My Granny passed away in 2022 and the time surrounding it was incredibly hard. She had lived with my family when I was in high school, so some of my formative memories involve her in a big way. When we were children, she would make us this mac and cheese so I wanted to share her version with the world. I have also recreated it with my own recipe; I'm a little partial to my recipe, but hers will always have a special place in my heart.
Granny's Recipe
8oz ditalini
8oz velveeta
150g whole milk
This is about as easy as it gets. Heat your milk and velveeta over medium heat until fully melted and creamy. Cook your pasta according to the package in heavily salted water, and drain once finished. Mix your pasta into the cheese sauce and season with cracked pepper. As simple as this is, it's still incredibly creamy and nostalgic. You almost forget how salty velveeta is if you haven't had it in a while, so the cheese sauce carries a really nice flavor.
My Recipe
8oz fusilli or cavatappi
150g half and half
100g smoked gouda
100g medium cheddar
1 tbsp hot sauce
2 tsp sodium citrate
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for your noodles. While those cook, shred your cheeses so they are ready for melting. Heat the half and half in a pot over medium heat and add your sodium citrate. Stir that until the sodium citrate is dissolved then slowly add your cheeses a little at a time. Continue stirring and adding cheese until the sauce has come together. Add your hot sauce and a few cracks of black pepper.
Drain your pasta and add it back to the large pot you cooked it in. Pour your cheese sauce over the pasta and mix the two together. This is basically an ideal version of the creamy stovetop mac we grew up with.
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