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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Microwave Mac and Cheese...The Good Stuff

When I was in Grade 6 in 1984, my parents bought a microwave.  It was a big, boxy affair that died last month, meaning my mother has fulfilled her wish to (finally) buy a new, smaller microwave.  When my mom got her Kenmore behemoth, she decided that we needed to take a cooking class in microwave cooking.  So, we went every Thursday for 6 weeks and made microwave foods, including cakes.  This is the only recipe I still make from that class.  Okay...I still make the peanut brittle.  I don't melt spatulas anymore making it either - I learned my lesson that one time when I was 12.
J loves this version of Mac and Cheese.  In fact, when we went to Zingerman's delicatessen in Ann Arbor over Christmas break, J ordered their mac and cheese as a side with his sandwich (I had #62, and it was amazing.  I have no clue what J had other than that mac and cheese).  It was divine, but he told me that my mac and cheese was almost as good.  I don't use $8 pasta, and only 1 type of big box shredded cheese.  I did, however, purchase the pasta they use, and am going to go to the local cheese shop to purchase good cheese to make top shelf comfort food.
My parents gave me my first microwave in 1998 for my 25th birthday, because I didn't own one, and they couldn't understand how I was managing to cook for myself in my one bedroom apartment without a microwave.  Frankly, I use my microwave to heat frozen vegetables, melt chocolate and butter, and make this dish.  Oh, and reheat soup.  Everyone needs to be able to reheat soup quickly.
I present to you comfort food:  Microwave Cooking Class Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients:
1-1/4 c macaroni
Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c milk
2 c grated cheese
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 crushed crackers (I love Goldfish crackers!!!!, but saltines are fine)

Method:
1.  Melt butter on 100% 45 seconds.  Stir in flour and seasonings. (I only measure the liquid.  I also don't use the salt, but grind a sea salt/garlic blend from Epicure Selections into the roux.)
2.  Gradually whisk the milk into flour.  Microwave on 100% 1 to 1-1/2 minutes until thick.  Stir and microwave again for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
3.  Add 1-1/2 c grated cheese.  Microwave 1 minute on 70%.  Combine sauce and cooked macaroni.  Top with crackers and cheese (But when you have no crackers, it totally doesn't matter.  I'm thinking about trying this in the oven with seasoned, buttered breadcrumbs...oooo)
4.  Microwave on 50% for 6-7 minutes.  Let stand before serving.

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