Macaroni and Cheese

ANNIE'S SHELLS AND CHEDDAR ON THE LEFT, HOMEMADE MAC N CHEESE ON THE RIGHT

I have wanted to do a post about macaroni and cheese for awhile now, but it just seemed like an unfair comparison.  When I make homemade macaroni and cheese it is usually quite a production:  sauteing onions, making a light roux, whisking in milk for a white sauce . . . and that’s all before I even add any cheese!  My version of homemade macaroni and cheese is more like a casserole since I finish it in the oven with a generous sprinkling of buttered bread crumbs, and it has little resemblance to the typical boxed macaroni and cheese.  However, I have been on a search lately for a homemade counterpart to the fast lunchtime staple of a box of macaroni and cheese and I hit the jackpot with this recipe from one of my new favorite cooking shows, Spice and Easy.  I love this show not only because it is filmed in my native state of Colorado, but also because she has such great ideas for making basic dishes special with the addition of unexpected spices.  The addition of paprika, garlic powder, and mustard to this macaroni and cheese recipe really gives it a unique, piquant flavor that I loved.  Also, the recipe is made entirely on the stovetop and takes about the same time to make as a boxed macaroni and cheese.  Evaporated milk is the secret to making quick macaroni cheese that is still creamy and rich.  After discovering this fast, easy homemade alternative to boxed macaroni and cheese, I decided to try it out on two mac and cheese experts. . . my 6 year old niece and 7 year old nephew. I made their favorite boxed brand of macaroni and cheese (Annie’s brand shell’s with cheddar) and also cooked up my new recipe for quick homemade mac and cheese (below), then had my niece and nephew taste the two side by side.  Read on to see what they thought (and the thoughts of some adult tasters as well):

Quick and Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I changed this recipe somewhat from the original to make it closer to the flavor of a boxed macaroni and cheese and more appealing to the tastes of young children.  I cut back on the amount of paprika in the recipe and stuck to sharp cheddar for the cheese, but it is delicious with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan added in with the other cheese, as called for in the original recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 oz. elbow macaroni or other small pasta (I prefer small shell pasta)

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1  12 ounce can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1.  Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the evaporated milk over medium-low heat in a large saucepan just until warm.  Whisk in the spices until well blended and then add the cheese, half a cup at a time, and whisk it in until all the cheese is melted.

3.  Tip the drained pasta into the cheese sauce and continue to stir over low heat for a few minutes or until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the noodles.  Serve immediately!

For this post I had 4 adult tasters and 2 kid tasters.  Five of the tasters preferred the homemade variety of mac n cheese with the one holdout being my 6 year old niece who still preferred the tried and true Annie’s shells with cheddar.  Out of the other five tasters, some of them described the Annie’s macaroni and cheese as “bland” and “watery” but my niece insisted that Annie’s was “cheesier” than the homemade variety.  The two varieties were very similar in the time they took to make.  The homemade has the slight disadvantage of the time it takes to actually shred the cheese, but this only adds about 3 minutes to the process so it’s not a huge deal breaker.  Making homemade mac and cheese is more expensive but the recipe above also makes twice the amount of a boxed variety, so they ended up being similar in price per serving.

Bottom Line: Most people preferred the creamy richness of homemade macaroni and cheese and this is one case where homemade does not mean a lot more work or money.  Homemade mac and cheese is a great way to make a fast, tasty lunch for your family without having to resort to a boxed meal . . . if your kids aren’t too set in their boxed macaroni and cheese ways!

Homemade Mac N Cheese                                            Annie’s Shells and Cheddar

Cost:  $1.57 for 2 servings                                                    Cost:  $1.40 for 2 servings

Time:  15 minutes                                                                    Time:  12 minutes