NEEDED: Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Go to Oprah's website and look for "Over the Rainbow" macaroni and cheese. It's supposed to be fabulous.

My mac & Cheese...

Any kind of pasta you want - cooked al dente. I have used spaghetti, elbow, penne, farfelle

Make a white sauce - equal parts butter (must be butter, not margarine) and flour. Add whole milk, cook over low heat until thick and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. At this point I usually add a smidgen on onion powder, dry mustard and sometime Worcestershire...base seasonings on your preferences.

Add grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese - again as much or as a little as you want - I use just a little in the white sauce to make it a pale orange.

Mix sauce with pre-cooked pasta
Turn into greased baking pan
Top with - and I mean seriously cover - grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Back at 350 until cheese is melted, sides are bubbly.

Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Variation: to make it "chunky" cube your cheese and fold it into the pasta/sauce mixture, instead of melting grated cheese into the sauce. Then you will get gooey globs of melted cheese throughout the dish.

Wow, I know what I am cooking this weekend. Thanks!!!

God Bless

My moms is really good. Here it is if you want to try it or read and see if it sounds right:

"Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese"

About 2 c. uncooked macaroni (my mom used more)--cook it! :)
2 T grated onion
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 Cups grated cheese
2 Cups thin white sauce (see bottom)

Place 1/2 macaroni in ungreased casserole pan. Sprinkle with half the cheese and other ingredients. Repeat. Pour white sauce over all. Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncovered 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Thin White Sauce: 2 T Butter, 2 T flour, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper, 2 C Milk (melt butter and whisk in flour and S/P until smooth, slowly add milk whisking and simmering until smooth and thickened).

I remember this as you describe your school version and remember we used cheddar for the cheese in it, but you could probably mix the kinds. I think the way the layers work make it less smooth and creamy and more chunky. It sounds really good right now, too!

My fav is regular fat elbows, mixed with a LOT of American cheese (I use Kraft slices) salt, pepper, and a little mustard. Then (personally) I like to crumble something like Lays Wavy potato chips on top, and bake. Oh, it is so delicious!

This is a super easy mac n cheese that my family loves.

Easy Baked Mac 'n Cheese

3 T butter
2 1/2 c UNCOOKED Macaroni
1/2 t salt (I usually omit this)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I use 8 oz regular and 8 oz reduced fat)
dash pepper
1 qt milk

Melt margarine in a 13x9 in baking dish. Pour in uncooked macaroni and stir until coated. Add salt, pepper and cheese. Stir around. Pour milk over mixture and don't stir. Bake at 325 for 1 hour

1 small box of elbow macaroni
2 cans of evaporated milk
1 stick of butter
3 packs of shredded colby/jack cheese (6 cups)

Combine milk, 2 eggs (beaten) and stick of butter in a non-stick sauce pan cold. Once all milk and butter have been combined into the pan, then place it over a low heat. As the butter melts and mixes with the milk, it will begin to "curddle". Don't worry, just stir so that it doesn't stick and begin to add 1 package of the cheese.

Pour macaroni into your baking pan and then add your mixture along with more shredded cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cheese into the pan as you blend the mixture with the macaroni. Tastes as you go along. Then add the remainder of your cheese on top and bake until it's golden brown and cheesy! (Or in your words, lumpy cheesy butter LOL).

Forgot to say boil the macaroni first!!!! Do not over cook it and if you do, toss it and start over before wasting all of your cheese, butter and milk on it.

I hate Velveeta and this has been my fave for a long time now - I've tried others, but always go back to this: http://www.marthastewart.com/313113/macaroni-and-three-ch....

Mine is with gluten-free ingredients, but something about the Harvarti that puts this over the top for me. Oh, and I don't always use white cheddar when I have the yellow on hand.

Good luck!

I LOVE this recipe. Tried and true, I make it and it's always a hit! I know you said no bread crumbs, but this is really worth it.

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/230/Macaroni-an...

My mom makes extremely yummy mac & cheese. No bells & whistles. Just cooked pasta noodles and layered with extra sharp grated cheddar. She does put crushed, toasted in butter Ritz on the top.
It's kind of hard--not saucy at all--but REALLY the best I've had.

I don't like to make white sauce, so when a friend served this classic, homemade Mac n Cheese at a party, I begged for the recipe:

1 lb macaroni, cooked al dente, boile with 1 bay leaves, S&P in the water

Mix well:

1 tub of 4% Cottage Cheese
1 lb grated cheeses: sharp cheddar, or colby jack or monterey are the best (I would imagine you could use velveeta or American, I have not used processed types)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 milk
4 tblsp flour
1 stick melted butter

Place cooked pasta in greased or sprayed 9x13 pan. Pour cheese mixture over the pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Sprinkle with paprika if you like the red contrast.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden.