REAL MACARONI & CHEESE,FOUR CHEESE MACARONI & KICKED UP MAC & CHEESE

IN MEMORY OF MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND WHO'S BIRTHDAY IS TODAY!

"THE TIME IS NOW"

If you are ever going to love me,

Love me now, while I can know

The sweet and tender feelings

Which from true affection flow,

Love me now while I am living,

Do not wait until I'm gone

And then have it chiseled in marble,

Sweet words on ice-cold stone.

If you have tender thoughts of me,

Please tell me now.

If you wait until I m sleeping,

Never to awaken,

There will be death between us,

and I won't hear you then.

So, if you love me, even a little bit,

Let me know it while I am living

So I can treasure it

FOUR CHEESE MACARONI

A very rich and creamy version of macaroni and cheese. This can be made any time of the year. So good! Even better the next day-just add a little milk to the macaroni, stir, and heat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
9 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces cubed processed cheese food
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the oil and the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 8 tablespoons butter; stir into the macaroni.
In a large bowl, combine the Muenster cheese, mild and sharp Cheddar cheeses, and Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Add the half and half, 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture, cubed processed cheese food, and eggs to macaroni; mix together and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve

KICKED UP MAC & CHEESE

This ain't your grandma's mac and cheese. Great "kicked up" flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups rotelle pasta
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. A little at a time, whisk in milk, mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in pepperjack, Cheddar and Parmesan until smooth. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into shallow 2 quart baking dish.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chili powder. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture.
Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

REAL MACARONI & CHEESE

My whole family is happy when I make macaroni and cheese for dinner. It's the one dish that everybody - both kids and adults - love.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- cut into bits
1 Dash Tabasco sauce
1 can evaporated milk -- (12 ounce)
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese -- grated
2 large eggs -- beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard -- dissolved in 1 tsp water
2 teaspoons Salt Pepper

TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter -- melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the macaroni until just barely done in salted water. Mix bread crumb ingredients together in small baking pan. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes. Set aside Drain the macaroni and toss with the butter in a large, ovenproof mixing bowl. Mix the Tabasco into the evaporated milk. Reserving about 1/3 cup, stir the milk into the macaroni, then add 3/4 of the cheese, the eggs and the mustard. When well combined, season to taste with salt and pepper and set the bowl in the oven. Every five minutes,(These frequent stirrings allow the eggs to thicken without setting, resulting in an incredibly smooth sauce) remove it briefly to stir in some of the reserved cheese, adding more evaporated milk as necessary to keep the mixture moist and smooth. When all the cheese has been incorporated and the mixture is nicely hot and creamy (which should take 20 minutes all told), serve at once topped with the toasted bread crumbs
Recipes from allrecipes.