Drink and Food

Friday, January 30, 2009

Macaroni and Cheese

It may not make it on the menu for your first mother-in-law's dinner visit, but macaroni and cheese is one of America's top foods.

It is rumored to have been created by the founding father Thomas Jefferson. Barbara Bell Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802. Others claim that Mr. Jefferson did not invent the dish but instead came back from Paris with a macaroni mold. In this Recipe you will find the mac-an-cheese dish from Mary Randolph (Jefferson's cousin) "The Virginia Housewife," that was published in 1824.

First, I will give you a little Mac n' cheese trivia. Did you know that Kraft sells more than one million boxes of the dinners every day! The Kraft dinners are so popular that children and some adults will turn up their noses when offered a rich and delicious homemade version. Give your taste buds a delight and try some REAL mac-n-cheese.

Homemade macaroni and cheese using great Wisconsin cheese is just simple layering of cooked macaroni, shredded (or sliced) cheese and salt and pepper, or it can be made with a white sauce-cheese base, topped with more cheese and buttered crumbs before baking.

Macaroni and Cheese ingredients list:

12 ounces of low-fat cottage cheese.
8 ounces of low fat sour cream.
4 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked.
2 cups of low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded.
½ cup of skimmed milk.
1 green onion, chopped.
¾ teaspoon of salt.
½ teaspoon of pepper.
2 egg whites.
Butter-flavored cooking spray.
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon paprika Fresh oregano sprigs, to garnish.

Instructions for Macaroni and Cheese:

Combine cottage cheese and sour cream in container of an electric blender; process until smooth.

In an electric blender, combine the cottage cheese and sour cream.

Combine the cottage cheese mixture, macaroni, and next 6 ingredients; then spoon into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and paprika; then coat with cooking spray.

Cover and bake at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes.

Uncover, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs.

Serve.

I am a Chicago land Chef who loves to cook! You can find many more dishes at http://americanbaking.blogspot.com