes.
9. Do not brown.
10. Slowly add the milk to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, turning heat up to medium.
11. Cook until mixture thickens then remove from heat.
12. Add the cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and salt to the pan and stir until cheese melts.
13. Add the cheese sauce to the macaroni and mix well, coating the macaroni with the sauce.
14. Place the macaroni and cheese into the baking dish and sprinkle the top with crushed croutons or cornflakes.
15. for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: macaroni in a cheese sauce

For the Crayola crayon color of the same name, see List of Crayola crayon colors.

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

A plate of Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, served with tomatoes and sliced hotdogs.

Macaroni and cheese (also referred to as macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom and mac 'n' cheese in parts of the United States and Canada) was created to be a common casserole, similar to the British dish cauliflower cheese.

Packaged versions are available, consisting of boxed pasta and a cheese powder, to which are added butter (or margarine) and milk (or water). The best known of these is Kraft Dinner (Canada, where it is a genericized trademark and often simply called "KD")/Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (US) product. Extra ingredients, like ground beef, ketchup, jalapeños, sliced hot dogs, ham, bacon, tuna, tomatoes, broccoli, and other vegetables are sometimes incorporated into the dish. The product can be prepared in a microwave, baked in traditional oven, or cooked on a kitchen stove top.

While marketed towards children, it also appeals to adults- especially post-secondary students (and other young adults recently living on their own) due to its low cost and ease of preparation.^[1]

History

Its popularity in the United States has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson serving it at a White House dinner in 1802, although a spontaneous and diffuse appearance of the dish is more likely.^[2]

References

1. ^ Moskin, Julia (4 January 2006). "Macaroni and Lots of Cheese". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/dining/04wint.html. Retrieved 30 January 2009. 
2. ^ "Macaroni and Cheese - Comfort Food for the Soul". http://southernfood.about.com/cs/casserolerecipes/a/macncheese.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Macaroni & Cheese

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Macaroni and cheese

• Generic Macaroni and Cheese Box Gallery FAQ
• The Best Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese Recipes of 2009
• A brief history of mac and cheese, commentary on NPR's News & Notes program by Joseph C. Phillips, aired November 8, 2006 (retrieved Nov. 9, 2006) Phillips rails against the "orange chemistry experiment". Contrary to the title, no history is provided, only stories reflecting peoples' pride in their own mac and cheese.
• Steingarten, Jeffrey (1997). The Man Who Ate Everything. New York: Vintage. ISBN 0-375-70202-4. The chapter, "Back of the Box", was first published in 1992.

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