Issue Date: August 14, 2005
CHANGE UP MAC 'N' CHEESE
This family favorite can be plain or fancy with 5 different variations. And the leftovers go right into the freezer.
This essential dish with menu options will suit anyone's taste.
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By this time in August, we've had our fill of vacations and reunions, sleeping in and cooking out, trashy novels and junk food. Many of us crave structure post-Labor Day: We resolve to get back on track, to reinstate family dinner, to return to the gym, to get life in order (especially on "school nights").
Weeknight dinner is a good place to start, and macaroni and cheese is perfect supper food. It's a kids' favorite, and, when made well, adults like it, too. My recipe is simple -- and almost as quick as the boxed variety. While the pasta water comes to a boil, make the easy white sauce using a microwave to heat the broth and milk. If you buy grated cheese, there's not much to do except stir it into the sauce, toss that with the cooked pasta and serve.
If you have a little more time on your hands, consider one of the variations, below. Leftovers freeze very well -- these serve 12, after all.
Or, serve Creamy Macaroni & Cheese the first night, save half, then make one of the flavor options later in the week, stirring it into the leftover macaroni and cheese. (If you're flavoring a half-recipe of leftover macaroni and cheese, remember to cut the flavoring ingredients in half, too.) And when warming the leftover mac 'n' cheese, stir in a little water or milk to return it to its creamy consistency.
Labor Day brings a fresh start, and simple two-meals-in-one recipes like mac 'n' cheese make it easier to keep a good thing going.
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BASIC RECIPE: Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
1 Tb. salt
1 pound elbow, shell or other bite-sized, shaped pasta
2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain. To prevent sticking, pour onto a large baking sheet with rim to let cool while preparing sauce.
Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see below) to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick.
Serve hot.
Serves 10
Per serving: 508 calories; 24g protein; 43g carbohydrates; 26g fat (17g saturated); 81mg cholesterol; 1.6g fiber; 1,337mg sodium
For more great recipes from USA WEEKEND Magazine, visit usaweekend.allrecipes.com.
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OPTION 1: Ham, Peas & Shallots
1 recipe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
1 Tb. olive oil
2 large shallots, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
10 ounces cooked ham, cut into small dice (2 cups)
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 cup (half a 10-ounce box) frozen peas
Follow basic recipe, above.
Heat oil on medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet. Sauté shallots until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ham; continue to sauté until meat begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add vermouth and simmer until liquid almost evaporates, about a minute. Add peas. Stir mixture into macaroni and cheese. Serve hot.
Serves 12 -- Per serving: 521 calories; 28g protein; 41g carbohydrates; 28g fat (19g saturated); 89mg cholesterol; 2g fiber; 1,145mg sodium
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OPTION 2: Chicken & Broccoli
1 recipe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
4 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups shredded roasted chicken (about two breasts, skin and bones discarded)
1 cup chopped, fresh Italian plum tomatoes, seeded if desired
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces or snipped with scissors
Follow basic recipe, above, adding broccoli to the boiling pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain, then proceed to make the cheese sauce as directed. Stir chicken, tomatoes and basil, along with the drained pasta, into the sauce. Serve hot.
Serves 12
Per serving: 474 calories; 29g protein; 39g carbohydrates; 23g fat (17g saturated); 87mg cholesterol; 3g fiber; 1,142mg sodium
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OPTION 3: Ground Beef & Salsa
1 recipe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tb. chili powder
1 cup salsa (your choice of hotness)
4.5-ounce can chopped green chilies
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Follow basic recipe, above, but use pepper Jack cheese, not cheddar.
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, salsa and chilies; simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cilantro, then stir mixture into macaroni. Serve hot.
Serves 12
Per serving: 499 calories; 28g protein; 39g carbohydrates; 26g fat (19g saturated); 90mg cholesterol; 2g fiber; 1,385mg sodium
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OPTION 4: Bacon & Onions
1 recipe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 extra-large onions, thinly sliced
Heaping 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Follow basic recipe, page 20, using Vermont white cheddar. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbs. of bacon drippings. Add onions and thyme; sauté until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir bacon and onions into macaroni. Serve hot.
Serves 12
Per serving: 465 calories; 23g protein; 39g carbohydrates; 25g fat (20g saturated); 74mg cholesterol; 2g fiber; 1,246mg sodium
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OPTION 5: Sausage & Peppers
1 recipe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn in pieces
Follow basic recipe, above. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up as it fries, until it loses its raw color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and pepper slices, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add basil, then stir mixture into macaroni. Serve hot.
Serves 12
Per serving: 562 calories; 26g protein; 38g carbohydrates; 34g fat (22g saturated); 96mg cholesterol; 2g fiber; 1,356mg sodium
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of "CookSmart" (Houghton Mifflin, $28).
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