Macaroni (1870) ★★★★

7:28 PM , , , , , 32 Comments



Original Recipe: 
MACARONI.
Put four or five ounces of macaroni in water, and boil for twenty minutes, until tender. Mix into half a pint of milk a little flour, and a small piece of butter, half a tea-cup of cream, half a tea-spoonful of mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and four ounces of good fat cheese grated very fine; stir all together and boil for ten minutes. Pour this over the macaroni, after draining it from the water boil five or six minutes and serve.


The Verdict:
We decided to double the recipe, because five ounces of pasta didn't seem like enough for my hungry man. I think that five ounces would be okay for a side dish. This macaroni came out super creamy. There is a lot of sauce, but the sauce is delicious and I really enjoyed it that way. If you don't want it to be so saucy, I would suggest decreasing the amount of milk, or perhaps reducing the sauce ingredients by half. The flavour is simple, but really nice. This was dubbed the "best macaroni & cheese recipe" by my man, so I will definitely make it again. I liked how easy it was, too.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Jennie June's American Cookery Book)

10 ounces MACARONI
2 cups MILK
4 tablespoons FLOUR
4 tablespoons BUTTER
2/3 cup CREAM
1 teaspoon MUSTARD POWDER
1 teaspoon SALT
1 teaspoon PEPPER
CAYENNE, to taste
8 ounces OLD CHEDDAR, grated

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni until tender. Strain the water and return the macaroni to the pot.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, mix the milk, flour, and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir until combined and butter has melted.
3. To the sauce, add the cream, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cheese. Mix together and simmer for ~5 minutes or until thickened.
4. Add finished sauce to macaroni and stir, cooking until evenly heated.


Anje graduated with a Honours Bachelors degree in History with a minor in Museum Studies. She currently lives and works in Japan's least populous prefecture as an assistant English teacher.

32 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 1, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    This looks delicious... I prefer my mac and cheese to be rather saucy, so I think I will try this recipe :P Btw, I really like the whole idea of your blog, very interesting.

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  2. AnjeMarch 1, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    Thanks! It really is quite saucy but when it cools it will get a little thicker.

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  3. tarahMarch 1, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    This looks like a much more delicious, possibly the inspiration for/ unlikely end goal for instant mac and cheeses.

    I mean that in the best possible way.

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  4. UnknownMarch 1, 2011 at 7:49 PM

    I looks delicious and it sounds really good too...I would never think of adding mustard but if your man said it was the best mac & cheese ever, I must have been delish!

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  5. AnjeMarch 2, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    I used mustard powder in my modern version because I have made mac n cheese with that in it before, but I'm sure adding a squirt of regular mustard would work just as well!

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  6. JanaMarch 3, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    I don't like mustard powder in mac and cheese, but a jolt of worcestershire sauce is fab.

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  7. jayddwMarch 20, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    Nothing beats home-made over the store bought junk. This just looks so rich and creamy. Hey it's easy to make.

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  8. UnknownMarch 20, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Do you mind if I repost on my blog and give you credit and link back to your blog? This sounds great!

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  9. AnjeMarch 20, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    Sure, go right ahead! :)

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  10. UnknownMarch 21, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    Thank you!

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  11. AnonymousNovember 15, 2011 at 2:17 AM

    This looks lovely! I am a big fan of your blog - food history is a favorite topic of mine as well, and one that I have spent much time with. Actually cooking up a student-run online publication at the moment and have been trying to find someone who has an interest in food history. We're looking for contributing writers! Feel free to email me at audreys@delightglutenfree.com if you're interested! My blog incorporates a bit of food history as well: http://hermoveablefeast.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/hazelnut-banana-bread-pudding-dont-mind-if-i-do/
    Thanks, Audrey

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  12. AnonymousNovember 15, 2011 at 2:18 AM

    *audrey@delightglutenfree.com

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  13. AmberNDahlMarch 1, 2012 at 6:08 PM

    This is my new favorite mac and cheese! I've made it three times and each time it turns out wonderfully! Thanks!

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  14. AnonymousMarch 6, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    What's the cream?
    Sorry I'm a newbie at cooking
    And a mom and my little girl and her daddy loves mac and cheese.

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  15. UnknownApril 18, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Wow this looks really great!
    This is just my own preference, but when making pastas with liquid-y sauce like this, I usually cook the pasta a minute or two less than the package directions, so it won't be mushy when it absorbs some of the sauce.

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  16. SaraMay 28, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    This looks super delicious! Yum - I love mac and cheese, definitely my comfort food of choice. :)

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  17. TastefullyJulieMay 28, 2012 at 10:44 PM

    this looks extraordinary!

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  18. MyFudo™May 29, 2012 at 5:14 AM

    I love this saucy, cheesy dish...Truly comfort food. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. KristenJune 4, 2012 at 10:11 PM

    Just discovered your blog and absolutely cannot wait to have a look around! I love the design here and the mixture of history and food. Just beautiful (and the recipe here looks so, so good).

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  20. KarenJune 19, 2012 at 8:18 PM

    The mustard powder was a bit strong for me. But I took the advice of a previous post, and threw a dash or Worcestershire in there. Yum!!!!!!

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  21. AnneJuly 2, 2012 at 1:06 PM

    We loved this! However, I did modify a bit based on other people's comments about the mustard powder - I used 1/2 the amount called for and that seemed to be perfect as it was not over-powering at all! Perfect! :)

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  22. AnonymousJuly 11, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    how long does it take to make?

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  23. Megan WilletSeptember 3, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    Thank you for this recipe. I have made it three times now and it is delicious.

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  24. ShelissaOctober 18, 2012 at 2:17 AM

    What is "old cheddar"?

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    Replies
    1. AnjeOctober 18, 2012 at 6:16 AM

      It's aged cheddar cheese, as opposed to medium. It's really preference, though. We prefer the sharper taste in macaroni and cheese.

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  25. AnonymousOctober 30, 2012 at 8:55 PM

    What do you mean by 'cream?' Would like to make this as a side dish for my daughter's Bday this weekend. :)

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    Replies
    1. AnjeOctober 31, 2012 at 6:16 AM

      It's up to you, really. I usually use whipping cream/heavy cream (the highest fat content), but if you'd rather pick a lower fat cream that's okay too. The fattier the cream, the richer the taste.

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    2. AnonymousOctober 31, 2012 at 7:44 PM

      THANK YOU!! :)

      Delete
    3. AnonymousNovember 23, 2012 at 5:21 PM

      I actually just made this with 2percent milk. It came out well, I just upped the flour a bit I also added parmesean cheese to the mixture to get the flour flavour out. came out well!

      Delete
  26. AnonymousDecember 21, 2012 at 2:51 PM

    This looks $0 Good :) I'm going to make it right now as a matter of fact thanks i have a feeling i'm going to :') to the taste of it :)!!

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  27. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 8:05 PM

    My friend and I tried this a week or so ago for our girl's night and loved it! Thank you for posting the recipe. We used 1 pound of pasta instead of the 10 oz and it was still wonderfully saucy. Very easy recipe, too. We decided to make it our new "go-to". :)

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