Mac and Cheese thread

[Anonymous No.13257921]

What is this strange american fixation with Mac and cheese?
It's the most basic pasta recipe you can make and I continuely see it regarded as the best thing ever
Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I just don't get all the fuss

[Anonymous No.13257942]

>>13257921
I don't actually like it, but keep that to myself out of fear of being labelled elitist by my American friends.

[Anonymous No.13257951]

>>13257921
There's really no fuss, its simple and inexpensive food that is well liked in the US.
But there is no "fuss", nobody gives a shit really, its a very simple set of recipes.
You just spend way too much time on /ck/ where the rest of the world is fascinated with everything America does.

[Anonymous No.13257952]

>>13257921
It's usually kids, or people who only care about food trends like the people who put it on a burger or something. The average person likes it but isn't obsessed with it.

[Anonymous No.13257956]

Oven baked is better than stovetop espec if some breadcrumbs on top.

It is excellent comfort food and, when done right, can ascend to something higher.

[Anonymous No.13257962]

>>13257921
Plastic cheese and factory pasta is peak American cuisine. It's artificial, mass produced, and inherently fake just like the average American.

[Anonymous No.13257969]

>>13257956
I hate it oven baked. The pasta always goes mushy and absorbs the sauce. Mac and cheese is only good fresh, it sucks if you try to reheat it and baked comes out like that by default.

[Anonymous No.13257977]

>>13257962
Posit a bunch of falsehoods and then commence the usual yankee-bashing. Keep seething, foreigners.

[Anonymous No.13257986]

>>13257969
Youre over cooking the pasta. You want undercooked pasta before you put it in the oven.

[Anonymous No.13257991]

>>13257969
>>13257986
Yeah you want to undercook the pasta, and don't bake it for too long either. If you have a baking dish that can go under the broiler maybe just try that.

[Anonymous No.13257999]

>>13257986
I know that in theory, I have never tried baking personally it though because it seems like a waste so I'm talking about ones I've had made by others. Lasagne is the only baked pasta dish I think is decent, I've never had another where I thought the pasta wasn't ruined and even lasagne is easy to fuck up.

[Anonymous No.13258026]

>>13257921
What is this strange fixation with what Americans do?
People like it because it's quick and easy to make comfort food.

[Anonymous No.13258044]

>>13257999
It's not a waste if you don't fuck it up. Just follow a recipe and use a timer.

[Anonymous No.13258048]

>>13258026
>What is this strange fixation with what Americans do?
You should meet one sometime, you’ll understand then.

[Anonymous No.13258054]

>>13257962
ahahaha absolutely SEETHING

[Anonymous No.13258058]

>>13258054
Yeah, it’s fucking nasty shit.

[Anonymous No.13258072]

>>13258044
It's a waste for me because the end result isn't appealing. Even if the pasta isn't overcooked at the end, the way the sauce absorbs into it doesn't appeal. I like pasta pretty fresh and al dente with the sauce coating it as a separate thing as opposed to soaking in. I get that people like baked pastas it's just not my bag.

[Anonymous No.13258077]

>>13257921
not a big fan, it's a bit too rich by itself
are you supposed to eat it with something else?

[Anonymous No.13258089]

>>13257921
I am Malaysian Chinese and Mac and cheese is among my most favorite junk foods. I'm not sure why. I especially love the boxed Kraft Mac and cheese varieties. They have a flavor that I cannot reproduce with homemade Mac and cheese.

[Anonymous No.13258205]

>>13257921
Is is heresy to make Mac and cheese with raclette and tartiflette cheese?

[Anonymous No.13258210]

>>13257921
Its tasty, easy, and reasonably nutritious.
That is about it.
That and you can buy 20 boxes of the stuff for under 10 dollars in the right stores.

[Anonymous No.13258262]

>>13258210
>reasonably nutritious

It's fat, carbs and salt with zero micronutrients. If that counts as nutritious, then what wouldn't?

[Anonymous No.13258266]

>>13258262
except fat and carbs are nutritious?

