Famous Death Row Last Meals
Riz au Lait: The Frenchman's Ultimate Comfort Food
I grew up with a mother who couldn't cook. Burnt meatloaf, dry chicken and blackened hot dogs were all staples in her kitchen. One day, she was flipping through a magazine and found a recipe she thought she could handle: "homemade" macaroni and cheese made with Velveeta and stewed tomatoes. I was skeptical, but the dish ended up being the first thing ever to come out of Mom's kitchen that was a joy, rather than a chore, to eat.
The Velveeta melted evenly, giving every bite a rich, gooey flavor, and the canned tomatoes gave the dish a tang that balanced out the cheese perfectly. The spices from the stewed tomatoes gave the dish a surprising kick. The temperature of it always challenged my mouth -- I could never let it cool down -- but sinking my teeth into the gooey hot noodles while simultaneously puffing out steamy air was a test of fortitude I always aced. My will was lost, however, when it came to showing any level of restraint against overeating. Still, on that day of the week when Mom made macaroni and cheese, I fell asleep with a full belly and happy heart.
There are few dishes more beloved than macaroni and cheese, and with good reason. It's the ultimate comfort food, be it from a box or the oven, evoking childhood memories and contentment. It's easy and inexpensive to make, and the possibilities are endless – aside from the variety of cheeses you can use, you can throw in anything from broccoli to hot dogs. Though widely considered to be an American dish, it's made in some form or another all over the world. Italy has béchamel sauce, a creamy, cheesy white sauce. The West Indians have macaroni pie, that's bound with egg instead of flour, giving it a sturdier quality. Even within the United States, there are regional differences in how the dish is prepared. In the South, for example, the dish tends to have more sauce, making it richer and gooier then preparations elsewhere. With hundred of cookbooks devoted solely to the dish, macaroni and cheese is a dish that's truly woven into the fabric of our lives.
I entertain a lot, and make a wide variety of dishes resembling grown-up macaroni and cheese. I've even given Mom's recipe a dinner-party-friendly makeover -- real cheddar cheese and fresh, not canned, tomatoes. But when I'm just cooking for me, I whip out Mom's recipe and am immediately transported back into her kitchen, getting seconds of my favorite dinner staple.
Did you know?
The Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner was introduced in 1937 with the slogan, "Make a meal for 4 in 9 minutes."
Mom's Mac 'n' Cheese:
Ingredients
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 lb. package of Velveeta, cut into small chunks
Stick of butter
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes, Italian style, strained and chopped
1/4 cup milk
Pinch of dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Butter casserole dish. Drain macaroni and add to dish. Add rest of butter to macaroni and stir until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bake for 20 minutes, or until melted, stirring halfway through cooking.
More Macaroni & Cheese Recipes:
Updated Mac & Cheese
No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MACARONI & CHEESE? GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS!
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7-02-2007 @1:09AM Karen said... 26. My son could eat mac and cheese everyday!
He loves it with canned tuna.
My husband however makes me out as an "unfit Mom" for feeding this to my son.
Any healthier ideas for mac and cheese lovers like my son?
Dawnn at 11:19PM on Jul 1st 2007
Tell hubby to do the cooking. He'll shut up .
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7-02-2007 @1:22AM Margie Steffensen said... This is "good ole comfort food" at it's best! Also, it's something you can get the pickiest eater to eat!! My kids loved it (along with my husband) and they all have grown up slender and with good cholesterol numbers!!! We're still eating mac and cheese!!!
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7-02-2007 @1:57AM Grammy said... Gee wilikers, I use the box mac n cheese. Cook according to directions, lower heat. Add 1can of tuna, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, and one can of peas. I made this up almost 40 years ago when we had unexpected company and had to stretch out what we had on hand. Everyone loved it.
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7-02-2007 @2:03AM Christina said... I take 2 boxes mac and cheese and make it (more butter LESS MILK) ... Separately I make either ground hamburger or ground italian sausage... mix together ... take frozen vegies (the mixed kind with lima beans) and mix that in it... cover the top in medium cheddar throw in oven at 350 for 30 min ... yum instant crowd pleaser ... (albeit small crowd lol)
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7-02-2007 @2:15AM DONNA said... THIS IS GOOD, BUT I AM LOOKING FOR THE WONDERFUL MAC & CHEESE RECIPE SOMEONE BROUGHT WHEN MY MOTHER WAS KILLED. I WAS IN SHOCK, HADN'T EATEN IN DAYS.......THEN I SAW THE MAC & CHEESE. IT HAD LARGE ELBOW MACARONI, CREAMY WHITE CHEESE & HAD BEEN BAKED IN THE OVEN, MAKING IT LIGHTLY BROWNED ON TOP. IT WAS HEAVEN SENT, IT MUST HAVE BEEN--I HAVEN'T HAD IT SHOW UP ANYWHERE @ ANYTIME SINCE & HAVE NO IDEA WHO SENT IT. IF ANYONE HAS THAT RECIPE PLEASE FORWARD IT> JACKSONRES@AOL.COM-----THANKS! WANT TO TRY SOMETHING WONDERFUL? TAKE 2 BOXES OF MAC & CHEESE, PREPARE AS DIRECTED. CUT CANNED HAM INTO CHUNKS, ADD DICED ONION, DICED VELVEETA CHEESE, GARLIC SALT & A LG. CAN OF DRAINED DICED TOMATOES. YOU CAN EAT IT LIKE THIS OR SPRINKLE SHREDDED CHEDDAR ON TOP IN A CASSEROLE DISH & BAKE 30 MIN. @ 350 DEGREES! WONDERFUL!
