How do you make your scratch macaroni & cheese?  Any favorite additions or sauce ingredients?

I've been doing mine the same way so long, some fresh ideas would be nice.  My kids love it, would eat it every meal if I would indulge that!  (Have to admit to loving it too!)

Currently, I make mine with a white sauce (butter, flour, milk) to which I add a can of cheddar cheese condensed soup, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, sometimes dry mustard powder.  If I plan to bake it in the oven (my preferred method), I'll top it with buttered breadcrumbs and more cheese.  Sometimes though, I'll just mix it on the stove.

Sometimes I'll use different cheese to make it a little fancier.  DH likes swiss or pepperjack.  I used to use Velveeta in place of the condensed soup and then use less shredded cheese but Velveeta doesn't really agree with DH very well so changed my method.  I like to add veggies (frozen peas, carrots, broccoli) but the kids really moan about that!  So usually I cook them on the side to add separately.

What's your favorite method or recipe?  Thanks in advance for sharing!

I make mine basically the same as you decribe, but just use lots of sharp shredded cheese in the sauce instead of cheese soup.  I then layer it in a casserole dish with cheese in between layers and more on top and bake for 30-40 minutes til bubbly.  It's probably the family's favorite thing that I make on a regular basis; every holiday and several times in between.  I always pray for no leftovers, because I have a hard time staying out of it and it's anything but figure-friendly

I layer macaroni with Velveeta (top layer is Velveeta) and pour some milk over the top, then bake it till the edges bubble and the top is brown and cristy.

Variations - add any/all of the following:

chopped hot dogs

tuna

canned chicken

vegetables - frozen stir fry vegies work great, so do peas

hamburger (turns into Hamburger Helper - and cheaper, too)

heat cheese and milk in a pan then stir in macaroni and any add-ins

chopped ham

leftover nearly anything that goes with cheese

My problem with homeade mac and cheese is that it gets too dry when I bake it. I was wondering if anyone does a version of this dish that does not involve baking it at the end.  I guess I could just make the cheese sauce (I do flour, butter, milk, cheese, salt, pepper and dried mustard) and pour it over the noodles which are already cooked.  Any suggestions?

I don't bake my mac and cheese. I make a cheese sauce with milk, Velveeta light and about a tablespoon of butter, and add salt and pepper. I mix everything on the stove top and heat through. That's it.

For variations I've added cubed ham that has been browned first. I have also added cooked hotdogs. My mom used to put canned popcorn shrimp in it.

Jill

LOL-figure friendly it is not, maziemom, that is true!!

I love it made with the Velveeta, so wish it didn't effect my DH's tummy so badly.  I hate to admit how much I love Velveeta!  Normally, I really prefer non-processed food items, but Velveeta . . . MMMMMM!

Does anyone have a specific baked recipe that they use?  I've seen some that have eggs and sour cream, other things like that.  Never tried that before.

I used to find mine would dry out in the oven a bit too.  I started increasing the amount of sauce and covering the dish for the first half of cooking, then taking the cover off to brown the cheese on top.  That stopped the dryness.

I like lots of creamy sauce!  HAS to be creamy (that's why I use either the Velveeta or the condensed soup, adds that creaminess factor!).

I think I have to play around with it more.  I had two separate visitors this summer and bought milk for their visits since we don't normally have milk in the house.  I made mac and cheese a few times afterwards to use up the milk. I think I will first try increasing the ratio of sauce to noodles and if I can't get it right, I might just go for the unbaked version. 

I like a lot of sauce, too.  Especially if I'm going to put it together ahead of time, then bake it at mealtime (like in preparation for a holiday meal), it needs to be practically swimming in sauce; those noodles really soak it up.

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups uncooked macaroni

1/4 cup butter - plus extra for dotting the top

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

2 cups whole milk

8 ounces shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Make a white sauce with the flour butter and milk. Add the spices and cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Combine with the macaroni and pour into a 2 quart casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake @350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Double the recipe for a 10x13 inch pan. As long as you use whole milk and don't over bake, it will be nice and creamy. I like to use Cabot's hunter cheese in this recipe, the cheese has a super sharp flavor to it.

Ok I am officially hungry - gotta have some mac 'n cheese tonight!