With two children under six at home and a new mortgage to pay off, Mom's cooking was often fast and always frugal. I can recall us breaking the mold a few times with a fried egg sandwich or creamed tuna, but we always went back to our standard, often accompanied by steamed broccoli.
Now when I talk to people about macaroni and cheese, which does happen upon occasion, most of them have one of two versions in their heads - a fancy baked macaroni with bechemel sauce or boxed macaroni (Kraft if they were lucky or one of a number of cheaper store-brand cousins or the ugly stepsister generic in its white box with stark lettering). Our macaroni was neither of these. Our macaroni and cheese was the recipe taken to the most basic elements of macaroni and medium cheddar cheese - at least at lunchtime. Dinner might mean macaroni and cheese with hamburger (just add ground beef!) or if Papa was cooking, he might add sauteed onions, extra cheese powder (which used to be sold near the green canister parmesan cheese, though I don't think they sell it anymore) and maybe ham or sausage. And oh, the noodles! While we did sometimes have the standard elbow noodles, we might also experiment with rotelli, seashells and wagon wheels - the most fun of all.
Aubrey and Ashley, our next-door neighbors (and lifelong friends) ate macaroni and cheese from a box - occasionally even the iconic blue box with yellow-orange lettering). Oh how I coveted their bright orange noodles. I always hoped to be invited over to share in the boxed glory. They, in turn, schemed to dine on "homemade" macaroni with us.
One of our first attempts at independent cooking involved macaroni and cheese next door. Picture three little girls (I think Ashley was still too young to participate), ranging in age from 5 to 7. As the oldest, I have witnessed the process more often than the others and consider myself something of an expert. Our moms chat in the living room. The timer goes off and I announce that the noodles are done, so it is time to put the cheese in. Erin, my sister, is inwardly convinced that we've skipped a step, but either doesn't speak up or I ignore her completely (what do younger sisters know?). The cheese goes into the macaroni and piping hot water. At this point in our lives, neither family can afford to waste food, so Nancy (the mom next door and my second mom), with her can-do spirit adds some broccoli and calls it cheese soup. I'm still not sure why we didn't at least drain it after the fact, as cheese and water do not a rich, cheesy sauce make.
I've made macaroni and cheese many times since then - I'm the only one of my siblings that still does - and I've never again forgotten to drain the water. Usually, I try some sort of variation - using fancy cheeses, adding Albacore or canned salmon, carrots or peas, sauteed onions and breadcrumbs. Recipe # 9, Pasta Twists with Beer-Cheese Sauce hearkens back to my childhood, but with a little extra zing. While I hadn't made it recently, it is one that I've made often enough to know which additions and substitutions work for us. Below is the modified version for your dining pleasure. The original also cups for 1 zucchini, but Trent is not a fan and I also prefer the savory addition of onions. Note that you will likely be required to drink beer as the accompanying beverage, as the recipe uses just 1/4 cup. This comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Pasta Cookbook - probably the second cookbook I ever purchased. The book and I have since parted ways, but not without me copying down a few recipes first.
No pictures this time around. While I was certain the camera would realize that the battery was freshly charged and work again, alas it did not. And of course the Chromebook takes better shots of cook posed with finished product than cook in the midst of chopping, stirring and draining. Any suggestions for a replacement camera?
Pasta Twists with Beer-Cheese Sauce
serves 4
- 8 oz. corkscrew macaroni
- 2 medium carrots, bias-sliced (1 c.)
- 1 c. fresh whole mushrooms, quartered (white or brown is fine)
- 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
- 1-2 links of your favorite sausage, sliced (this is added from the original recipe - I usually use Andouille or kielbasa, so if yours is not precooked, you'll want to change the timing a bit)
- 2 T. butter
- 2 T. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. milk (I use whichever kind I have on hand and don't worry about fat content)
- 1/4 cup beer
- 3/4 c. extra sharp cheddar cheese
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
In large skillet, cook vegetables in butter until almost tender and add sausage. Cook until sausage is heated. Stir in flour. Add milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Add beer and heat through. Remove from heat. Gradually add cheese, stirring until just melted. If desired, add salt and pepper.
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