Recipe - Cooks Illustrated Stovetop Macaroni And Cheese

2 lg Eggs

TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS
1 cup Fresh bread crumbs, from
French or Italian bread
1 pn Salt
1 One half tablespoon Unsalted butter, melted

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
12 ounce Canned evaporated milk
2 lg Eggs
One fourth teaspoon Hot red pepper sauce
2 teaspoon Salt
One fourth teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dry mustard, dissolved in:
1 teaspoon Water
One half pound Elbow macaroni
4 tablespoon Unsalted butter
12 ounce Sharp Wisconsin cheddar*,
grated

*or American or Monterey Jack. Authors think that since there is so much
cheese, a mild cheese is needed.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bread crumb ingredients together in small
baking pan. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, set aside.

2. Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2
teaspoon of the salt, pepper and mustart mixture in samll bowl. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavybottomed saucepan
or Dutch oven. Add 1One half teaspoons of the salt and macaroni; cook until
almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return to pan
over low heat. Add butter; toss to melt.

4. Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with threequarters of the
cheese; stir until thououghly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually
add remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly until mixture is hot and
creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately topped with toasted bread
crumbs. Serves 4 as a main course or 68 as a side dish. If you're in a
hurry, skip the bread crumb step and sprinkle the top with crumbled
crackers. 12/12/1996 NOTES
: Based on a recipe from John Thorne"s SIMPLE COOKING (Penguin, 1989)
which included a four page essay on macaroni and cheese. The recipe was
first published in THE HOME COMFORT COOK BOOK (Wrought Iron Range Company,
1937). The Cook's article authors (Pam Anderson with Karen Tack) deemed
this one "the best." The article also includes directions for a
"baked" version.

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #341

Recipe by: Cook's Illustrated, Feb. 1997, p. 21

From: Lou Parris lbparris@earthlink.net

Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 19:48:22 0600