Macaroni & Cheese: King of Comfort Foods

Mac and Cheese is one of the required southern vegetables on a four vegetable plate....Great with sweet tea!

If you add enough real cheddar, fried hamburger and onions, and herbs, it becomes edible. It works better if you skip the package of orange death-powder, and use different pasta.

I agree, classic comfort food, we had it for lunch 90% of the time when I was in elementary school. Dad sometimes added slices of hot dog and of course it was not quite right unless a good dollop of cheese whiz was added. (my personal addition is lots of plane old black pepper) . . . Now for a cold winter night. . . . meat loaf and mashed potatoes or shepherds pie. . .

ouch said:

Talk about classic comfort food. I make it very infrequently, but when I do I like to start with a bechamel- flour and butter cooked to a blonde roux, add milk and some heavy cream, whisk until thick; grate in as much cheese as it will take; add par cooked elbow mac; transfer to au gratin dish, cover with more cheese, and bake. If it has less than eight million calories, you've done something wrong.

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Ah . . . this would be the Delmonico version!

I made Alton Brown's recipe last weekend. That was good stuff I'd like to try his recipe for leftovers, but don't have a deep fryer.

From boxes, I like Velveeta Sheels and Cheese.

Velveeta.

1. Add in some cooked, diced Chorizo + diced tomato + tabasco
2. Add in cooked ground turkey + diced mushrooms.

I usually add a meat + veggie to make it more of a "meal".

See Mom, I can cook...

TRADE JOE'S frozen. It just doesn't get any better than that. +1 on the bacon additive.

Lots of butter and some canned ham are really good in mac & cheese.

We have a restaurant nearby that is also a brew house with a ton of different beers that has a Mac & Cheese that has like four different cheeses and is cooked in a wood fired oven like the specialty pizzas. It has a wonderful flavor!!
At home I fry a slice of ham on the grill till it is nice and browed on both sides and I dice it up and put it in the Mac and Cheese........Tons of ham and Mac and Cheese! Total comfort food!!

A little quickly fried pancetta or prosciutto is a great addition.

If you're using lighter cheeses like parmesan and fontina (as opposed to a bold, sharp cheddar) try adding some freshly grated lemon zest. It really "wakes it up." Mmmmmm...

langod said:

A little quickly fried pancetta or prosciutto is a great addition....

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...to anything.

I love pretty much all versions of mac & cheese. Adding hot dogs is a must.

Now if I may slightly hijack Shanes post but keep it on topic for comfort food, I present Tater Tot casserole:

Brown 2 lbs burger & drain fat
Add 2 cans each cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup
Bag of frozen vegetables
Throw in 2 or 3 cans of water & whatever spices you prefer
Mix it all up and bring to a boil.
Dump the goopy mix into a casserole dish
Layer tater tots over the entire top
Bake at the recommended setting for t. tots for about an hour.

Add Ketchup and revel in the ecstasy.

Passed from Mama Shepard to me and now to my own kids who love the stuff. Bon appetite and enjoy.

Yuck. I have not touched that stuff since 1995. Long story short, the X cooked that for a year straight, every day for dinner. I refuse to eat it to this day.

The blue box but extra milk to make it "slurpy" as my kids used to say. Then throw in some Mrs. Pauls fish sticks and a salad. What more could you want?