I looked at the thermometer recently and it was -3 degrees in the capitol city. Why anyone settled this area is beyond me. It is either really cold or really humid and there are very few waterways.
When in the middle of the winter, my eating habits change. I want comfort food and that is it. Right now, if meat is not braised or roasted, I am probably not going to eat it. A piece of grilled chicken and a salad sounds horrible. With all that being said, one of my favorite meals ever, is Macaroni and Cheese. I love it so much that I thought about starting a blog only about Mac and Cheese. It is relatively simple to make, goes with just about everything and is usually really cheap.
I have been making it and eating it as long as I can remember. In fact, I have a second degree burn scar on my left hand from making mac and cheese as a young whipper-snapper. However, m&c is consistently ruined by overly encouraged chefs that think they can reinvent this classic. It is only on the rarest of occasions that I like m&c from a restaurant. It is either too dry, wrong noodles, paired with lobster or something that it doesn’t need just to bump up the price point.
So, here is your assignment:
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese?
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)?
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box?
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese?
And, if you have a recipe, feel free to post it or a link.
My Answers:
1. Favorite Store Bought– Kraft Spirals or Kroger brand Deluxe (Reduced Fat); Least Favorite – Annie’s Organic White Cheddar (revolting) or Kirkland Brand (wouldn’t eat it if it was free.)
2. Restaurant – Again, I haven’t found one that I loved.
3. “Doctor up” – Maybe a few dashes of Frank’s Ret Hot, that is pretty tasty.
4. Noodle – Elbow or Spiral.
Cheers,
-wibia
Tags: Food, kraft, Macaroni and Cheese
Excellent topic!
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese? Favorite: Kraft (the blue box) Least: The Aldis brand.
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)? GT Souths
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box? A pack or Arby’s Horsey sauce does wonders
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese? Elbow, shells, penne
1) Fav: Velveeta Shells and Cheese. Least: Aldi’s
2) Legend – http://www.legendirvingtoncafe.com/ The have a pepperjack mac that is good, but the regular mac is by far my favorite. So close to tasting like a mac and cheese that a family friend makes. It’s amazing!
3) Never really doctored up mac and cheese…love it the way it is.
4) Any noodle coated in cheese works for me! I care less about the noodle and more about the cheese combo.
1. Favorite Store Bought– Stouffers
2. Restaurant – if you’re heading to Jungle Jim’s, stop here 1st… http://www.atasteofjulias.com/MENU.html
3. “Doctor up” – a few grinds of black pepper… and some shredded cheese if there’s any around
4. Noodle – I like to use the traditional small elbows (even better if they have some ridges)
1. I’ve pretty much always stuck with Kraft and Velveeta brands, so I wouldn’t have to worry about having a least favorite!
2. Local favorite mac and cheese: Trader’s Point Creamery(www.traderspointcreamery.com)
Outside Indy favorite mac and cheese: Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, MI. (www.zingermansroadhouse.com)
3. Garlic powder, any flavorful creamy or smoothly melting cheese, smoked sausage or bacon
4. Elbow macaroni is good, but cavatappi is the absolute best
I concur…fun topic!
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese? (Favorite) Kraft MacNCheese, Thick and Creamy. (Least) Any of the cartoon themed MacNCheese. The noodles always taste off to me.
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)? I hate to say this b/c I’m not a fan of the restaurant but Panera has really good MacNCheese. (On the flip side, I anticipated that Rock Bottom Brewery’s MacNCheese would be great, but it was pretty crummy. Dry, not enough sauce, under-seasoned)
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box? I make it with extra milk, sub out half the milk with heavy creme, add grated parm and spicy montreal steak seasoning.
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese? Definitely shells. I think they hold sauce better.
Okay I’ll give this a shot, but I’m by no means a m&c afficiando.
1. Favorite is probably the original Kraft or really any kind of Shells and Cheese…the WalMart brand isn’t bad.
2. My favorite restaurant m&c is probably from Boston Market. They use the rotini pasta in it which I dig.
3. Always have to add extra American and cream cheese to the blue box.
4. Rotini, shells, then elbow
If you are ever in Florida, need to go to Pollo Tropical.
I know a place like this does not specialize in Mac N Cheese. Went there last week and saw that is a was a new side on the menu and MAN IT WAS GOOOD!@
http://www.pollotropical.com/
So, here is your assignment:
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese? favorite–kraft least–anything frozen
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)? The famous Bucks’s in Woodside, CA http://www.buckswoodside.com/index.html
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box? hot sauce (usually tabasco, but whatever is around)
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese?
elbows, penne, shells
I love this topic and I’m glad to see that people are responding to it!
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese?
