My mom makes a really good Macaroni and Cheese, and she is always being asked to make some for someone. She is not really a Macaroni and Cheese person herself but she loves making it for people. I tried Chuck's recipe this past Thanksgiving and it blew my Mom's out of the water. Sorry Mom! She agrees with me also. I am originally from California and we had this restaurant in downtown Los Angeles called Clifton's Cafeteria and I thought that they made the best Macaroni and Cheese in the entire world. Well, I have finally found the recipe for it. Thank you Chuck for bringing back wonderful memories and for one of the best recipes on this site. By the way, my Mom actually loves Macaroni and Cheese now, and is always wanting me to make Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese. It is now my family's favorite too.
This is not your typical shells and cheese recipe. Very tasty indeed. My family loved it and the leftovers were just as good. Some suggestions though which most people have already mentioned: The amount of bread crumbs needs to seriously be reduced. Instead of 1 cup, I would only use a 1/4 of a cup with the 1/4 of melted butter. This will provide a light garnishment on top of your dish. Mmmmm...also add a 1/2 cup of milk. If not, your leftovers will be dry as a bone. A tasty bone, but still quite dry. Happy eating!!! :)
I must say that I have been using this website for over 5 years and this is my first review ever...this recipe is top notch. I usually add some chopped ham (or sometime Kielbasa), peas and finely chopped onions to this and add a little milk to keep it moist. This is definitely in my top 15 recipes ever.
Oh god. This recipe is better than sex. Seriously, we make it all the time. Add a can of condensed tomato soup and you will be in cheesy, artery-clogging heaven.
Of all the dishes I have tried from this site, this is one of my top favorites, and my family and friends rave about it. I make it exactly as directed except skip the breadcrumbs and cover the top in a thick layer of cheese instead. It is interesting to read all the mixed reviews on this mac and cheese, because depending upon what part of the country you are from, people eat different kinds of mac and cheese. Some people like creamy and some people like it the way this one is made. The mac and cheese that I am used to making and eating that taste like this is made with egg. The cottage cheese in this recipe gives the same consistency of that without the egg, and I like that. Thanks so much! This recipe has really been a great find for me!
best mac & cheese ever!! i eliminated breadcrumbs & butter. i added lots of fresh sliced tomatoes (tossed w/ pepper) between mac & cheese mixture. also added 1/2 - 3/4 c skim milk (per another reviewer's suggestion) & used fat free/reduced fat sour cream, cottage cheese & shredded cheese & low carb pasta. gotta try to make it healthier somehow!!
I'm sorry this was gross:(
I love this recipe. It is easy, creamy, and the sour cream add great flavor. I prefer crumbled triscuits on top and a little bit of cayenne pepper. I also like to use fat free sour cream and cottage cheese (no one can tell the difference).I make this about once a week. Thanks for sharing!!
When my roommates and I realized that we ran out of bread crumbs, we crushed up ritz crackers and sprinkled them on top instead of the butter-crumb mixture. I think the crumbs make this recipe perfect, regardless of whether you use ritz or breadcrumbs.
