Macaroni and cheese
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Macaroni&cheese&veggies.jpg Macaroni and cheese (sometimes referred to as macaroni cheese in the U.K. or mac'n'cheese in the U.S.) is a common dish whose main ingredients are cooked macaroni (usually elbow macaroni) and a cheese sauce. Cheddar cheese is the traditional choice (or cheddar-like processed cheese such as Velveeta), but other cheeses are used as well. Packaged versions are available, consisting of boxed pasta and a cheese powder, to which is added butter and milk (or water). Extra ingredients, like ground beef, canned tuna, sliced hot dogs, ham, tomatoes, and other vegetables are sometimes incorporated into the dish as well, though some might quibble that such recipes are no longer for "macaroni and cheese."
When made from scratch, the cheese sauce is often prepared in the style of Mornay sauce, a classical French sauce of butter and flour cooked into a roux, to which milk and cheese are added. The sauce and cooked macaroni are then combined. Often the dish is then baked as a casserole, sometimes with a breadcrumb topping. The resulting dish displays a contrast between a soft interior and crisp exterior that can only be made by dry-heat cooking.
The stovetop version utilizes heat from a stovetop to slowly melt the cheese in order to integrate with the cooked noodles. The sauce (in the USA, usually Velveeta) is ultimately made in the same pan with other ingredients mixed separately. Image:Macaroni and cheese.jpg Boxed versions (the stove top method) of the macaroni dish are known for the rich yellow-orange color, resulting from the use of powdered "cheese sauce mix" rather than actual cheese. This color was memorialized by Crayola in 1993 when they added a "macaroni and cheese" crayon to their selection of colors.
The most famous brand name of macaroni and cheese is Kraft (see Kraft Dinner).