For printing purposes...
I just love this mac and cheese – even if it isn’t low carb or on any form of diet a grown responsible adult should be eating, but hey, life isn’t always about being reasonable. Sometimes a girl’s gotta break out and indulge in some creamy, gooey, cheezy Mac and Cheese!
We had some friends join us last weekend, and one of those friends happens to be a HUGE fan of my mac, so I thought there was no better time to take advantage and put this yumminess together.
I have been making this dish for a long time, with so many different iterations of it. I have consulted other recipes, put in a little of this and a little of that, and it usually somehow comes out really tasty. I have had a lot of friends over the years ask me what I do, and I could never really pinpoint it. Sometimes it is velveta (yes, that is some magic melting cheese that works SO well), sometimes cream cheese, sometimes I shred the cheese fresh and sometimes I don’t.
The last one I made was so ridiculously creamy that I vowed to write it down and share it here on the blog. You need heavy cream for this, you can use milk or half and half (you can do anything you want!!!) but I recommend the cream. A full-bodied creamy experience comes from the cream and it is hard to replace. Also, the cornstarch instead of flour gave it a silkiness that was just delightful!
The onion powder and the green onions disappear into it while providing a deep rich flavor.
I hope yours comes out just as good – if not better!!!
This was the macaroni used, but feel free to use any that you want – just get something that has texture or turns in it so the cheese sticks within the macaroni!!
This is the browned butter I like to use. To brown butter, you just heat it for a while on medium heat. It will bubble up quite a bit – it’s cool, let it do that and stir around consistently (you can walk away a little bit on this one – but don’t ever leave it too long!) and you will then see this nice golden brown color. It gives it a nutty, rich flavor.
Here is the sauce – it should run off the whisk. It can be a bit thicker than this – but when you cook it in the oven at the end of the recipe, the sauce will thicken up. It should be easy to stir the mac within the cheese. If it is hard to stir, add some water! But certainly try to add the water ahead of time before you add the macaroni so it gets fully incorporated.
Here are the green onions – all sliced up! Don’t chop them into tiny bits, just run your knife in small sections moving along the green onion so they are small little rounds of green and white! (BTW – this is how you chop chives too – which will work here too if that is what you have on hand!)
Here it is before it goes into the oven with the mac mixed in. YUM!!!
The final deliciousness!!! 😉 😋 😁
Creamy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1 bag/box macaroni - you choose the type! (I like anything with an edge/curve so the cheese sticks to it)
1 stick butter - browned
16 oz heavy whipping cream
25 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese (I get the big 32 oz bag and then use about 3/4 of it)
1 bunch green onions - chopped (white parts included)
1 tbsp onion powder
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cook the macaroni according to the package. Once it is done, let it rest in a little water in the pan, over time it will soak this up, but that's ok. It will prevent it from sticking together.
Brown the stick of butter in the pan - don't BURN it - just brown it. Make a slurry with the cornstarch (just put the cornstarch in a glass, and then add some water and stir) until it is all combined with the water. Turn the butter down and on medium to low heat, add in the slurry. Combine fully with a whisk. Slowly add in the cream, incorporation fully. It will thicken and then release more as you cook. Add in the cheese, a few scoops at a time. Fully incorporate that as well. Add in the onion powder and salt as needed. Add in some fresh cracked pepper. If the mixture is too thick, add in water as needed. The last time I made this I added in 4 cups! You want the cheese to be melty and creamy, and not too thick! Add in the macaroni and green onions and stir completely.
Put in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until the sides are bubbling. Serve warm and enjoy!
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