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7-02-2007 @3:51AM Greg said... The best Mac & Cheese ever!! And to those health freaks, Go choke on some bean sprouts and tofu and leave my Mac & Cheese to me! My arteries have nothing to do with you.
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7-02-2007 @4:42AM Ed Heaberlin said... i love macaroni and cheese.... Did I say I love Macaroni and Chesse... Well I do... It is one of those foods that if it is not good, I can not take a second bite and often I do not swallow the first bite. Today I had some very good macaroni and cheese and was very thankful. Mac and Cheese is very soothing, comforting, and relaxing... Ok so it may not be the healthiest thing in the world but tra la la... Heck it is almost two am... and I would eat some right now if I had it. Thanks for bringing this topic to aol.... A few other things which are great in mac and cheese are chicken breasts cut into slices... or tuna... or sprinkles of feta cheese... mushrooms are good... now I am going to sleep and will probably dream of macaroni and cheese... thank you... ed
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7-02-2007 @7:29PM Stephanie said... It would probalbly be just as good with 1/4 stick of butter, 1/4 velvetta and a good portion of what ever your favorite type of shredded cheese is added. Of course the added crumbs on the top are yummy. Thats the beauty of mac-n-cheese, so many varieties.
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7-02-2007 @7:22AM Carol P. said... This is a great comfort food recipe. If you are concerned about the carbs and fat, use Barilla pasta and Velveeta now comes LOW FAT. Also the other Kraft cheeses (cheddar, etc) can now be purchased made with 2% milk. They are less salty, too. For real comfort food--mac 'n cheese and a good meatloaf and green salad. Then, run with the kids around the block.
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7-02-2007 @6:37AM Lisa said... Hey Clisty B.
How bout sharing that recipe from the back of the Barilla box with us.
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7-02-2007 @10:43AM kevin said... Do yourself a flavor favor, dump the Velveeta and use real cheese. It's still fattening and artery clogging, but at least you've gotten away from using a synthesized "cheese product." Please don't teach your kids that this is acceptable, good "homemade" macaroni and cheese.
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7-02-2007 @11:36AM Carol V said... Yes, Mac N'Cheese is a life saver for Grandma's who have fussy little grandson's.....but it needs to be tempered with care as not to overdo it. Little guys use a lot of fat and calories so getting obese is not a problem. I also make a spaghetti & cheese dish that the whole family loves. Cook spaghetti noodles then layer them in a casserole dish putting grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, dot each layer with small amounts of butter, add milk and bake until golden brown in the oven at 350 degrees. Easy and yummy.
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7-05-2007 @10:41AM Michael L Harrison said... Why can't I print this out?
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7-17-2007 @7:29PM C said... WOW! I didnt know that macaroni and cheese causes childhood obesity! lol, Seriously though, mac and cheese has been a family favorite for centuries. While childhood obesity is horrible, I think it is caused by parents having to work so much that there kids are unsupervised eating there little hearts away. When the parent finally is around, they are so tired from the day to day routine, that they dont want to play, therefore the kid just sits around and eats. It due to a much bigger problem than macaroni. Everything in moderation. Having to much of any item will cause problems.
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7-17-2007 @11:46PM Lacy said... I'm sick of people saying, and you wonder why our kids are overweight... because of stuff like macaroni and cheese? Come on people, get your kid off the couch and make him play a sport or go outside and play. Stop complaining that today's society with food is turning YOUR kid into a lard. Get a life people, get off your butt and stop running your mouth so much and blaming your problems on other people, for real.
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10-03-2007 @10:09AM Nicole said... I think this recipe is great. Even though it is a comfort food and it may be fatty its your job as a parent to limit your children to the correct portion. Its not there fault there overweight its the parents.
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10-03-2007 @5:20PM Amber! said... this food was the nastiest food out alive! it made me and my son sick! do not eat it!
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10-04-2007 @3:38PM donna said... The best mac and cheese recipe EVER is the one from Cook's Illustrated make ahead cookbook, and it can even be made ahead and frozen and still cook to perfection.
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