Macaroni and Cheese
Today I confess a dirty little secret. After having spent thirty years searching out the very best tasting, the freshest and the most unique flavors, I must admit that I might be more than a little embarrassed to be caught at Safeway with Velveeta in my cart. No problem with a triple cream brie, a beautifully aged Stilton, or a true Pecorino Romano, but Velveeta? You can hardly call this plasticized, artificially colored and flavored, hydrogenated goo, real cheese but as it happens the stuff makes the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had. It makes a smooth, rich sauce that can then carry the flavor of an aged cheddar or more sophisticated gruyere.
This is a great “insurance” dish to take to a pot luck or a funeral where you don’t know how many people you’ll be feeding. It’s no gourmet fare, but it is homey and comforting and is my most asked for recipe.

Sue Kleber

 ‘Easy to Multiply’ Macaroni and Cheese

Basic ratios:
1 cup dry macaroni (I like Barilla ribbed elbows-less apt to turn mushy)
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 TB butter
1 cup hot milk
2.5 to 3 ozs. sharp grated cheddar cheese or grated gruyere
3.5 ozs. Velveeta, sliced or diced to facilitate melting
2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard
dash of cayenne
flavored bread crumbs and/or parmesan cheese

Crowd quantities:
9 cups macaroni
1 cup + 2 TB flour
1 cup + 2 TB butter
9 cups hot milk
1.5 lb. grated cheddar or gruyere
2 lb. Velveeta, diced
2 heaping TB Dijon mustard
1 tsp. cayenne

Cook macaroni. (Undercook it just a tad, stop the cooking by adding cold water to the pot, let the macaroni cool and drain into a colander) Make a roux with the flour and butter and cook very slowly to get rid of the raw flour taste – about 3-4 minutes. Add half the milk and stir smooth. Add the rest of the milk and stir. Add the mustard, the cayenne and the cheeses and cook very slowly until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Make the sauce in your heaviest, proudest pot because it will scorch very easily. Combine macaroni and sauce and place in a greased casserole dish. The crowd quantity will generously fill a 12 x 16 pan. The mixture will be a bit loose but firms up during baking. Top with flavored bread crumbs and/or grated parmesan cheese and put in a 350 degree oven until heated through and the top is brown, about one hour for the crowd quantity.
Courtesy of:
Real Estate & Living
www.somocorealestate.com