Favorite – Ragu “Double Cheddar” sauce with DaVinci Radiatori pasta.
Least Favorite – Store brand w/ dry powder.
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)?
Can’t honestly say that a restaurant has ever impressed me with their mac! If I had to pick a place, I guess I would say Panera… their Vermont white cheddar mac is gloopy, saucy, and I really kind of like it! But I’m not exactly proud to say it because I’m not a fan of Panera overall… Definitely wanna try Scotty’s Lakehouse and Traders Point though!
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box?
One night I took a look at our fridge and whipped up a Mac & Cheese concoction for my wife and it has stuck ever since. I made it from a box, but the flavors can be added to any typical (from scratch) mac recipe. I mixed up the standard cheese sauce but added dijon mustard and Tabasco Chipotle sauce… then tossed some pasta with the cheese sauce, sliced Hebrew National hot dogs, and maybe some peas (depending on the mood)… Next, I tossed panko bread crumbs with parmesan cheese, thyme, and melted butter… I topped the pasta with the bread crumb mixture and baked until bubbly and golden brown. It was a total fluke, but it ended up being super delicious. We’ve had it several times since then!
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese?
Radiatori… No joke, not even trying to be pretentious. It holds onto sauce really well and I love it. Classic elbow is a close second. Hate shell pasta….
1. Fave store bought: Kraft Homestyle Least Fave: EZ Mac
2. Michael Symon used to have a restaurant near my house called Bar Symon, it’s since closed but it had amazing m&c. Here’s a link to the recipe: http://bit.ly/hS3M3T
3. Add butter, bacon, chicken, and extra Velveeta. Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce on the side if I’m feeling spicy.
4. Rigatoni or spirals
I forgot to add my least favorite. It is by far Easy Mac. The weird film on the bowl after you make it creeps me out.
I am not a fan of any mac & cheese made with powder. I like when my mom makes it with Velveeta and then mixes in a can of diced tomatoes.
I’m not going to follow the format exactly, but I love Velveeta Shells ‘n Cheese the best. For any mac ‘n cheese, it is mandatory that I use potato chips to eat it. I use my spoon or fork to convey the noodles onto the chip, then use the chip to convey the noodles to my mouth. Salty, cheesy, crunchy, delicious.
1. Favorite store bought is Bob Evans (found near meats in fridge section) or velveeta shells n cheese. Least? None, I’m a sucker for Mac n cheese, though the box stuff kills Easy Mac.
2. Fleming’s chipotle cheddar is pretty decadent. But any place that’s able to get a golden brown top has my heart in a second. Soul food and BBQ joints generally do it justice. Reminds me of grandmas, which of course, has yet to be replicated.
3. If it’s in the fridge or spice cabinet, it’s fair game. Salt n pepper are a necessity, plus a little frank’s red hot when supplies are low in the aforementioned areas.
4. As long as it’s pasta with cheese, I don’t care, especially after the bars.
Suggestions for good local mac and cheese: Mississippi Belle and N’awlins Creole Cafe in Avon. I like the truffle mac and cheese at Capital Grille when they have it. When I make it myself, I like panko on top for super crunchiness.
There’s an all-m&c restaurant that opened this past year here in St Louis, “Cheesology.” I haven’t been yet, but have heard conflicting reviews (local paper liked it, though there’s a lot of backscratching that goes on with them…and a few friends hated it).
My favorite homemade is shells, boiled drained and then mixed with a jar of Ragu Double Cheddar sauce, spread into a casserole pan, covered VERY liberally with shredded cheddar, and baked @ 450 for 5-10 minutes so it gets nice and melted/crispy on top. Costs less than 5 bucks to make and feeds my wife and I for multiple meals as a side or even main dish if I’m being lazy or we’re especially broke right then.
I never order m&c anywhere, or really pasta in general unless it’s something really fancy with a lot of other things. I just can’t rationalize it knowing how dirt cheap it is to make at home.
You guys sound like you’ve never had good mac and cheese! I haven’t touched the box stuff since college. Yeah, it was a staple then, with frozen peas and tuna… I was yung, had no taste, and even less money… Now i only do homemade mac and cheese. it’s not that hard.
I’m always let down by restaurant mac and cheese. It always seems reheated, which is always bad. I think Rock Bottom had a good recipe, but it’s been awhile.
Best pasta? jumbo elbows. Hands down.
1. What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese? Favorite: Kraft! Least: Walmart store brand (Great Value, I think).
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese? KFC, believe it or not.
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box? A liberal sprinkle of paprika and a handful of shredded parmesan.
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese? Elbow (I’m a traditionalist).
