[koukouvagia]

If you don’t use roux, what do you do without adding velveeta?

To make the most American tasting Mac n cheese I find that using a combination of cheddar and Colby jack works best. Cheddar alone doesn’t work.

 

[wyandotte]

Well, I certainly learned of the usefulness of Velveeta today! Thanks, kids.

I guess it's true - if you use only a bit, you can't taste it but it achieves the right texture. Anyway, I bought some fontina to go along with the mild cheddar, since the Gruyere was just too pricey for me. I didn't know about the purpose of Velveeta til just now.

How I rue the day I didn't study to become a food scientist. I would be a wealthy woman, would I not. How to make processed food wonderful in one way or another is a growing industry. Any food scientists here on cheftalk???

 

[wyandotte]

Ahhh....Velveeta. That brings back memories of college, prohibited hot plates and $4 cases of beer ( I went to college quite a while ago )

Let's play that "we were so poor game"! Here is the truth: I had to live in an attic with nothing but a hotplate to cook my food on not only while going to school, but afterwards, too.

C'mon. I want to hear your stories of penury, too. The funnier, the better.

 

[sgsvirgil]

Let's play that "we were so poor game"! Here is the truth: I had to live in an attic with nothing but a hotplate to cook my food on not only while going to school, but afterwards, too.

C'mon. I want to hear your stories of penury, too. The funner, the better.

I was so poor in college, I couldn't afford to pay attention.

But, seriously folks. After I graduated, if it weren't for the fact I worked in my uncle's restaurant while I looked for a job, I have no idea how I would've fed myself. I spent more than a few nights sleeping in my car in the back parking lot. All I can say is thank god for strippers who would barter their couches (and other things *giggle*) for someone to cook for them.

We didn't have Taco Bell packets and 14 cent Raman Noodles back then.

 

[brianshaw]

You win; i’m out.

 

[capricciosa]

If you don't use roux, what do you do without adding velveeta?

I would try to find an organic/natural version. I'm sure Whole Foods has something similar. The process of making process cheese is very old and not inherently bad/dangerous (it's just cheese, milk, a few dairy leftovers like whey and a thickener). I suspect most people's aversion is more to certain brand names that have a lot of "stuff" added rather than the category of cheese itself.

Laughing Cow is essentially the same thing as Velveeta, but it's a tastier product. Or, just find a very low-oil, easy-melting cheese (Monterrey Jack, Oaxaca, etc).

 

[someday]

How I rue the day I didn't study to become a food scientist. I would be a wealthy woman, would I not. How to make processed food wonderful in one way or another is a growing industry. Any food scientists here on cheftalk???

*roux the day

 

[kronin323]

Who's being served this mac and cheese, kids or adults? Very different palates. Adults are more likely to appreciate the nuances and complexities of a higher quality recipe but for kids it's the opposite - they expect Kraft-style box mac and cheese and the further you get from that flavor profile, the less they like it.

It's one of the most common kids-meal mistakes I see restaurants make, getting too fancy on their mac & cheese or other staple kids meals when they should be keeping it simple.

 

[wyandotte]

@kronin323. I am making this dish today (at last) for 3 adults. One of whom is awfully particular and if something is not 5-star he will let me know. (Oh, well. That's how we get better, right? Right?)

 

[wyandotte]

Alrighty then. Yesterday I made the Fannie Farmer macaroni (actually penne rigate) and cheese with 3/8ths Fontina and 5/8ths mild cheddar.

People, I can't believe how nicely this turned out. It is perfect. Doesn't harden overnight, stays soft. The penne makes it more substantial than macaroni. I think that it tastes better than I remember because of the addition of the Fontina cheese. Thank you v. much, brianshaw for mentioning that.

But now I remember why I don't make this very often: spending 17 minutes in front of a hot stove stirring the mixture. And it was already 85 degrees in the house.

Thanks so much, folks, for all your input.