[Anonymous No.13258291]

>>13257921
It's an easy recipe that is cheap that children like, and it can be a side dish or a main dish. That's about all their is to it. You can also spice it up by adding things to it.

[Anonymous No.13258295]

>>13257921
>Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I just don't get all the fuss
It's just a staple Flyover dish that got appropriated by Mutt Coastal Hipsters to fuck up with the Ingredient Of The Month fad.
It's gastropub hysteria.
If you go to real America, it's just a low-key addition to a meal.

[Anonymous No.13258307]

>>13258266
I'll continue this discussion after I finish up my nice healthy snack of french fries, brb.

[Anonymous No.13258427]

>>13258089
What’s your favorite Chinese comfort food?

[Anonymous No.13258452]

If you want to emulsify your sauce...

look no further than sodium hexametaphosphate

just a tiny pinch!

[Anonymous No.13258466]

>>13257921
It's unironically the closest thing americans have for a national dish.

[Anonymous No.13258467]

>>13258452
what does hexameta mean?

[Anonymous No.13258485]

>>13258466
>imagine being this OBSESSED
>but then you confuse America with Canada
lmao dumbass

[Anonymous No.13258492]

>>13258467
six duplicate phosphate groups all attached to a sodium ion

[Anonymous No.13258520]

>>13258492
mm, phosphate

[Anonymous No.13258549]

>>13258077
>are you supposed to eat it with something else?
i usually have it with a side salad or some kind of steamed green vegetable, either one doused with vinegar. helps cut through the richness.

>>13258262
>it's fat, carbs
cheese has as much protein as meat per ounce. nobody is saying you only have to eat pasta and cheese sauce though, add in some vegetables. any green vegetable tastes good with it, or mushrooms, onions, etc.

[Anonymous No.13258560]

>>13258520
You are adding a very small amount by weight to the recipe.

[Anonymous No.13258564]

>>13258485
plastic cheese and fake factory noodles aren't Canadian. American plastic cheese product isn't even legal here

[Anonymous No.13258579]

I hate making Mac and Cheese.
Cleaning the saucepan is the most annoying thing ever.

[Anonymous No.13258587]

>>13257921
Monitoring this thread. I'm making a mac and cheese for Thanksgiving this year.

Planning on cooking the noodles just under al dente. Haven't decided on the pasta yet but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be Orecchiette or Fusilli. I'm planning on making a roux with butter and flour, then making a thin bechamel sauce by adding some evaporated milk. Then I'm gonna bring gruyere and fontina cheeses to the party until I get the consistency I want with the cheese sauce. THEN I'm gonna cut it with something sharp like white cheddar and/or fresh parmesan. Gonna add some dry mustard, a couple glugs of worcestershire, white pepper, and some reserved pasta water. I'm gonna mix it all together and then NOT bake it with breadcrumbs because fuck doing all that work for it to dry out. I'm gonna keep it in it's stovetop state until right before it's served, then shave some parmesan on top and put it under the broiler. Any pointers/criticisms for my recipe?

[Anonymous No.13258592]

>>13258587
yes, I didn't see sodium hexametaphosphate mentioned

a small pinch will make your sauce emulsify perfectly

[Anonymous No.13258593]

>>13257921
It's a good way to use up your government cheese.

[Anonymous No.13258598]

>>13258564
Based schizo poster.

[Anonymous No.13258604]

>>13258587
“dry mustard”
I assume you mean the yellow dust that’s been sitting in your cabinet for 8 years?
garbage, throw it out, has no value
buy some actual mustard seed from the bulk aisle for 12 cents, spin it in a spice grinder, or mash with mortar-pestle

[Anonymous No.13258607]

>>13258604
"mustard seed"
I assume you mean the little yellow balls that have been sitting in your cabinet for 8 years?

[Anonymous No.13259287]

>>13258587
Seems great, like every other effort M&C.

I'm sure it'll taste fantastic and completely ruin the simple palette of the autumn multi-course meal.

