"He Stuck a Feather in His Hat and Called it 'Macaroni'"

Today, as you might have guessed, we're sharing recipes for macaroni and cheese. Oh, and this post is going to be chock full of fun facts.

Did you know that the song "Yankee Doodle" dates back to the Seven Years' War (1754-1763) and that it is the state anthem of Connecticut? The use of the word "macaroni" in the song referred to a term used in mid-18th century England to describe an outlandishly fashionable fellow. Basically someone who was over-the-top in terms of fashion (over-the-top meaning ridiculous). As used in "Yankee Doodle" it is derogatory to Americans. It was sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled and disorganized colonials whom they served with in the French and Indian War. Basically, the verse is saying that the yankees were so unsophisticated that they thought that simply putting a feather in their hat made them stylish and fashionable.

I think it just shows the brazen pride of the early Americans that they would adopt such a song as an anthem for themselves. Way to turn things around on your persecutors!

And you're probably aware of this, but you can find anything and everything on the internet. I found a nice little cheese website that had some interesting tidbits on it. For instance, there are over 2,000 varieties of cheese. But as impressive as that is, you can probably find even more versions of macaroni and cheese out there than there are varieties of cheese. Cheese has been found in 4,000 year old Egyptian tombs (I guess if you thought you could take it with you, cheese would definitely be something you'd want to pack for the journey!). The site also includes directions for a fun game where you take turns saying the different names/varieties of cheese and when you can't come up with any more, you're out. The winner is the last person out. Sounds like some good, old-fashioned culinary inspired fun to me.

The origins of macaroni and cheese can't be pinpointed exactly. Nobody knows when it was first made. However, it dates back to at least colonial times because Thomas Jefferson brought it back after a trip to Italy and served it at his dinner parties.

Kraft introduced its version of macaroni and cheese in 1937...and I can only imagine that it gained a great deal of popularity during World War II when the use of meat was few and far between due to rationing for the war.

Macaroni and cheese was something we didn't really have growing up--except the packaged variety. I didn't really like the packaged version of macaroni and cheese as a kid...or even when I was in college. I only came to appreciate it when it came time to make it for my own little one. And do you know what? I like it now. It really does have a charm all its own.

But while the packaged macaroni and cheese has its place, there's nothing quite like homemade macaroni and cheese. Tonight, I am collaborating with my sister. I will share her macaroni and cheese recipes first (there are three of them) and then mine (I have four to share).

And don't feel tied down to using only elbow pasta in your macaroni and cheese. You can use any of your favorite smaller pastas: penne, mostaccioli, tubetti, wagon wheels, shells, etc. That just mixes things up and makes it more fun for your kids.

So, without further ado, enjoy our macaroni and cheese recipes!


Here's what my sister has to say: "There is nothing like Mac and Cheese! It is comfort food at its finest. It's cheap, it feeds a bunch, and it's very tasty! You can't go wrong. Here are a few of my favorite variations on the classic."

Mac 'n' Cheese with Chipotles

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 (1 ounce) slice white bread
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
8 cups hot cooked cavatappi (about 5 cups uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place bread in a food processor, pulse until coarse crumbs form to measure 1/2 cup; set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer mixture for 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan and the next 5 ingredients (2 tablespoon Parmesan through chipotle chiles), stirring until cheese melts. Combine cheese sauce, pasta, onions, and tomatoes in a bowl.

Spoon the mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons remaining Parmesan and breadcrumbs; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.

Note: To make ahead, assemble casserole as directed, but stop before adding breadcrumb topping. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature; sprinkle with breadcrumb topping, and bake as directed.

Nutrition Information: Makes 8 (1 cup) servings. 328 calories, 7.3 g fat, 17.7 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 2.4 mg iron, 638 mg sodium, 415 mg calcium.

Source: March 2001 Cooking Light. You can find it here.

Notes: Followed the recipe as written--no changes made.

