The Last One

This is the very last one I'll make. It, simply said, is too difficult for me to lift the large kettle of boiled water to dump the elbows into the old strainer. My arm is now too weak and painful for the project so I'm going to freeze several pieces and enjoy it until it is all gone. It is an old recipe and done the way my Mother made it and I wonder just how many large pans of this I have made through the years since 1955—2023. Have a look!

I have semi-retired my vintage colander.

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RECIPE

Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Gere Reed

You Will Need:

9" x 13" Pan

Heavy Duty Foil

*Pam No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 - 10 oz. block EXTRA Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese 

1 - 10 oz. block EXTRA Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

(Preferably Helluva Good Cheese Brand or Cracker Barrel)

1 - Box (16 oz.) Elbow Macaroni (Preferably Mueller’s Brand)

1/2 Stick BUTTER (Preferably Keller’s Brand)

1 Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs (Preferably Progresso Brand)

Parmesan & Romano 100% Grated Cheese (Preferably Kraft Brand)

Black Pepper (Preferably McCormick Brand)

5 Cups WHOLE Milk

*Line pan with foil and spray with Pam. “Release” brand foil may be used instead of Pam (double lined pan). 

(Grillin’ Release fits well in one piece)

Hand grate yellow cheese into bowl and put in freezer until ready to use.

Hand grate white cheese into another bowl and put in freezer too.

(Put a dash of corn oil in the water before cooking)

Cook macaroni at full rolling boil for 11 minutes. Do not salt. Drain.

Dump 1/2 of the macaroni into pan and spread around evenly.

With hand, sprinkle yellow cheese over macaroni.

Dump remainder of the macaroni evenly over the yellow cheese.

With hand, sprinkle white cheese over macaroni.

Generously sprinkle black pepper over all.

Evenly cover all with bread crumbs.

Generously sprinkle Parmesan & Romano cheese over all.

Cut butter into pats and place pats in two rows over top of all.

VERY GENTLY - pour 4 cups of milk along sides of pan.

Tilt pan forward and backward and left to right to make milk flow inside macaroni.

Preheat oven to 350º

Bake one hour at 350º.  After 1/2 hour do the “tilt” procedure again.

If dry, pour one cup milk over all.

It is done (approximately another 1/2 hour) when no milk can be seen as liquid.

Cool about 10 minutes before serving. Leftover sections may be frozen.