Anything in your mom's cookbook that I might try? Or anyone else?
In those days people went to the grocery store only twice per month on paydays, and refrigerators were very small. So most cooking was done with basic ingredients that were always on hand and would keep with minimal refrigeration. Women stayed at home for the most part and most had no second cars. They cooked wonderful meals with so much less than what we consider normal today. Gee I wish that I had learned to cook from my mom!
I’ll jump in and say I have made this with excellent results. I’ve used milk, no cream (hard to get here) and it’s great. I’ll bet it is even better with cream!
http://www.food.com/recipe/fannie-farmers-classic-baked-macaroni-and-cheese-135350
I guess I should have added this:
By - Carla -
Recipe #135350
To me this is the only “real” Macaroni & Cheese recipe. It’s from my 1946 edition of “Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook”. With time on it’s side - this recipe is hands down the best for traditional, homemade baked macaroni & cheese - comfort food. Please Note: If you use CHEAP CHEESE you will end up with a BLAND and FLAVORLESS DISH!
I’ve always made the creamy cheese sauce Mac&Cheese with a roux and add different cheddar and others cheese blends but one of my friends makes the BEST Mac & Cheese! Very different than what I’ve done and my Mom’s done in the past with the roux based cheese sauces.
Here’s the link to the recipe on another week - I love it!
She brings it to most functions and everyone raves about it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2709393/posts?page=21#21
I think I know exactly the kind of macaroni and cheese you are thinking about. When the creamy macaroni and cheese became more popular we started calling the other version Gloppy Mac and Cheese.
My mother actually made her Gloppy macaroni and cheese on the stove top most of the time, since my dad didn’t like it baked. He also liked it made with extra sharp cheddar cheese, which has a tendencey of causing the sauce to sometimes become stringy and very oily when cooked in the oven. I happen to like it this way myself.
After my dad passed away she started baking it again sometimes. Sometimes she would put a bread topping on it and sometimes she would just put extra grated cheese on top. I actually prefer it with lots and lots of cheese on top. My hubby prefers creamy style mac and cheese and for years insisted it had to either be made with velveeta or Kraft Mac and Cheese. At least I have finally converted him to a scratch recipe using real cheese now, but I still have to make it the creamy method or he won’t eat it.
Anyway, I haven’t had this in a while, but it is one recipe I know by heart although my measurments on the cheese are really approximate since I have always just eyeballed the layers.
In fact, I sort of eye ball everything and adjust the amount of the ingredients depending on how much gloppy mac and cheese I am making. I am attempting to put this into measured amounts, so you may need to adjust it based on your own tastes.
Gloppy Mac and Cheese
About 1 cup of uncooked macaroni pasta
About 1-2 cups or maybe more of cheddar cheese, grated (I like lots of extra sharp cheese)
1 large egg or two small ones
About 2/3 cups milk
A dash of paprika and cayene pepper(Optional)
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking beat the eggs, add the milk, and seasoning and mix well, and grate the cheese if you haven’t yet done so.
Layer the pasta with the cheese in a buttered casserole dish, reserving some cheese for the top layer of the casserole. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the pasta and cover with a final layer of cheese.
If you want to add a bread crumb topping now is the time to do it. For this amount I would use about 1/4 c bread crumbs and about half that amount of parmesan cheese. I sometimes add a little parsley or paprika and mix it well and then sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake at about 400 degrees until browned on top.
For the stove top method I leave out the eggs and stir in some chunks of cream cheese as it serves to thicken the sauce.
One of my old cookbooks has a recipe very similar to what I just typed, except they use less cheese, but there is never enough cheese in any of the cookbook recipes I have found for macaroni and cheese. All the other old ones that have a recipe for it show making a white sauce and adding the cheese to it before combining with the macaroni and baking, which produces the creamy macaroni and cheese most people today eat.
I hope this is what you are looking for!
You’re looking for an old-fashioned, baked mac and cheese recipe. Here’s the way my mom has always made her mac and cheese in the 50’s and 60’s and it’s delicious.
MACARONI AND CHEESE
Cook a package of elbow mac till nearly done, drain and dump into a buttered 9x13” Pyrex baking dish. Butter the macaroni with a little butter, mixing till evenly coated. Salt and pepper the macaroni and mix. Take a block of cheese, 8 oz., cheddar or colby or whatever you have and slice thin slices all over the cheese. Mix till evenly distributed throughout the macaroni. Pour in whole milk carefully so as not to disturb the mixture until it barely comes to the top. It should not completely cover the macaroni. Again, dot the surface with butter. Bake at 350 till the cheese is melted, the milk is absorbed and the top is golden brown.