Mac 'n' Cheese Buffet

There is nothing more comforting than good old fashioned mac 'n' cheese. When I say old fashioned I mean not out of the box with the little packet of orange powder. The buffet part just makes it more fun for kids and adults alike.

The idea is to have a 'buffet' of sides that pair well with mac 'n' cheese. When I invite friends to participate in a buffet pot luck, I suggest that they bring something that can mix in, sit on, sit under, or sit next to the mac 'n' cheese. The possibilities are endless and the more food sophisticated the crowd is, the more interesting the buffet can be. I haven't done this yet, but I think a contest would be kind of fun to see who shows up with the most creative side as voted by the party guests.

Mac 'n' Cheese Buffet Suggestions

peas	chopped spinach	sauteed mushrooms
bacon	diced tomatoes	pulled BBQ pork or chicken
chili	caramelized onions	additional cheeses
broccoli	salsa	jalapenos
sweet peppers	lobster meat	chunked sausage

As far as the prep method, while there's no box with orange powder packet involved, this is still a one pot endeavor thanks to something I saw on one of my favorite TV guilty pleasures, America's Test Kitchen. You cook the pasta in a measured amount of milk mixed with a bit of water. The ATK recipe calls for American cheese as well as cheddar, and mustard powder and cayenne. Of course I played around with the ATK recipe because that's just what I do.

Here's the part that may freak you out a bit.... I substituted Velveeta for American cheese and got a much nicer texture. For the record, Kraft Foods lists Velveeta's ingredients as: milk, water, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, and 2% or less of salt, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, sorbic acid, sodium citrate, sodium alginate, enzymes, apocarotenal, annatto, and cheese culture.

In contrast, or maybe not so much contrast, Wikipedia defines American cheese as a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components from separating. It is typically yellow or white in color; yellow American cheese is seasoned and colored with annatto.

Velveeta is more shelf-stable than American cheese so it's my go-to. And, don't knock it until you've tried it in recipes! I am in no way suggesting that you eat it on a sandwich or anything like that, but to cook with, it really helps cheddar and other cheeses remain creamy and not separate. I also use slightly different seasonings in my recipe; I prefer Worcestershire sauce over the cayenne, and prepared mustard to mustard powder.

If there's a drawback to this recipe it's that you need to stay close. stir a lot, and perhaps add liquid depending on the type of pasta you're cooking. I find that the best pasta to use is just good old fashioned elbows. I've tried cavatappi, shells, rotini and other more interesting shapes and they just didn't work as well. It's also important to note that you can mix and match cheeses however you like. The recipe here is my standard but I've used smoked Gouda, bleu, Gorgonzola, Swiss, and even provolone and Romano. I just always start with the Velveeta for its emulsifying properties for the other cheeses.

Not to get side-tracked, but I did this recently and it was SO good: I had selection of slices of Bella Vitano, parmesan, Romano, and chunks of Gorgonzola, left over from a charcuterie board. I used all of it to make a small batch of mac 'n' cheese but stirred in bacon bits and green peas too. And that trip down the rabbit hole yielded what I'm calling mac 'n' cheese carbonara. An experiment gone good! Back to the basic recipe......

Note that the photos here were taken while I was preparing 2 half chafing dishes for a large crowd. I cooked 2 lb of pasta in 2 separate pots, so if it looks like a lot, it is.

I combine the Worcestershire sauce and the mustard before adding to the milk.

This is what the milk loooks like after the mustard and Worcestershire and pasta are first added.

Youknow you're getting close to the pasta being done whan the milk mixture coats the spoon like this

This is about the size of a Velveeta chunk you'll need for 1 pound of pasta.

This is the cheese for a 2 pound batch. I mixed yellow and white cheddar along with the parmesan.

You'll need to stir continually once you add the Velveeta.

Once the pot is off the burner, stir in the other cheeses until the mixture is uniform.

Once the cheeses are all combined, you can transfer to a pan to serve immediately or to save for bak

THE RECIPE:

1lb of elbow pasta

1qt whole milk

1c water

1T yellow mustard

1/4c Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

6 oz Velveeta cut into chunks

2c shredded extra sharp cheddar

1/2c grated parmesan

• Pour 3 cups of the milk and the cup of water into a pot over medium heat heat

• Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce to combine

• When the liquid begins to steam a bit, add the elbows and stir.

• Adjust the heat to keep the pot at a very low boil and stir very often. If it looks like you're running out of liquid, add some of the remaining milk as necessary.

• When pasta is al dente* stir in the Velveeta stir until completely incorporated. At this point it shouldn't be too thick since the pasta will continue to cook a bit and absorb liquid as is does. If it does seem too thick, add a touch more of the milk.

• Turn off the burner and stir in the remaining cheese(s) until melted and creamy.

• Serve immediately.

NOTE:

If you plan to bake the mac 'n' cheese, stir in the Velveeta just BEFORE it's as dente. Once the other cheese(s) are added, you can transfer the mac 'n' cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs, paprika or other garnish and bake until crispy and golden on top.

*Al dente cook time varies by pasta variety and brand. And in this recipe, since you're not cooking at a hard boil, its just a matter of continually testing as you feel the pasta starting to soften up while stirring.