Who doesn’t love mac & cheese? It’s gooey, it’s cheesy, it’s got to be one of the best comfort foods out there. Mac & cheese is a go to for me in the colder months, and I had never really thought too hard about the recipe. Since it’s something my mom made often when we were kids (and I think everyone’s mom makes it right?), I’ve made her recipe a couple times a winter my whole adult life. Well, Mike’s mom made his family mac & cheese as well (of course!) so we decided to compare recipes!
Mom meals are the best meals!
Basically anything that moms cook is delicious. There’s something about a meal cooked by your mom that can be the most simple thing and yet still be the yummiest, because it’s made with love. I know, it’s cheesy (pun intended!) but honestly, mom food is the best food.
When Mike and I started dating he loved that I loved making him food. But he felt a little nervous to ever cook meals for me, because I have a culinary background. I had to explain a bunch of times that if he made me a meal, it would be great, because it’s the act of making the meal that makes it so wonderful. Eventually he told me about his moms Mac & Cheese, and it sounded amazing. We compared family recipes and we were surprised at how they differed.
Cheesy Mac & Cheese
I decided to do these in two posts, mostly so that this one doesn’t get too long. Because I know you all just want to get on with the Mac-y goodness! So today I’m sharing Mike’s Mom’s Mac & Cheese. Side note; I’m happy about the alliteration qualities of that.
This recipe can easily be altered to use gluten free pasta, and feel free to use whatever cheeses you like. The original recipe uses aged orange cheddar, because the family liked the vibrant orange colour. Pre grating the cheese is super important, because the cheese melts from residual heat from pasta. So it needs to be ready to go! There’s also a LOT of cheese in the recipe, be prepared for an extremely cheese time. And Mike suggests eating it right away, since the cheese is best when it’s hot and stringy. I’ve eaten it as leftovers though, and it’s still delightful!
And so, recipe number one for Mac & Cheese: Mom Style!
Mike’s Mom’s Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g Macaroni about 2 3/4cups dry
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 3 cups Orange Old Cheddar grated
- 1/4 tsp Mustard Powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Have a colander ready in the sink to drain the pasta.
- Add the macaroni to the boiling water, reduce the heat a little bit and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Drain the pasta and put it back into the pot. Place the pot back on the stove with the burner set to low.
- Add the milk, butter, and cheese to the pasta. Stir until the cheese and butter is melted and gooey.
- Add the mustard powder and the worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine.
- Serve right away for the some of the best gooey mac & cheese you'll ever have!
LizaLeigh
Mac & cheese is our staple every Thanksgiving! It’s so interesting how many different versions of recipes out there and will be great to see what your husband’s version is. Mine is much more “heart attacky’ as we call it at our house – pint of cream, stick of butter, 5 or 6 different cheeses, and baked with crushed melba toast on top so you get that nice crunchy layer on top when you cut wedges of it. 🙂