For Wendy and Sannie: Julie's Mac n' Cheese

After "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Bush v. Bush", it's time to lighten up... although, regardless of either two, doesn't change the impending fact that I'm going to IRELAND!!! (= I'll sooo be using this one as my instant-pick-me-up until we're there, I swear!)

So, okay - like, months ago? Wendy (my honey-man's lovely former spouse) asked me for my mac n' cheese recipe (I didn't forget, Wendy!). "Sure! Absolutely! Will do!" -or something like that- was my reply, buhhht the hold off has been that I've never really had the recipe written-down and ready for sharing. So, maybe three weeks ago when I knew I'd have several eager mouths to feed, I was determined to make my mac n' cheese and take real measurements and write 'em all down and make my notes into a real recipe.

So, while I threw together this and that into my deep skillet pan, my honey-man volunteered to diligently write notes and track the various additions = and the final result: Julie's real Mac n' Cheese!

THE HISTORY OF JULIE'S MAC N' CHEESE: This Mac n' Cheese recipe of sorts is a long-time family-loved creation of my mum's - - Historically, a bit of this and some of that; all the ingredients merely added "to taste." I know there was at least one hand-written recipe card in existence at some point, but not only are its whereabouts unknown, I do remember that all it had been was just a listing of the ingredients involved, sans actual measurements.

Now that I've compiled and written down my version of the recipe, I realize it isn't exactly my mum's to a 'T'. But, I did have my mum's older sister, my aunt Radeane at hand to help me be sure that I have it right. So yeah, it's not exactly from my mum at the stovetop here, and although it's been at least 20 years since I last had her Mac n' Cheese, I'm her daughter and that's gotta be good enough; MY POINT: I've got license to dictate here.

Anyhow, more Mac n' Cheese history: My mum's 2 sisters, including my Grams, have each developed their own renditions of my mum's Mac n' Cheese, each version tweeked a bit (or drastically) from one to the next. For example, my aunt Radeane sometimes adds some sun-dried tomatoes, and if not that, she always adds cayenne pepper! SIDENOTE: My aunt Radeane adds cayenne to EVERYTHING! Meanwhile, my mom's younger sister, my aunt Brenda, uses regular French's style mustard instead of Dijon. And my Grams? With her, there could be minced or white onions thrown in the mix. Either way, no matter who's making it, it'll get eaten -ALL OF IT- in no more than 2 days' time, IF it lasts beyond the 1st night. My mother''s family loves not only ALL THINGS DAIRY, especially cheese, but also Mac n' CHEESE! [SEMI-RELATED TANGENT: We all really love mustards and vinegars too - - Definite family fixations: dairy, mustards and vinegars. END OF TANGENT] And so, I present to you (drum roll please):


JULIE'S MAC N' CHEESE ~ Makes enough for a full 9" x 13" baking dish; Serves: #? - Honestly, it depends upon the appetites of those involved!

Ingredients (with real measurements!):
1 lb package of Large elbow marcaroni

5 Tbls - salted butter (once you get the hang of it, you can substitute w/ olive oil)
5 Tbls - flour
1 Tbls + 1 t. - lemon juice
1 Tbls + 1 t. - worchestershire sauce
1 Tbls + 1 t. - dijon mustard
3 cups of milk, either whole milk or 2% - - skim just doesn't cut it = it's like, why bother?

Seven quarter-inch thick slices cut from a 1-pound block of Tillamook's Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese
~ Honestly, we don't ever shred cheese for the sauce = we only know how much cheese to use by 'slice' measurement. ~ For the final bake though, have some cheddar shreds and any mixed cheese shreds (e.g. romano or parmesan) as topping.

1-1/2 t. crushed or minced garlic
1/4 t. ground pepper - or to taste
You're welcome to salt-to-taste, but I don't bother

Optional additions include:
2-3 Tbls - chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the kind jarred in oil;
2 Tbls - dehydrated minced onion;
1 T - dehydrated chives;
1/4 c. - chopped onion;

Cooking directions:
The Pasta: Prepare your macaroni as instructed on the package, but do it in a larger-than-necessary pot which you can use later for sauce-into-pasta mixing efforts - - and don't let it get overcooked (also see "Note re: Pasta prep," further below).

The Cheese Sauce: Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet pan on low to med-low heat, melt 3 of your Tbls of butter and let it brown slightly, but DO NOT let it burn! Once browned, patiently add a couple Tbls of your flour in and quickly mix together using a rubber spatula, being sure to spread the mix across the skillet bottom to smooth out and minimize clumping. Add the remaining 2 Tbls of butter, patiently melting and mixing 'em in, and then gradually add in the remaining 2 Tbls of flour. Again, be sure to smooth out any clumps in the butter/flour mix, and do not let it get too hot or it will turn into a thick, n' pasty, inedible glue-like substance. If you need more time smoothing out flour clumps (it doesn't have to be perfect), either turn the heat back to low or take the skillet off the heat. To keep the butter/flour mix from getting pasty (if that's where you seem to be headed), add a bit more butter, but no more than a 1Tbls.

Note re: Pasta prep: If the macaroni is ready before your cheese sauce, drain it and rinse it only a little bit with warm/hot water -not cold- and be sure to shake out the excess water. Then leave it in your sive, but covered with an upside-down bowl or plate. I like to time mine so the macaroni is ready when my cheese sauce is ready...

Back to the sauce: Switching to a wire whisk, gradually add 1 cup of the milk to the butter/flour mix, adding no more than 1/2 a cup of milk at any one time. Once mixed well, either maintaining low heat or returning the skillet to low on the stovetop, gradually add another 1/2 cup of milk, along with the lemon juice, worchestershire and mustard. Once that's all mixed/whisked together well, it's time to start adding the cheese.

Cut or break up two of your 1/4" thick slices of cheese into thin strip-like chucks and add them to the skillet, stirring still with the whisk, gently scraping the bottom of your skillet. You may increase the heat to med-low, if you're not there already, or try just shy of 'medium' heat on your stovetop dial, but BE CAREFUL not to let the mix start bubbling. If it begins to bubble at all, turn the heat down and stir madly! and remove it from the heat if you have to! It will turn into a rubbery mess if it gets too hot!

Once the first addition of cheese is almost melted entirely, still gently whisking and scraping the skillet bottom, add a couple more of the 1/4" thick cheese slices, broken or sliced into smaller pieces, along with another 1/2 cup of the milk. And repeat for the 3rd addition of cheese. Then add the last cheese slice along with the garlic and pepper. Once the last of the cheese is all melted and all the milk's been mixed in, remove from heat and put aside and set your oven to 375 degrees. At this point, if timed right, your marcaroni should be done, ready and waiting to be drained.

Bakin' the dish: Transfer your cooked marcaroni pasta back to its boiling pot and pour the cheese sauce all over it. Mix it well, but gently... The goal is to get the sauce into the pasta tubes without mashing up the pasta. Then transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish (I use a glass one, but I guess any kind would do?), and spread it out evenly without packing it down. THEN go ahead and shred some cheddar and/or hard cheeses on the top - - I use both. Only bake it in the oven long enough for the cheese shreds to melt, and then remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. And then?

Enjoy ~ I always do!