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 10

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
8 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound uncooked multigrain whole wheat elbow macaroni (such as Barilla Plus)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
5 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded extrasharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat foil with cooking spray. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle oil over tomatoes. Sprinkle with thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until tomatoes start to dry out.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add cheddar, fontina, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes and pasta. Spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and paprika; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition Information: Makes 10 (1 cup) servings. 411 calories, 14 g fat, 22.8 g protein, 49.9 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g fiber, 29 mg cholesterol, 2.5 mg iron, 638 mg sodium, 414 mg calcium.

Source: March 2006 Cooking Light. You can find it here.

Notes: Again, no changes were made. Recipe was followed as written.

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock skimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
Olive-oil, cooking spray
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.

Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30-40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart website. You can find it here.

Notes: No changes made.


Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups (12 ounces) uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (12 ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place in a large bowl.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the cheese mixture to pasta, and stir well. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7 inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, panko, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler (do not remove dish from the oven). Broil pasta 1 minute or until top browns.

Nutrition information: Makes 6 (1 1/3 cup servings. 329 calories, 7.4 g fat, 191 g protein, 47 g carbs, 19 g fiber, 21 mg cholesterol, 2 mg iron, 455 mg sodium, 275 mg calcium.

Source: November 2011 Cooking Light. You can find it here.

Notes: The only change I made is that I used a full pound of penne pasta. I hate when you are asked to use less than a box of pasta. What am I going to do with 4 oz of pasta? Save it until you have 4 other boxes of the same kind of pasta that only called for 12 oz each? I added a teeny tiny bit more cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese since I increased the amount of pasta. I also added salt and pepper, to taste (meaning, a lot more pepper than 1/8 teaspoon otherwise it is too bland for my tastes).

I also increased the panko to about 1/2 a cup.

I really liked this. It was very simple and kid pleasing. Very basic and ingredients that are easy to keep on hand at any time. I chose it, specifically, because I already had all the ingredients for it (except for the panko which I had just used up the week before). I would, however, add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of milk to the sauce mixture to make it a little creamier next time around.


Family-Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 ounces)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded or cubed Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs (my touch, not part of the original recipe)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni as directed on package.

While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3 quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth, and bubble; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Fun variations: You can have fun with additional ingredients by adding in sliced black or green olives, bite-sized pieces of cooked vegetables, hot dogs, or cooked sausage. Or, you could add a 4-oz can of chopped green chiles for a spicier version.

Nutrition information: Serves 6 (that's using only 7 ounces of pasta). 400 calories, 22 g fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 17 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the recipe (again, don't ask me to use less than a whole box of pasta! Besides, leftovers always come in handy!). If I remember correctly, though, I didn't double the sauce exactly. I kept the amount of butter and flour the same (1/4 cup) and used 3 cups of milk and 3 cups of cheese...but I doubled the other sauce ingredients (salt, pepper, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce).

I also added breadcrumbs because I like the added crunch and different texture that they add.


Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces feta, crumbed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set a large pot of salted water to boil and butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, and oregano.

Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions; drain pasta and return to pot. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in ounces feta. stir in tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over pasta; stir to combine. Pour pasta mixture into dish and top with 4 ounces feta. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese begins to brown, 20-25 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart website. You can find it here.

Notes: Again, I doubled the recipe (I had a large crowd to feed and I wanted to use the whole bag of pasta).

The recipe mentioned that you can add canned tuna, browned ground meat, or cooked chicken when you stir in the feta, if you like. While I think those would be nice additions, they aren't necessary because this recipe is awesome without them.


Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2 inch pieces, optional
2 slices white sandwich bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6-8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste).

Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham, if using. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes: This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-16 ounce baking dishes. Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden. If you like, use just one type of cheddar or mix with another melting cheese, such as pepper Jack, Muenster, Swiss, or mozzarella.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. You can find it here.

Serves 8.

Notes: I did not use the ham and I only used yellow cheddar cheese. I highly recommend using the cayenne pepper (even though it is listed in the ingredients as "optional"). It adds such a nice kick (though nothing overwhelming if you don't like spicy food).