Well, first of all I love Mac and Cheese and I have to say hands down the two best places in Indy to get this is at Zest and Oakleys Bistro (86th & Ditch) Zest in B-Ripple. I like to add some hot sauce and heavy cream to the box version……
1. Favorite: Kraft, of course. Least? Easy Mac
2. Best restaurant: If you are ever in the Quincy, MA area, you MUST try the M&C at the Fat Cat! http://www.fatcatrestaurant.com It is magically delicious! For you shellfish lovers, their Lobster Mac & Cheese is a life-changing experience!
3. I make regular Kraft, then add shredded cheddar, cubed ham and. Frank’s hot sauce. Then I put it in a baking dish and top it with more cheddar cheese, crushed Goldfish™ crackers, and a drizzle of butter. Throw it in a 450 degree oven till it’s browned and gooey, then, KA-YUM!
4. Elbows.
Talking about this has made me hungry. Time for Mac & Cheese!
1. Fave: Velvetta shells & cheese
2. Restaurant: though you aren’t a fan of seafood in the mac, I adore Capital Grille’s Lobster mac & cheese
3. “Doctor Up”: Add some bacon to the mix
4: Spirals or elbow!
1) No store bought has ever been good to me
2) No restaurant I’ve tried has had something I would go out of my way for.
3) I make it from scratch with Velveeta as the base, it’s got a good creamy texture that complements most add ons. I like to add a little heat from a bottle of Franks (or Endorphin Rush if my wife will not be having any), mix in a few real cheeses (colby, jack, and a little sharp cheddar, and what ever else I might have on hand). and mix in some crunchy bacon. If I’m in a mood for a backed version I make a ‘crumb topping’ by cutting parmesan into very cold butter before I bake it. All in all, more cheese is better….
4) I like elbow, it’s just a classic.
Favorite: Kraft deluxe macaroni and cheese or just the blue box.
Restaurants: in San Francisco I have 2: the front porch is great standard mac and cheese http://www.thefrontporchsf.com/main.html but the golden gate meat co has a retail outlet in the ferry building that makes a bacon mac and cheese that is super rad. Only problem is that they don’t make it on any kind of a schedule. It is a roll of the dice if they have it at the counter. http://www.goldengatemeatcompany.com/
Doctor up: Add american cheese, bacon and frozen peas
Noodle: I am a sucker for shells
First off allow me to say, I enjoy your blog. and the comments. Thanks. now to the survey:
What is your favorite/least favorite store bought Mac and Cheese? Cheapest I can buy, since I usually add stuff anyway. But not real cheap. otherwise, I’d just by elbow macaroni. store brand or kraft if on sale.
2. What is your favorite restaurant Mac and Cheese (link would be swell for you out-of-towners)? Ive never liked any resturant mac and chesse, can make it better at home. The worst was at applebees, we had one young child ordered mac and chesse. Got a bowl of blue box for six bucks, that was it. I thought, couldn’t you at least cut up a hot dog into it. it amuses me to see things on QVC or HSN selling mac and chesse for “only” about 5 bucks per lb ( plus shipping)…
3. What do you do to “doctor up” the blue box? sounds weird, or maybe not so much, but I like green peas and cooked bacon and canned mushrooms. or hamburger and canned tomato or pizza sauce. or even the dreaded( not so bad, now) friday (part of my family was Catholic and part
Episcopal, no meat on friday and if you coudnot afford fish) you got canned tunna casserole. ( hey, how else you gonna feed 4 for five bucks). not bad.
4. What is your favorite noodle for mac and cheese?I still like the small elbows best. larger are ok. Shells are my least favorite, spirals are ok. I like any of it. Its cheap, easy, and good.
Thanks Tom. You threw a curve ball at canned mushrooms! Otherwise, that sounds good.
Blue box for me (and yes, I know I’m late with my comments).
Restaurant – had one at Claddaugh that was pretty good.
My favorite – my own recipe with smoked ham and several kinds of cheese.
http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/2006/06/homestyle-macaroni-and-cheese-with-ham.html
My mom taught me to add a can of cream of mushroom soup to the blue box (well, not the actual box but the pan) and a dash of onion powder. If eaten right away it is so easily creamy and super delicious!
After the noodles are boiled (I often throw in a bunch of extra elbow noodles to supplement the box), I add the powder, heavy cream, and a couple handfuls of shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
I ate theese when I was 10, now mom hade been in teh UK and bought the exact same mac n’ chese box as shown in the picture. Im dissapointed! How can you people eat that?? It tastes horrible!! I rather have some macaroni with regular cheese melted over it than this crap!
kroger mac and cheese but they changed their recipe so now it sucks ……
LOL, macaroni & cheese, crap you can eat even if you are ill.