Due to the projected dinner's significance, baked macaroni (mac) and cheese is probably the best candidate to prepare for future in-laws. There are several variations of this meal, but each is special in its unique way when well prepared. Of all the comfort foods globally, it is difficult to beat the quality associated with well-prepared baked mac and cheese ( Washington, 2016; Spieler, 2005 ). Basically, baked mac and cheese is noodles bathed in a rich and creamy cheese sauce. One can also opt to go for other gummy or dry versions that exist out there. However, it is important to understand how to avoid arriving at these other variations of lesser quality by strictly adhering to the methodology. One must adhere to several secrets when preparing this side-dish, which, when religiously adhered to, will leave one with a tasty meal that can be combined with different meals ( Nissenberg, 2008 ). The first thing one should consider is choosing the right pasta. Choose pasta with many hooks and crannies to capture as much cream as possible. For example, one can either chose cavatappi, pipette, or elbow mac. The last secret is that one can consider two types of cheese: sharp and creamy. The sharp one will instill flavor, while the other will bring about a succulent mouthfeel leading to a winning combination. Finally, baked mac and cheese is ideal for the occasion because it is the apex: the topmost culinary award.
Ingredients
7 ½ ounces of uncooked elbow mac
½ tbsp virgin oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Two and a half cups of milk
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cups of milk
Salt and pepper: this will add taste
1 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp butter (melted)
¼ tsp of regular smoked paprika (Chunky Chef, 2019)
Equipment
Oven
Baking dish: A size that will fit the amount of pasta
Two large bowls
Whisk
Small bowl
Flat shredder
Deep saucepan/ casserole
Steps
Pre-heat the oven to about 350F
Lightly grease the earthenware dish that can be used for baking and put it aside.
Grate the cheese as shown in image 1, put it into a big bowl, and put it aside (Chunky Chef, 2019).
Image 1
Grated Cheese: From Instructables Cooking by jessyratfink .
Cook the pasta for one minute until it becomes firm when bitten: follow the instruction for this, provided on the packaging.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Remove from the oven, drain excess water, and put the cooked pasta in a dish (Chunky Chef, 2019).
Drizzle pasta using olive oil and continuously stir until all the pasta is coated. Put the coated pasta aside.
Place butter in a casserole or a Dutch oven.
Mix flour over medium heat using the whisk as shown in image 2 (Chunky Chef, 2019).
Image 2
Mixing Flour Using a Whisk Over Medium Heat. From Instructables
Carry on whisking for approximately one minute until it becomes fizzy with a golden-like color (Chunky Chef, 2019).
Slowly mix the flour in milk and thick cream until it is evenly mixed: It should be nice and smooth.
Go on whisking until it effervesces on the surface.
Cook for another 2 ½ minutes while whisking. During the last thirty seconds , add salt and pepper while mixing slowly, as shown in image 3 (All Recipes, 2007).
Image 3
Adding Pepper and Salt While Whisking Until It Becomes Bubbly
The result should resemble image four.
Image 4
Well Mixed Sauce
Put another cup of grated cheese and mix thoroughly with the whisk until you get a smooth paste. This is shown in image 4 (Chunky Chef, 2019).
Image 5
Add Grated Cheese: From Instructables Cooking
Put another cup of grated cheese and whisk thoroughly: the result here should be velvety and smooth, while the sauce should be appealing and heavy (All Recipes, 2007; Mom on Timeout, 2018).
Stir in the now cooled pasta until thoroughly mixed: The cheese sauce should cover the pasta.
Put half of the mac and grated cheese into a dish designated for baking.
Top with remaining the remaining cup of shredded cheese as shown in image 5. After this step, add the remaining part of mac and cheese (Instructables Cooking, 2020).
Image 6:
Mac Added to the Sauce:
Using a small bowl, mix panko crumbs with Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and paprika.
Sprinkle over the top and then place in the oven to bake until it becomes effervescent with a golden brown color (Mom on Timeout, 2018). Now , you have your delicious meal, as shown in image 6.
Image 7:
Baked Mac and Cheese
Serve straight away.
Precautions
There are several precautions that one must consider when preparing baked mac and cheese. One should note that the oven is heated to 350F, which is a very high temperature. When placing the mixture to bake, you should exercise maximum precaution to avoid getting burned. The other precautions that one should observe relate s to the actual preparation. First, ensure that you use enough cheeses since the heart of this meal lies in the amount of cheese used. Principally, when preparing this meal is not the time to be conservative in using cheese. Do not hold back. Preparing this dish is about having enough portions of cheese. Make sure that the pasta is fully covered in cheese. As mentioned above, the other precaution concerns using the right type of pasta. Take time and choose the best pasta which will help you make the most of the available cheese. This means that the pasta should properly hold the cheese. The pasta's surface area should be the factor considered—the bigger the surface area, the better the pasta selection. Third, be careful with overcooking pasta because it will lose its taste and feel. Make sure that it is cooked the first time impeccably. Fundamentally, cook it until it is al dente but ensure that you cook for a minute or two less. Cooking until al dente means that the pasta will cook such that it is still stiff when bitten. This implies that you will not completely reach al dente allowing the pasta will be slightly firm. Fourth, ensure that you have a blend of cheeses for better melting and flavor combination. Last, do not overuse liquid in the sauce because the ultimate goal is to have creamy sauce, not soup.
References
All Recipes. (2007 ). Homemade Mach and Cheese . https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/11679/homemade-mac-and-cheese/
Chunky Chef. (2019). Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese . https://www.thechunkychef.com/family-favorite-baked-mac-and-cheese/
Instructables Cooking. (2020). Mac and Cheese . https://swww.instructables.com/mac-and-cheese/
Mom on Timeout. (2018). The Best Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese . https://www.momontimeout.com/best-homemade-baked-mac-and-cheese-recipe/
Nissenberg, S. K. (2008). The Everything Kids' Cookbook: From mac'n cheese to double chocolate chip cookies-90 recipes to have some finger-lickin'fun . Simon and Schuster.
Spieler, M. (2005). Macaroni & cheese . Chronicle Books.
Washington. S. (2016). Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Partnership for Food Safety Education . http://www.fightbac.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Southern-Baked-Macaroni-and-Cheese_Rev.pdf
