Vicky , you're doing great! Please stop apologizing to us for how you make your food. It's your recipe now, do what you want with it! Keep up the great videos! ❤
Couple of helpful tips. The salted water should be brought to a full rolling boil before adding pasta. After making the sauce, it's helpful to return the drained elbow noodles back into the pan with the cheese sauce. Stir it very well. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and stir again. You want some of the cheese sauce to work it's way inside the hollow elbow pasta. If it starts to look to thick, then add more milk and stir around. Once it's well incorporated, then pour into the baking pan and top with more cheese. *also, keep in mind that any of the preshredded cheeses from the store, have a starch like coating on it. They add this so the cheese doesn't clump too much in the package. That coating keeps the cheese from melting as smoothly as it would if you shred your own cheese from a block. I know it's time consuming, but I always shred my own for any recipes where I want the cheese to melt really well.
Same. I always bring the water to a boil, add a good amount of salt and then my pasta. One thing that a lot of folks don't realize is that dried pasta, in general, is pretty bland and doesn't have any salt in it. It's made with flour (semolina) and water. Cooking it in water that's been quite liberally salted, makes a world of difference. It won't make the pasta overly salty to the taste, either. Even the best imported Italian pasta can taste a bit like cardboard, if the cooking water hasn't been well salted. LOL The only exception is pasta that's made with eggs. Dried egg noodles and "fresh pastas" that you'll find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, are usually made with eggs. You still want to salt your water though because they generally contain only a little salt. 😊
Mrs. Vickie, your mac and cheese looks amazing. There is no wrong way, experiment to make it to your liking. Some will work, some won't. Have fun with it! So glad to see you scraping the pot out of all the goodness. Drives me crazy when they leave the pot still full, lol. I love your stove\ovens. Gorgeous! I am 75 and have been cooking over over 60+ years. Love to see you stepping outside your comfort zone. Kudos from a great grandma from the US.
It's ok to cook the butter/fat more and definitely the roux longer. before mixing in any liquid. It's possible to get an uncooked flour flavor if it's not cooked long enough. Add any seasoning in the roux. I like garlic and onion. Roux is the base for lots of soups, cheddar broccoli, chowders, gumbo etc.....
Here's one of the best guides I can provide... Americans have kinda said... we are going tobatart with the traditional way of doing things, then we are going to finish with the way we want to go, meaning, household to household you'll find the "Right" way to do things varies dramatically! Topping of with cheese, sprinkling crumbled Bacon, capping with butter soaked bread crumbs, whatever you like is why it's American. We don't necessarily follow the "rules". We also don't care if someone/ country disapproves. Make it your own at will. LoVe the cooking addition BTW!
Also, I think many of us are very supportive of you just making attempts at incorporating certain "American" dishes. You have my support and interest 💯! I'm anticipating one day, you'll add your own twist on something that will make me say... I think I'm going to try that! Anyway, keep it up for as long as you're willing. It's very well received here!
She's making a roux and melting the cheese into it. My mother mixed milk with a couple of beaten eggs and added it to the noodles, which she'd already mixed with chopped sharp cheddar. It bakes up firm and the cheese melts and combines with the egg/milk mixture in the oven. It's more of a custardy texture, it's great with added bits of ham, and even a bit of ketchup on top.
@@AcmeRacing It's a Mornay sauce. Bechamel with cheese. You start a bechamel with a white roux. Egg yolk adds emulsifier which keeps the sauce from breaking. You can do ground mustard too for the same effect. It's a bunch of variations on classical cooking techniques
Vicky (Vickie?), you hit it out of the park with this one. "Out of the park" is an American baseball saying. It means that you hit the baseball so well that it went out of the stadium (park) so that all your teammates currently on the bases get to score a run. You made an absolutely perfect quintessential American macaroni and cheese. I also love to cook and get great pleasure in providing a good meal to family, friends, and neighbors. As I said in another of your cooking videos, I would love to just get together and cook with you for a few weeks. My close friend and I get together every couple of months and spend the day making food that freezes well. We make a lot of soups. This weekend we will be making chili con carne, chicken tortilla soup, enchiladas, and some cornbread (for immediate consumption 😊). Last time we had a marathon session and made ham and bean soup, totally homemade baked pork and beans, Johnny Marzetti (a pasta and beef dish with a tomato and cream cheeze sauce), jambalaya, stuffed peppers, and various homemade yeast breads. We get to chat all day and get several weeks worth of frozen meals for those busy weeknights.
