I personally would not try baking the stuff you buy in the store in the oven. Below is a recipe I've used for over 20 years. We learned it in high school in a cooking class. To reduce the fat content you can use skim milk and reduced fat cheeses.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese 1 pound box macaroni with ridges or cork scroos (cook in lightly salted boiling water for about 2 minutes less than package directions For the white Sauce: 1/4 cup butter 1/4 flour 2 cups milk 2 1/2 cups grated cheeses such as, Cheddar, Colby, Jack, Fontina, Cheddar with garlic... 1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper 1/8 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. dry mustard Fresh bred crumbs, fresh black pepper and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese for topping Once macaroni is cooked as directed above, let drain and cool. After drained, pour macaroni back into pot. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Stir in the flour. Continue to stir until it thickens. Be sure to not burn the flour--by letting it stick to the sides of the pot. Pour in the milk and increase the heat slightly. When milk almost comes to a boil start adding the cheses. Once the cheeses start melting, stir in the black pepper, sage and dry mustard. (Spices help enhance the flavors of the cheese.) Once cheses are all melted. Pour over macaroni in pot. Stir to combine. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil or greased with butter. Using the back of a flat spatula flatten top of macaroni and spread to the edges of the pan. Combine toppings in a bowl and using a slotted spoon sprinkle over top of macaroni. Bake at 350 F. for 35-45 minutes. If you want a creamy sauce, you can use cheeses with a more creamy texture. -----Original Message----- From: Victoria via Cookinginthedark [mailto:cookinginthedark@acbradio.org] Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 7:54 AM To: cookinginthedark@acbradio.org Subject: [CnD] Effective Way to Cook McAroni and Cheese in the Oven I have been to restaurants, one in particular in the town where I live) where they do their macaroni and cheese in the oven. If you do that, do you cook it first according to box directions? Surely you don't put the raw pasta in the baking pan do you? Then there is the issue of the butter which is part of what goes into that. Butter burns very easily so how would one do this? Any ideas? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Victoria E Gilkerson _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
