Adult Macaroni and Cheese

As a kid, cheese is just this gooey stuff you put on pizza and sometimes, if enough of it was melted on vegetables, you could eat them. But as you got older, you learned to appreciate the complexity of cheese. You lovingly create a bowl of pasta and then the final touch is some freshly grated cheese. What goes better with a bowl of tomato soup than a grilled cheese sandwich and what about a big bowl of cheesy, creamy mac-n-cheese that makes me drool!

Like most kids, your first experience with cheese was probably the blue box of Kraft® Macaroni and Cheese®. Mom would cook the macaroni then add some milk, a little butter and the foil package of powered cheese. As a kid, this was heaven. I still have friends who like the blue box version! Truth be told, I've never gotten over my craving for macaroni and cheese. But my tastes have grown up and the blue box doesn't cut it.

I have two macaroni and cheese recipes that I've worked on over the years; one is creamy and the other is crunchy. The picture to the right shows the creamy macaroni and cheese recipe. Both are good "starter" recipes and are easily embellished but don't hold back when making these recipes. Buy good extra sharp cheddar cheese, use whole milk, real butter and a good brand of pasta. Adult macaroni and cheese works best if you mix up two or three kinds of cheese. Make yourself a treat and relive some of the memories from when you were a kid eating this dish!

Now let's talk about where to get the good stuff - the cheese. One of my favorites is Caputo's Cheese Market in Melrose Park. It's sort of like their outlet store for pasta, cheese, sausage, olive oil and a whole lot of other really good things. If you're in the neighborhood stop by Caputo's and check out their selection (address below). The cheese market is in back through the sliding door.

Caputo Cheese Market - Melrose Park
1931 N. 15th Ave.
Melrose Park, IL 60160
http://www.wisconcorp.com/caputocheese.html

So let's get started.....

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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

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*****Ingredients*****

3 tbsp butter divided
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 - 16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 - 16 oz American cheese, coarsely grated
16 oz box of pasta uncooked

*****Preparation*****

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to generously grease a glass 9 X 13 baking dish. Reserve 1/2 cup each of the cheddar and American cheese for topping.

In a food processor, puree the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Place in buttered baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover pan, stir gently and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Dot with remaining butter and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, until browned. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

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Crusty Macaroni and Cheese

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*****Ingredients*****

3 tbsp butter divided
12 - 16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 - 16 oz American or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
16 oz box of pasta
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup Panko bread crumbs

*****Preparation*****

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to thickly grease a 9 X 13 baking dish. Combine cheeses and set aside about 2 cups. Cook pasta to almost al dente' and drain.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses and spices. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish and distribute milk over the pasta. Sprinkle with half the reserved cheese; evenly distribute the bread crumbs and then top with the remaining cheese. Dot the top with remaining butter.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes then raise the temperature to 400 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until crusty on top and bottom.