We've talked a lot about guilty pleasures here at Slashfood, and our friends at AOL Food have a whole category devoted to it. And one of those guilty pleasures (and also a comfort food) is Macaroni and Cheese.
Here's a recipe for Mom's Mac 'n' Cheese. Now, it's not my mom's mac 'n' cheese, but it's the type of dish someone's mom might make. My mom didn't put tomatoes in hers, but that's a nice touch. Full recipe after the jump.
Mom's Mac 'n' Cheese
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
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. 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.
6-06-2007 @1:54PM rainey Smith said... We just had mac & cheese the other day. I layered in tomato and ham. But I didn't use Velveeta! (don't even like typing the word)
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6-06-2007 @2:00PM Penn said... My mom's mac and cheese (dead easy):
Equal parts by weight of cooked macaroni and cubed cheese (whatever kind you like).
Milk. Salt. Pepper. Paprika.
Layer a greased casserole dish with half the macaroni, then half the cheese, then salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with the other halves and salt and pepper again, then pour in milk about halfway up the sides. Top with paprika. Bake until milk isn't liquid any more.
That's it. I larned to make this as a child, it's really that easy, and very good, if you use good cheese.
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6-06-2007 @7:59PM Heidi said... Tomatoes (or any veggie) in mac n' cheese=blasphemy.
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6-06-2007 @2:11PM mmklein said... Velveeta is a dirty word. Nasty nasty nasty
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6-06-2007 @2:18PM MJ said... velveeta melts evenly and is great as a sauce base for mac and chesse. I always add a good grated cheddar cheese on top and cook till bubbly and slightly browned!That chewy cheese that you get on top is the best!!
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6-06-2007 @2:42PM Tarrant said... Actually, you should just make this macaroni and and cheese: http://retro-food.com/2007/04/30/rivers-of-cheese-baked-macaroni-and-cheese/
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6-06-2007 @2:57PM ebraun said... That sounds mighty fine to me.
I'm not much on any processed cheez food ... except
Velveeta. I just think it lives in some alternate universe from real cheese.
Definitely lives in the guilty pleasure department.
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6-06-2007 @3:49PM Janie said... My mom always put crushed corn chips on top of mac and cheese and they browned slightly. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it....including the Velveeta.
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6-06-2007 @6:36PM naomi said... i've added diced fresh tomatoes to my mac and cheese for a while now, and when baking it, i like to add an egg for a fluffier texture to the sauce. diced onion and celery are also great for livening up the texture a bit. parmesan cheese gives lovely depth to the sauce, and paprika on top is always perfect. the real secret, though, is using olive oil as well as butter, or using olive oil which pumpkin has been baked in. bizarre but true!
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6-06-2007 @7:43PM rockphiler said... The problem I have with Velveeta in Mac & Cheese is that it's too salty and makes a funky kind of plastic coating on the pasta. I prefer making a white sauce & using a variety of cheeses. Smoked gouda is really good... oh, and my Mac & Cheese MUST be baked!
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6-07-2007 @10:12AM Iscariote said... Velveeta? Was your mother a sadist?
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6-08-2007 @3:01PM B said... The best cheese for mac and cheese is 1/2 really good Cheddar and 1/2 Monterey Jack.
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