[Anonymous No.13259301]

LMFAO SEETHING
>OBSESSED
>Americans simply existing

[Anonymous No.13259330]

>>13257921
Nobody unironically calls mac and cheese "the best thing ever." It's obviously popular exactly because it's very simple while still tasting decent and you can buy little packs of them to have ready to eat after a couple minutes of microwave time.

[Anonymous No.13259337]

>>13258587
why are you eating mac and cheese over the age of 12

[Anonymous No.13259352]

>>13258089
^This. The Kraft box mac and cheese for some reason tastes wonderful. It's such a saturated sharp fake-cheese flavor and I love it even though I recognize it's not real or great.

[Anonymous No.13259355]

>>13258262
There's the modern version of "nutritious" which basically means "isn't food at all so that it doesn't make fat people gain more weight than they already have." And there's the more traditional version of "nutritious" which means "gives you most or all of what you need to not starve to death."
Mac and cheese is nutritious in the second sense of the word. It has calories, protein, and salt and fills your stomach with something solid so you can eat it and not be dying. If you're fat it's obviously not "nutritious" in that other sense for you and you'd be better off eating some salad that gives you nearly zero calories because it isn't getting digested by a human stomach.

[Anonymous No.13259388]

Mac and Cheese is a popular comfort food. There really isn't a "fuss" about it, it's just popular. If you honestly don't get "comfort food" then you probably don't live live in Illinois for example where it's under 10 F for 4 months out of the year.
If you're slightly underweight like me it's frickin wonderful to eat something warm, creamy, and cheesy when you've got cold bones.

[Anonymous No.13259883]

>>13258592
My God, man...you need to just make a tripcode and start calling yourself "(NaPO3)6 Shill". Every single thread you pop into. What are you, bought and paid for by Big (NaPO3)6?

>>13258604
n...no..... I actually know what I'm doing with my spices and the dry mustard I have I just recently purchased a couple weeks ago. I am intrigued by the mortar-pestle idea though. I will take it under consideration.

>>13258607
kek

>>13259287
Well it will with THAT attitude. I'm sure that amazing macaroni and cheese exists somewhere and I intend to come as close to it as possible.
>autumn multi-course meal
wew lad

>>13259337
>why are you eating mac and cheese over the age of 12
Well what the hell is acceptable to eat past age 12 for you on Thanksgiving, smarty pants?

[Anonymous No.13259967]

>>13259883
Like your idea, anon. I’m making Mac and cheese to moms for thanksgiving, too, but I’m keeping mine warm in a crock pot, as time and space in her oven/stove is a total clusterfuck every year. Thinking about a little bowl of toasted panko breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top of individual servings. Also, I usually add a little cream cheese to my sauce, just to help with creaminess, and add a little tang.

[Anonymous No.13260208]

>>13258587
ditch the dry mustard and go with a high quality dijon

[Anonymous No.13260355]

>>13259883
Many things. But since you're a manchild with your heart set on eating children's food I'm sure you'll pretend they don't exist and act like you "JUST HAD TO eat mac and cheese" because it was "the ONLY option!"

[Anonymous No.13260371]

>>13258587
What do you mean, put it under the broiler?

[Anonymous No.13260381]

>>13257921
It’s cheap, easy to make, and tastes good
Why does it bother you that Americans like it?

[Anonymous No.13260446]

dunno, here in italy people are obsessed with cacio e pepe which is basically the same

[Anonymous No.13260585]

>>13257921
>It's the most basic pasta recipe you can make
Not true. It's hard to find a good mac and cheese in a restaurant and most home cooks can't get the cheese sauce right. My mother's was godawful. I don't even know how she made it.

[Anonymous No.13260593]

>>13260355
is this what’s important to you in life

[Anonymous No.13260612]

At least we don't drown it in ketchup like barbaric Canadians

[Anonymous No.13260618]

>>13260593
No. In fact I consider it very unimportant. But you asked, and that's the answer.

[Anonymous No.13260619]

>>13260612
Oh boy, I don't see a wedding ring.