We sell it in our supermarkets in the uk from a box ( American ) , I've tried it its OK but I now make my own . It is sold in food markets here and some restaurants so its not a new thing 😊
The ultimate comfort food. Nothing better than the crispy parts. I like to add spicy sausage to mine. btw, you are a sweetheart! Your family is very fortunate to have you.
Don't let Mama burn her tongue! And yes be very proud of your creations...now I can't wait to be surprised by the next episode! Love to all from Florida!
I think it's a lot easier to boil your water first and then pop your pasta in for about 10 minutes... Then to let it set in the water until it boils... And I always like to add just a touch of cayenne... Not enough to make it spicy. Just enough to add just a little tiny burst of flavor Just a tip for that. I actually loved watching you cook because you're such a nice person! And I loved your countryside that we can see out the door... Absolutely beautiful!
Your mom is absolutely precious! Give her an extra hug or two because she is a treasure! Thanks for loving the USA, we need all the support we can get ❤️
I'm sure your husband is so grateful for his favorite dish being made. I bet you'll be making it regularly for everyone in the future. It looked delicious!
Vicki, when making a "roux" for sauce (which is the fat and flour), you cook the flour and fat together first to get the rawness of the flour out, until you have a paste. However, you used cornstarch. What you call cornflour, we call cornstarch. And what we call cornflour, you call cornmeal. The difference is texture. For the "cornstarch" that you used, you would want to mix that with cool milk first to make a "slurry."
@DarthFader3000 You can make a roux with corn starch. It's just made differently (see above). What Vicki calls cornflour (in the UK), we call that cornstarch in the US.
I was always taught to bring the water to a boil and then add the macaroni. Also to make the sauce in a double boiler. My mother would also use a deep casserole, not a shallow one.
Mac and cheese was introduced to the US by President Thomas Jefferson’s chef, James Hemings (brother of Sally Hemings), half siblings of Jefferson’s late wife Martha Wayles. James Hemings learned his trade while he and Jefferson were in France when Jefferson was an envoy.
Believe me. There are 1000s of ways to make mac and cheese!! People like different cheeses, except cheddar is a must. But folks have their favorite recipe. You should do what you want!! Whatever tastes best to you is what you should make!!
I used to love making my own pasta. The recipe I used was 1 cup of flour, 1 medium egg, a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Mix it together, roll it out, cut it and let it dry for about an hour or two. Quick, easy.
I love watching your mom cook. Y'all need to get her an overhead camera for when she's actively cooking, have both the normal camera and the overhead camera always running and then edit between.
Well done again Vicky! Your Mac and cheese looks amazing. We love to take the leftovers (if there are any) and reheat them with chorizo, bacon or tuna. There are so many macaroni casseroles taken from this classic dish so experiment away!
IF I recall mac and cheese was a French dish Thomas Jefferson introduced to America when he came home after being an ambassador in France for several years.
My wife never used flour in her Mac and cheese. Just butter and 3 kinds of cheese. American, cheddar, and cream cheese. She also added bacon or ham. It was incredible.
