Susan's Farmhouse Macaroni and Cheese

Susan’s Chunkie Style Farmhouse Macaroni and Cheese

Now, I am going to share with you today a recipe that I made up.  It is great for using up a lot of milk (if you make the farm house cheese yourself) and eggs. It is my most requested side dish to bring to any event.  My dad and father-in-law look forward to it every thanksgiving and people crave it and ask me to make it.  My son William asks me to make it all the time and eats it with Ketchup on it???  I have only ever given the recipe out to a handful of people.  But today will share it with you all.  Now before we get started, I must say that we eat pretty healthy around here.  BUT this is not a healthy recipe at all.  It is for holidays and special occasions.  We do eat it about once a month or so.  So if you eat it more often don’t come crying to me about your cholesterol.  ;)

Susan’s Chunkie style Farmhouse Macaroni and Cheese.  (this is to feed my huge family, cut it in half or fourths for a smaller family)

Farmhouse cheese (made from 2 gallons of whole goat milk)(or, if you must, use store bought ricotta)

2 tsp salt

1cup milk (less if you use store bought ricotta, it is wetter)

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp black pepper

6 eggs

2 pounds cooked elbow macaroni 

6 cups of shredded cheddar (or favorite shredded cheese blend) 

In a very large mixing bowl place your freshly made farmhouse cheese that has been strained for about 20 minutes. (or plop in your ricotta from the store :) )

The cheese will be kinda stuck together and dryish after straining.  Take a larger fork and start to cut it up into chunks and then take the fork and turn it flat to smush the curds thru the prongs to break it up even more.   

Once broken up well, sprinkle your salt onto it while working it in well. (This begins the tasting stage as you have got to get this cheese "mixture base" tasting the way you want it before you put the eggs in.  AS once the eggs are in there, is no more tasting till baked!)  So sprinkle in the salt and work it in till it taste right.   I use about 2 tsp for this large a batch. 

Then work in half a cup of milk.  Keep using the fork flat to keep breaking up the curds to make it smoother and smoother.  Sprinkle in the Parmesan and black pepper and work in with the large fork.

Taste it now or forever hold your peace because the eggs are next.

 Work them in with the flat side of the fork and then add the last half cup of milk.  (It should look like schloopy scrambled eggs, if you used store bought ricotta you might not need the last half cup of milk)  This is the base for the cheesy part of the mac and cheese so should be pretty wetish. Add more milk if you think it is not wet enough.

Next add in the 2 pounds of freshly cooked Elbow Macaroni a little at a time. (I will assume that everyone knows how to make that :) )  Work it in well using a large cooking spoon. 

Using the same big spoon work in 2 cups of shredded cheese at a time till blended evenly.

If your pasta was hot it will be tempting to eat some now as it all melts together so well and looks and smells so tempting.  STOP dont forget there are eggs in this.

All this made 2 large casseroles, one medium one and one small one to take down to my dad!

Spread the warm macaroni and cheese into as many casserole dishes at it will fill.  Then sprinkle shredded Mozzarella on the top of it.  As thick as you like it.

Bake at 350 Till bubbly and golden brown on top.  Usually about 30 minutes depending on your oven  Mine is a convection oven and cooks faster than 30 minutes so I am guessing.  You don't want it over baked and dried out.  Just golden brown on top and you want the eggs to have baked inside good.

I pray it all goes well for you and I hope I didn't forget anything!!  Let me know if you try it and how you liked our secret family recipe!

 1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

blessings,
susan