Fannie Farmer's Classic Macaroni and Cheese


I made this last week at my youngest son's request. He told me that I cook only what dad likes or I like all the time so I told him that from now on we would start something new - one night each week he could pick the menu for dinner, one night his dad would and one night I would. I think that will be fun and it's definitely fair! It's so hard to cook something everyone likes so I'm hoping this will make things more "fair!" I found this at Recipeszaar. I picked this because it was an older mac and cheese recipe and I love trying old recipes. I think I used a little too much flour and also had a store brand cheese on hand. The recipe comes with a warning to use only good quality cheese. Your mac and cheese will only be as good as the cheese you use. This is very true. I will make this again, without a doubt, using a top quality cheese. My son loved it and I also enjoyed it. My husband did not care for it...said it tasted pasty, which is why I said I must have used too much flour. It was still pretty good and I will use this recipe from now on (even though there is a good ten minutes of constant stirring).


1 (8 ounce) package macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream (I used heavy cream)

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded- good quality)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).

Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheese little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Turn off flame. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Comments

Mary Bergfeld said…
This is a great basic Mac N' Cheese. Sometimes the macaroni sauce tastes pasty if it is not simmered for a full 10 minutes before mixing with pasta.
George Gaston said…
Debbie, your son has great taste! You can't beat a good serving of Mac & Cheese. This is a wonderful recipe that will live on for many generations of good cooks. Many thanks for sharing...
That's a great set up for the picking food night... When my kids were young, we would have had poptarts and yoo-hoo night
Pam said…
What a delicious looking mac & cheese - my kind of comfort food.
teresa said…
you just can't beat a homemade mac and cheese, this looks irresistable!
Joanne said…
Old recipes definitely have that tried and true appeal. With your son picking, I have a feeling you will be eating a lot of mac and cheese....which I have to say sounds amazing.
Jennifer said…
Mac and Cheese is my favorite! I love how everyone gets to pick a night, very fair!
Jenn said…
Comfort to my eyes, nose and mouth. I think I'll be making me some mac and cheese very soon. btw, that's a pretty neat idea having one night of the week for each person to pick a dish they want to eat.
Katy ~ said…
Good idea about allowing everyone to pick a menu once a week. You are such a good lady to do this. What comedian said they had 2 choices growing up, take it or leave it, which is how it was in our family's home LOL

Mac 'n cheese. The quintessential comfort food. Gosh, it looks so good!!
Kay Little said…
This is going to be going on my to make list. It looks so good...great advice about the cheese! Blessing, K
I'm sure your son loved this mac and cheese- it's great comfort food! I love making older recipes too.
Manggy said…
Ooh, I love the classics. Here's hoping your husband likes it more the second time around :)
Yummy!!! Don't you just love Recipezaar? It's one of my favorite stops when I'm looking for something specific.

Thanks for sharing!

Lucy
www.farmersattic.com
www.farmersattic.blogspot.com
www.lucy43g.etsy.com
noble pig said…
I know my kids would choose mac & cheese too! Nice!
Donna-FFW said…
Nothing beats good old fashioned mac and cheese, it looks so comforting and delicious, smart boy!
Monica H said…
I have yet to find a good and creamy mac and cheese that I really like. And I have this cookbook- yay!
What a neat idea to let everyone have a night to pick what to eat. (To me the hardest part of cooking is deciding what to make.)

I've never met a mac and cheese that I didn't like and just looking at yours makes me want to fall of the diet wagon and make this again.
Reeni said…
Your son picked a good one! Such a comfort meal. And home-made is the best. I bet he had lots of leftovers to enjoy.
Kathleen said…
Mac n Cheese is one of my all time favorites. I think it is so sweet that everyone gets to pick the menu on one night!
Momgateway said…
Now this is comfort food!
This looks really creamy and cheesy. I've been looking for a good mac-n-cheese recipe using a better quality cheese...my kids like it with Velveeta.
Ingrid_3Bs said…
Oh, my goodness your son and my kids say the same thing! With three kiddos at home I rarely make all three happy! :(

The only mac & cheese the twins and I like is a homemade version. I'll have to give this one a try.
~ingrid
What a Dish! said…
That looks good- it's similar to the recipe I like to use. ;) (Mine uses less flour, but only a TBS less). I love any pasta with cheese!
The Blonde Duck said…
This will wage well in my war of mac and cheese.
La Bella Cooks said…
Everywhere I look, a recipe for mac and cheese comes right out at me and lately its all I think about! This looks so yummy and comforting, especially with that cheesy, crispy top. Yum!
Kerstin said…
Mmm, homemade mac&cheese is the best! And what a fun family tradition. I would have loved to pick a meal every week growing up!
NKP said…
Gotta love mac and cheese! I agree though, it's all about the cheese.
Tony said…
Looks fantastic to me ;). I can always go for a good serving of mac and cheese.
Unknown said…
Love your recipe blog. Please feel free to stop by my food blog anytime to get some of my great recipes. :) I'm at Off The Menu @ www.actualfoodforthought.com
It is so rich and creamy. I remember my old Fanny Farmer cookbook from decades ago. I wonder if I still have it.

The newer cookbooks are more interesting because there are more than recipes.
Carolyn said…
My recipe is very similar, except I also add a half of finely chopped onion and a good sprinkling of dry mustard. It is important to cook the flour and butter mixture for about a minute or so before adding the milk to avoid the pasty taste.