This looks good! My family does it a little differently, it's more like a cheese custard instead of cheese sauce and you don't have to make the sauce! (Recipe below if anyone wants to try it.) It's a bit quicker to put together because of that, but it does have to cook for about an hour if you make a big pan of it. I use 3 different cheeses, in 3 different forms. Thick shredded extra sharp/mature cheddar, finely shredded gouda, and pepper jack that is cut into small cubes. I use a bigger noodle so they fill up with the melty cheese! 450g mostaccioli (penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc can be used instead) 250g extra sharp/mature cheddar, shredded 250g gouda, finely shredded 250g pepper jack (havarti, Monterey jack, mozzarella can be substituted), ½" cubed ½ liter milk/cream 30g butter, sliced 2 eggs 60g all purpose flour 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional) Black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder to taste Preheat oven to 375f/185c, boil water for pasta. Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions. It will cook further in the oven so take care not to overcook it. After draining the pasta, add back to pot and mix in half of the butter until it's melted and evenly distributed. Set aside. In a large heat safe bowl whisk milk, eggs, flour, seasonings, mustard unti well combined. Reserve 50g of each cheese. Add these remaining cheese to the milk mixture. Stir in the pasta, making sure it's mixed well. Pour into large (13"x9") greased casserole dish. Top evenly with reserved cheeses, add remaining butter slices dotted across the top. Sprinkle with more black pepper. Bake covered for 45 minutes, remove cover and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving. It is very rich, gooey, and a little greasy so definitely reserve it for a once a year treat at the holidays or something. 😂
Most of us use dry pasta for Mac and cheese. Quick tip it's so much easier to put the cooked..pasta into the pot of cheese sauce and mix it then pour it into the baking dish. Love From Michigan and it's a beautiful evening kinda cold and snowy ❤❤
Yeah I'm 50 years old and I ate mac and cheese all the time homemade mac and cheese and I know lots of people who make homemade mac and cheese and none of them use dry pasta unless they're doing a pasta bake I have no idea what you're talking about
yeah fresh pasta is always better. you just dont even need to cook it if you are making mac and cheese. I just buy fresh pasta at the store because im terrible at making my own pasta
Seeing as how you're trying out our American foods you should treat yourself to a great set of pots and pans. Keep up the good work. And most of all have fun.
@@Markle2k I've never used a machine to make homemade pasta though might need one for specific pasta shapes like macaroni. I would just go with the convenience of pre-made dried pasta instead.
This cooking video idea is fantastic 😍!! I'm an American lady in California and loving your channel! I have been watching for over a year now and have been on this journey with you 💕. Thank you for Vicky,as well. Keep doing it.
Here in South Carolina I grew up eating my grandmother's recipe which is more of a mac n cheese pie. You boil a small box of elbow macaroni. Put it in a baking dish, add a stick of butter in pats to the macaroni until melted and season with salt and pepper, add shredded or chunk cheddar cheese and two whisked eggs. Then add milk (or half and half to make it thicker) just up to the top of the macaroni. Then bake.
My mother and grandmother's way was similar, but with sharp cheddar and often some bits of ham thrown in. The milk/egg mix in place of a roux gives it more of a custard texture.
My mom makes hers the same way, minus the eggs and then topping with either bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. She usually uses a combination of sharp cheddar and colby cheeses, I've also made it with provolone.
How could I not know about this? This sounds delicious!!!! I am American and have lived in four U.S. states. I am also a mac n' cheese fanatic. Where has this been all my life?
You nail this one mom. Your mac & cheese looks better than most restaurants I've been too and definitely better than I make at home. I'm very impressed. ♥ Archie is so handsome. I just love seeing him in your videos. ♥
Someone's probably mentioned it already but one can be very creative with the choice of cheese (or cheeses). Cheddar, of course, is almost obligatory, but some fontina is nice, afew gratings of Parmesan...the choices and combinations are endless. Oh, and a pinch of Cayenne pepper in the sauce makes a shockingly nice addition!
I use Gruyere, which is a really nice cheese to cook with. If I feel adventurous, I'll also throw in one small container of Bleu cheese. For the topping, I grate a little Parmesan cheese, too!
Hi, Vicky. I top my macaroni and cheese with a mixture of melted butter, seasoned bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese, then scatter a few slices of thinly sliced fresh tomatoes. It adds a nice texture to the dish. I very much enjoy watching your cooking videos.
Growing up we always served mac and cheese directly out of the pot. Baked mac and cheese, with bread crumbs on top, was a "fancy" version from restaurants or holiday meals.
I top mine with a sprinkling of toasted seasoned bread crumbs. I toast the bread crumbs in a cast iron skillet, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Delicious!
