Easy Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

A fifteen minute lunch that the children can help prepare. 

Easy Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

8 oz.  pasta noodles

course grain salt, about 2 teaspoons

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 egg

5 oz. can evaporated milk, divided

1 tsp. ground mustard

few drops hot sauce

fresh ground pepper

3 cups freshly grated cheese

Bring a large pot of water (12-16 cups) to a boil.  Add pasta noodles and salt.  Boil according to directions, usually between 9 and 11 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl lightly whisk the egg, half the milk, mustard, hot sauce and pepper.

Remove pasta immediately from stove and drain the water, then return the noodles to the same warm pot, and add the butter.  Turn off the burner, and place the pot on the still warm heating element, stirring as the butter melts.  Add the egg mixture, and mix to coat.  Add the cheese and stir thoroughly until the cheese has melted.  Add enough of the remaining evaporated milk and stir.  Serves 2 adults and 2 children.

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*KITCHEN NOTES* 

(1) The pasta noodles I used are pictured above – and though it was admittedly a nice touch that they are called “Nuggets”, there was a more important reason choose them.  Rather than use elbows, I want a pasta with lots of ridges to give it more surface area to absorb liquid as well as more crevices to hold the cheese sauce while still being a small and compact pasta. 

(2) This recipe is adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Stovetop Mac and Cheese, which I enjoy because it is fast and easy and the children can help out in numerous ways.  They are more likely to eat food that they helped prepare, even though macaroni and cheese is always a hit.

(3) I use whatever cheese I have on hand, but always freshly grated (the preshredded cheeses are coated with an anti-caking agent, which inhibits melting).  Young cheeses do better than aged cheeses because the fat seperates more readily in aged cheeses.  Be sure you have the burner heat OFF prior to adding the cheese, because that can cause seperation as well.  The mac and cheese for this photo used a combination of 30% fontinella, 30% asiago, 10% parmigiano reggiano, and the remainder of a mix I had on hand (sharp cheddar, queso blanco, asadero and monterey jack).

(4) Technically, it takes just a tad longer than 15 minutes depending on the time it takes your water to boil.  But once the water is boiling, the rest comes together in under fifteen – promise.