Alton Brown’s Mac & Cheese

I’m not a huge fan of Macaroni and Cheese (Ok, Ok, I don’t like it) but Mike loves it and, predictably, Mika does as well. I hate the idea of her eating that stuff that comes from a box (what is it, anyway?) so I’ve finally decided to make my own. Someone in craigslist recommended this Macaroni and Cheese recipe by Alton Brown, and as it got quite a lot of good reviews I tried it. I wasn’t sure if Mika would like the sharp cheddar, and I found that 10 oz of cheese was just not enough taste, so I ended up using 14 oz of combined medium cheddar, white cheddar and jack cheese. Next time I’ll try the sharp cheddar instead. The original recipe also called for 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce, but I didn’t have any so I ommitted it. In any case, Mika is so weary of anything slightly spicy that I wouldn’t have wanted to tempt fate. I’m sure it makes a difference, though, so if you don’t have picky kids around, by all means add it.
The results were good. Mika didn’t like it at first (but she may have been put off it ’cause it was hot – I have to remember to wait until the food is tepid before serving it), but later she had a bowl with her dad and asked that we send some for lunch at school today. My friend Desiree loved it and Mike said that it was very good, it tasted better than the boxed stuff, but he still prefers it out of a box. *sigh*
My version of the recipe:

  • 1/2 lb Barilla Plus macaroni
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 oz. evaporated milk
  • 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 14 oz mixed shredded cheese
    Fill a large pot with water, add kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until done. Drain. Return to the pot, add the butter, and cook on low heat until the butter melts, stirring.
    Whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, mustard and salt and pepper together. Stir into the pasta. Stir in the shredded cheese. Mix and cook over low heat for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts, stirring. Serve.

  • One response to “Alton Brown’s Mac & Cheese

    Leave a Reply to Trevor Anderson Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.