Vicki, you completely aced it!! It is exactly perfectly done in every way!! I hope your husband enjoyed it (of course he did😊) as much as James and Milly did!💖
I think most of us would love a video of how to make your mother's British food specialties. I know you must have some favorites she made when you were a kid.
Well done Vickie! Your mac and cheese looks delicious. Although I do not use herbs in mine, I do add some freshly grated nutmeg to the cheese sauce, sliced tomatoes across the top and a mixture of melted butter and panko bread crumbs over everything. I hope your husband enjoyed it as well. Looking forward to your next recipe!
I agree with theresabeck you should stop apologizing for your cooking. You have a great instinct for recipes and they are well received 😊. I cooked for a family of 5 for many years and loved it. When everyone loves what you make, you have won 😍. These are now your own recipes! Fantastic job
I love seeing your mom cook American recipes. I'm sure cooking new recipes is very hard when you don't have somebody who's experienced in making that dish to show you the way. She tries very hard, and I'm sure she comes very close to the real thing.
Lovely to see you again, Ms. Vickie. The vast majority of cooks in the US use dried macaroni for mac 'n cheese. The story I was told about the origins of American mac n cheese go back to Thomas Jefferson, our third president. He was an ambassador to France shortly after our revolution. He had a dish of pasta and cheese sauce while he was in Europe and loved it. When he returned to his home in Virginia, called Monticello, he instructed his cooks how to make it. It was a common dish served to his visitors. Because it didn't rely on expensive meat (and the ingredients didn't require refrigeration) it became a popular meal across the US. It also helped that it is simple to make. Anyway, this is the story I heard when visiting Monticello. Monticello is kept as a museum now and is a very interesting place to visit. Jefferson was quite creative and invented many things. He is also a study in contradictions. He publicly expressed his belief that slavery was wrong, but had many slaves and didn't free them until his death in 1826. He founded one of the first universities in the US, near his home. Despite his successes, when he died he was in debt. He relied on the kindness of his friends, business partners, and debtors to remain in his mansion in luxury. Hearing stories about him, my impression is that he was a well educated dreamer with great ideas, but a terrible business man.
You should put chicken stock or a chicken bouillon cube for flavor for the pasta. Always keep them just shy of aldente because it's going to finish cooking in the oven. Lightly season your rue. I use salt, pepper, and a little peprika. Start to slowly put some of your cheese in. I use three different types. White cheddar, colby jack, and gouda. You mix in your pasta with the sauce and then put in the baking pan. Always butter your noodles as well. Top it with the remainder of cheese and bake. Love from Los Angeles.♥️🤗👍
Fried chicken bread pudding apple pie devilled eggs pound cake now mac and cheese. Think amercians are loving watching this series of dishes that came from the uk
Lovely job with this classic dish, Victoria. When I was 8, I had to babysit my two little brothers (age 1 and 2). Mac 'n cheese was the first food I learned how to cook. (I learned how to make pancakes a few days later.) We boys ate a lot of mac 'n cheese. Sometimes I'd add cut up hot dogs, sometimes a can of tuna. Many cans of chili disappeared into my mac 'n cheese over the years, too. One time I added half a cup of Cap'n Crunch, but for some reason it wasn't as good as we'd hoped. Cap'n Crunch was much better in pancake batter, though. For three boys home alone, it was hilarious. These days, I like to make mac 'n cheese with salt, pepper, chopped Vidalia onions, chopped green onions, and some minced garlic. I don't add the fried bacon crumbles, anymore, because I gave up pork, but anyone who recommends adding bacon is steering you right (especially if they tell you to add a couple spoons of the bacon grease into it). And, yes, you were absolutely right to sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Now, everyone is going to beg you to make this every week. ❤
Looks good. I don't think you did anything wrong, but I do have a few thoughts and a few things I do differently. there is nothing wrong with using dried pasta, especially for macaroni and cheese. Now if it is fettuccine or something, then yes you could get a better dish from fresh pasta. The thing with dried pasta is get the good stuff, there is a whole science to drying pasta and it makes all the difference. How do I know - RUclips of course. I always thought pasta is pasta but fresh was better, then I saw some videos that explained it. The channel Alex has a whole series on dried pasta that kinda kicked off my investigation. I use regular flour for making a roux for a white sauce or bechamel (the base for the cheese sauce). I cook it for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste before adding the milk. The longer you cook it the more flavor you get (it gets nuttier tasting) but also the longer you cook it the lower the thickening power of the roux. It will change color from blonde (most thickening) to a deep dark brown (most flavor but least thickening). For Mac&Cheese - blond is the way to go. You can brown the butter up front to get more flavor. After I have cooked the roux to the right color then I add the milk. Typically, you want to bring the liquid to a boil after adding it to the roux. The boiling activates the thickening power and really helps maintain the consistency of the sauce. I usually bring it to a boil then let it simmer for 20 minutes or so to develop more flavor. Then I add the cheese a little at a time making sure each batch is completely melted and back up to temperature before adding next batch - this helps it maintain a nice creamy consistency and not seize up. I mix the cheese sauce and pasta together before going in the oven. Sometimes I put breadcrumbs on top, but honestly, I don't think it adds to the dish. Now that shredded cheese on top looks like it did add something, I'm going to give it a try next time I make it.