[Anonymous No.13260833]

>>13259967
I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I feel like once you have that perfect mac and cheese recipe with the sauce just right...yeah...that's where I want to stay. So many people ruin it by taking THAT and then pouring panko or breadcrumbs over the top and throwing it into an oven. Pasta gets overdone, sauce dries up, end product becomes greasy. I'm gonna keep it in the pan and then throw it under the broiler.

>>13260208
>dijon mustard
I'm intrigued. I'm gonna workshop the mac and cheese recipe in a smaller batch on Monday night when I get up to the family mountain house. I might try that.

>>13260371
Like, do you not understand what a broiler does or are you unsure why I'm just using the broiler instead of baking the whole thing?

>>13260355
just shut up, nobody likes you and why are you even in this thread if you hate mac and cheese so much? shut up faggot

[Anonymous No.13260855]

It's hard to get perfect without Sodium Citrate, which none of you assholes have. The other protein bond breaker is cornstarch. I'm not going to teach you either way.

[Anonymous No.13260866]

>>13260855
>t.

[Anonymous No.13260880]

>>13260866

People who type t are fucking assholes. You know that right? You're a teenage board member who can't do shit for himself.

[Anonymous No.13260891]

>>13260866

Sorry you just came across like a stupid kid cunt. You certainly know something about the carter administration or nixon or even kennedy, right? You're not a stupid child?

[Anonymous No.13261129]

>>13257921
>What is this strange american fixation with Mac and cheese?

Fake Cheese + fake noodles = one fat, happy American

[Anonymous No.13261135]

>>13260855
It's absolutely not difficult to do with a roux. It just doesn't taste as good.

[Anonymous No.13261154]

>>13261135

A simple roux is used in a.. I can't even bother Use cornstarch in your "roux" So you don't make as starchy shitshow. I just dont' bother teaching you fucking kids.

[Anonymous No.13261156]

>>13257921
Its like carbonara or cacio e pepe for Italians, its basic, satisfying, and with proper care can become something far greater than the sum of its parts.

[Anonymous No.13261170]

>>13258466
That would almost certainly be the cheeseburger or barbecue.
M&C is well loved, but I don't think its a number one dish or anything.

[Anonymous No.13261189]

>>13258579
Fill the pot with boiling water and melt out all the old cheese. Gets rid of almost all the mess with basically no effort.

[Anonymous No.13261252]

>>13258579
Holy shit rinse it while it's still hot. Sounds like you're getting to it like 36 hours later.

[Anonymous No.13261265]

>>13261154
I don't need you to teach me anything, bitch nigga.

[Anonymous No.13261274]

>>13261189
>>13261252
>>13258579
You're all wrong. While the remaining cheese is still warm, wipe out with a paper towel. Then put water in it.

[Anonymous No.13261283]

>>13261274
more complicated and more wasteful than just rinsing it out while it's still warm.

[Anonymous No.13261665]

>>13260833
I didn't post that to get you to like me. In fact I'm glad a manchild like you doesn't like me.

[Anonymous No.13261897]

>>13258593
This person gets it

[Anonymous No.13262011]

>>13258592
Based sodium hexametaphosphate poster. How much does Kenji pay you?

[Anonymous No.13262211]

>>13262011
I actually got the idea from this board.

[Anonymous No.13262215]

>>13257962
Based!

[Anonymous No.13262308]

>>13258089
sup canada

[Anonymous No.13262325]

>>13257921
As a non-burger I for some reason always assumed the "cheese" was real instead of a thin sauce. Discovering the truth was a sad day

[Anonymous No.13262663]

>>13257921
burger here
it tastes good and is easy to make simple as that
it's also one of the better frozen meals to eat if you don't feel like boiling macaroni

[Anonymous No.13262682]

>>13260880
people who put spaces after quoting are redditors who need to go back

[Anonymous No.13262689]

>>13260855
wrong. theres two easy ways to get a cheese sauce thats creamy. first way is make a flour/butter roux and bechamel. 2nd way is butter and heavy cream simmered for 5mins constantly whisking until its one emulsified thickened liquid. then just slowly stir in home shredded cheese to both of those and its fine. just because you tards are trying to make cheese sauce with pre-grated shit doesnt mean you cant do it without some fag chemical