Birthday Macaroni

Way back through the mists of time, my mother made macaroni and cheese.  Like many things, it was partly economic necessity, partly good wholesome comfort food.  

I still have a memory of watching how she did it, the best way to learn to cook.  My Friend Janice (tm)  grew up with the exact same dish, one city away.  My suspicion is it was in a newspaper supplement, or the "red cookbook," Good Housekeeping.

At the time, Velveeta cheese food product was what most considered "cheese".  It did melt in a way that gave any sauce a smoothness that can't be duplicated. I don't use it.

When Katy was very little and we were at Mom and Dad's cottage, she asked for macaroni for her birthday meal.  We bought multicoloured noodles - from the natural foods store, so the colour was derived from vegetables - and though the choice of noodles was meant to be healthier, they were also bright and festive. And hence, "Birthday Macaroni." 

NOTE: The crumbs must be corn flakes!

2013 Update:  Elle asked me to make her some Birthday Macaroni during a particularly stressful final year of her degree.  When I told her My Friend Janice (tm) had grown up with the exact same recipe, Elle nodded. "It's a good one; I've found it on the web even." 

Then a pause.  "Oh! It was the one on your blog!" HIGHEST PRAISE!





TOOLS

Large soup/stock pot
Long-handled spoon (wooden's nice, and cheap at the dollar store)
Wire wisk
Grater, with those big holes for shredding

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound of macaroni noodles, Catelli Smart or mixed vegetable-based
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and separated into two 1/4 cups
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (perhaps left over from making Speedy Tomato Vegetable Soup and / or Cheese Dreams?)
• 1/4 tsp oregano or basil, dried
• 1/4 cup flour (needless to say, Canadian all-purpose is what I use, but U.S. all-purpose is softer than ours... more of importance when making bread than a white-sauce roux but worth pointing out) 
• 2 or so cups of milk
• 1 can tomatoes, crushed or diced type  (preferably 19-oz can, but the 28-oz are the ones sold in case lots and usually more readily to hand.  Or use half of a large can in Speedy Tomato Vegetable Soup!)
• Cheese, grated*
• Pinch of dry mustard
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup to a cup of crushed Corn Flakes cereal.  Kellog's makes the crunchiest.

* This is where the art comes in.  Use at least 2 cups of any medium or strong Cheddar.  Bits of others added in make it interesting, such as Jack or Asiago.  Strong flavours like blue or Roquefort will make things perhaps more interesting than you'd like.  Cheez Whiz or Velveeta if you must.  Leftover slices from Cheese Dreams will make it creamier.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven.  I am never quite sure to what.  Try 375F.

Cook the noodles in tons of water, loads of water.  Bring a huge pot to the boil, and sprinkle in the noodles with one hand, stirring them into the water with a wooden spoon with the other.  The goal is to keep each bit of past swimming alone, so they don't glom onto each other and stick. They are starches after all!   Tip: Don't cover the pot with a lid! It will boil over no matter how much you swear you'll keep an eye on it!

Meanwhile, in a pretty big pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat, heat the first 1/4 cup of butter with the onions and the herb. When the butter's bubbly, stir in the flour with the whisk.  Add the milk, stirring till it thickens slightly.

Check the pasta.  Drain.

Use the spoon to stir the tomatoes and the cheeses into the sauce.  It should be thickish, and if the heat's not too high, it won't curdle.  If it does, take it off the stove, whisk the bejeezlies out of it and use it anyway!

Pour the pasta into a serving dish that is bigger than you think you need, cos you need tossing room.  Pour the sauce over it and fold it in. 

Sprinkle crumbs all over the top, covering completely.  Pour the butter over evenly as possible.

Bake about 25 minutes. Let sit up to 1/2 hour.   Serve with salad, or veggies and dip, or just a big glass of milk and the salt shaker!  Serves 4 with leftovers.


TIP  To reheat the next day, either add 1 Tbsp of milk, and reheat in the oven or in a saucepan on the stove.  If microwaving, do it on medium or lower power power, because of the cheese (makes it separate and stringy).



And before you ask, No; though I put (smushed) tomatoes in mac and cheese, I do NOT put ketchup on Kraft dinner!