Oh my goodness, that’s the sweetest baby ever! God bless you all, what a beautiful family! I’m in Chicago, but my mom was French, so her Mac and cheese was just a bechemel sauce with pasta. It was delicious. Anyway, love your channel. 😢💕
Your husband was hilarious. He was like oh hell no I'm not coming in, there's a camera in there. LOL. Had he known what you cooked though I doubt that the camera would have stopped him. That looked delicious.
Don’t add the milk when there is still a bunch of raw flour in the pot. You need to cook the raw flour in the butter for a bit to cook it otherwise you’ll get a flour taste in your food, then add the milk once the flour has been cooked for a few minutes. Also since you’re also baking it you want the pasta cooked just under Al dente, they’ll cook the rest while baking. So you should boil the water first before adding the pasta, then drain once cooked enough. It will keep the noodles from over cooking and becoming mushy.
I love that you mentioned the type of stove top you have. It's something I've been wondering about. Now I want to make Mac and cheese. Haven't had any in a long while.
Yes Mac n cheese done different in many homes it’s what you like but I like bacon on top it’s really easier to put cooked pasta in the cheese sauce n mix
This cookbook, printed in Naples in the early 1300s, may contain the first recipe for pasta and cheese. It includes a recipe called "de lasanis" that calls for sheet noodles cut into squares and sprinkled with grated cheese.
This brought back memories of my Grandma making Mac-n-cheese and Fish on Fridays. Though her recipe is completely different. I think it is because she grew up during the Great depression and had to make do with what they were rationed or grew in the garden. She told me stories how her mother would do her best to have a huge pot of oatmeal and Mac-n-cheese with a bit of meat and vegetables in it, if it was available; then feed the homeless. I now make it like her...with a bit of a twist because I love spicy food..I add jalapeños or red pepper flakes with garlic and onion...sometimes left-over ham.❤❤❤
Tip for you: When making dishes with a cheese sauce try putting a dab of or two of a hot-sauce like sriracha or tabasco in the sauce to make the flavors pop. (You can put more if you like it spicy, but you only need a little to get the desired effect. Start small and increase to taste.)
Is your corn flour what we call corn starch? If it is, then you don’t need to thicken it in melted butter. You do that with wheat flour. The wheat flour and melted butter makes a rue. You don’t want to overheat the butter but you do need it to be hot enough to cook the flour. The idea is to cook it until it thickens and gets bubbly. When it gets that way, cook it about one minute (which can help get rid of the raw flour flavor. After one minute whisk in your milk. When your milk and flour mixture begins to simmer and thickens up, take it off the heat and begin adding your cheese. This will prevent the cheese from breaking down under high heat and ruining the texture. If you need to add more milk to thin the sauce or if adding the cheese cools down too much so that it doesn’t melt, then return it to a gentle heat, just hot enough to melt your cheese. With corn starch, you shouldn’t need to brown it in butter to get it to thicken. To make it lump free, reserve about about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of COLD milk and stir in the desired amount of corn starch until mixed. Once your butter/milk mixture begins to lightly simmer, slowly stir in the cornstarch/milk mixture. The heat of the milk will activate the thickening process. Personally, I prefer to make a butter/wheat flour rue as it has more flavor.
Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing. Its always better when you put your own twist on a recipe. I would like to try your british cheese and butter. We do have Jersey and Guernsey cows in America as well others. My dad grew up in the 50's amd they had a jersey milk cow on their farm.
When making Mac & Cheese at home, don't be afraid with experimentation with various cheeses (blends/mixes). You have a lot of freedom for creativity with this dish. Use your favorites, you're not limited to just cheddar.
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
Vicky , you're doing great! Please stop apologizing to us for how you make your food. It's your recipe now, do what you want with it! Keep up the great videos! ❤
Yeah, you can do a lot of things with mac and cheese. Lots of additions like especially bacon bits.
Agreed!🎉❤
Couple of helpful tips.
The salted water should be brought to a full rolling boil before adding pasta.
After making the sauce, it's helpful to return the drained elbow noodles back into the pan with the cheese sauce. Stir it very well. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and stir again. You want some of the cheese sauce to work it's way inside the hollow elbow pasta. If it starts to look to thick, then add more milk and stir around. Once it's well incorporated, then pour into the baking pan and top with more cheese.
*also, keep in mind that any of the preshredded cheeses from the store, have a starch like coating on it. They add this so the cheese doesn't clump too much in the package. That coating keeps the cheese from melting as smoothly as it would if you shred your own cheese from a block.
I know it's time consuming, but I always shred my own for any recipes where I want the cheese to melt really well.
This is exactly my process also.
Same. I always bring the water to a boil, add a good amount of salt and then my pasta. One thing that a lot of folks don't realize is that dried pasta, in general, is pretty bland and doesn't have any salt in it. It's made with flour (semolina) and water. Cooking it in water that's been quite liberally salted, makes a world of difference. It won't make the pasta overly salty to the taste, either. Even the best imported Italian pasta can taste a bit like cardboard, if the cooking water hasn't been well salted. LOL The only exception is pasta that's made with eggs. Dried egg noodles and "fresh pastas" that you'll find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, are usually made with eggs. You still want to salt your water though because they generally contain only a little salt. 😊
A touch of nutmeg is nice too
Mrs. Vickie, your mac and cheese looks amazing. There is no wrong way, experiment to make it to your liking. Some will work, some won't. Have fun with it! So glad to see you scraping the pot out of all the goodness. Drives me crazy when they leave the pot still full, lol. I love your stove\ovens. Gorgeous! I am 75 and have been cooking over over 60+ years. Love to see you stepping outside your comfort zone. Kudos from a great grandma from the US.
I agree. There is no wrong way. Start with the recipe and customize it to the way you like it.
💯 agree 👍🏽
Mac & cheese with the browned, crispy crust on top! Yum!
Exactly, baked mac and cheese is the best. I cover the mac and cheese with foil while baking.
Ick, I like it all gooey no crumbs no browning....all made on stove top.
Excuse me while I go sit down and think about slightly burnt Mac and Cheese topping.
My sisters and I would fight for the burnt bits. Heaven!
Thanks again Mrs Vicky for inviting us into your kitchen. I enjoy watching others enjoy dishes that we love.
99.9% of Americans don't make fresh pasta.
One year we decided to make lasagna noodles homemade and after all that work, we thought the store bought ones tasted better. 😂
Think ma needs her own show.. what the heck?? Great job!! It's like I had the cooking channel on.
You're adorable..we love your prep videos, best part ..❤.
Really enjoyed her presentation it reminded me of the old Julia child's videos on PBS
James's stepdad needs to come try it out. We all know he's going to like it.
Ahhh, he's shy. 'Well, come on then. Give it a try.' Lol. It's ok Stepdad, we don't bite.
Have him replace the son
I also sprinkle a little cheese on the top before putting it in the oven. ❤
It's ok to cook the butter/fat more and definitely the roux longer. before mixing in any liquid. It's possible to get an uncooked flour flavor if it's not cooked long enough. Add any seasoning in the roux. I like garlic and onion. Roux is the base for lots of soups, cheddar broccoli, chowders, gumbo etc.....
She's using cornstarch. In the UK they call it cornflour, which is why she keeps saying "flour." But a couple of times she clearly said "cornflour."
Here's one of the best guides I can provide... Americans have kinda said... we are going tobatart with the traditional way of doing things, then we are going to finish with the way we want to go, meaning, household to household you'll find the "Right" way to do things varies dramatically! Topping of with cheese, sprinkling crumbled Bacon, capping with butter soaked bread crumbs, whatever you like is why it's American. We don't necessarily follow the "rules". We also don't care if someone/ country disapproves. Make it your own at will. LoVe the cooking addition BTW!
Yes to above! Also, Jalapeno Mac n’ Cheese. Yum!!
I think it was Jolly who said the best thing about American cooking is that no one follows the rules.
Also, I think many of us are very supportive of you just making attempts at incorporating certain "American" dishes. You have my support and interest 💯! I'm anticipating one day, you'll add your own twist on something that will make me say... I think I'm going to try that! Anyway, keep it up for as long as you're willing. It's very well received here!
She's making a roux and melting the cheese into it. My mother mixed milk with a couple of beaten eggs and added it to the noodles, which she'd already mixed with chopped sharp cheddar. It bakes up firm and the cheese melts and combines with the egg/milk mixture in the oven. It's more of a custardy texture, it's great with added bits of ham, and even a bit of ketchup on top.
@@AcmeRacing It's a Mornay sauce. Bechamel with cheese. You start a bechamel with a white roux. Egg yolk adds emulsifier which keeps the sauce from breaking. You can do ground mustard too for the same effect. It's a bunch of variations on classical cooking techniques
Vicky (Vickie?), you hit it out of the park with this one. "Out of the park" is an American baseball saying. It means that you hit the baseball so well that it went out of the stadium (park) so that all your teammates currently on the bases get to score a run.
You made an absolutely perfect quintessential American macaroni and cheese.
I also love to cook and get great pleasure in providing a good meal to family, friends, and neighbors.
As I said in another of your cooking videos, I would love to just get together and cook with you for a few weeks. My close friend and I get together every couple of months and spend the day making food that freezes well. We make a lot of soups. This weekend we will be making chili con carne, chicken tortilla soup, enchiladas, and some cornbread (for immediate consumption 😊). Last time we had a marathon session and made ham and bean soup, totally homemade baked pork and beans, Johnny Marzetti (a pasta and beef dish with a tomato and cream cheeze sauce), jambalaya, stuffed peppers, and various homemade yeast breads.
We get to chat all day and get several weeks worth of frozen meals for those busy weeknights.
It's nice to know Americans make this dish the same way as the British
When you are the cook you can do whatever you want.
There's a million ways to make macaroni and cheese. The way you did it looks amazing!
We sell it in our supermarkets in the uk from a box ( American ) , I've tried it its OK but I now make my own . It is sold in food markets here and some restaurants so its not a new thing 😊
The ultimate comfort food. Nothing better than the crispy parts. I like to add spicy sausage to mine. btw, you are a sweetheart! Your family is very fortunate to have you.
Don't let Mama burn her tongue! And yes be very proud of your creations...now I can't wait to be surprised by the next episode! Love to all from Florida!
I think it's a lot easier to boil your water first and then pop your pasta in for about 10 minutes... Then to let it set in the water until it boils...
And I always like to add just a touch of cayenne... Not enough to make it spicy. Just enough to add just a little tiny burst of flavor
Just a tip for that.
I actually loved watching you cook because you're such a nice person!
And I loved your countryside that we can see out the door... Absolutely beautiful!
Yum! Great job Vicky
I’m literally making Mac and cheese and I get notified this lol
Your mom is absolutely precious! Give her an extra hug or two because she is a treasure! Thanks for loving the USA, we need all the support we can get ❤️
I'm sure your husband is so grateful for his favorite dish being made. I bet you'll be making it regularly for everyone in the future. It looked delicious!
I love the cowboy hat and denim outfit your mom is wearing, very American.
Vicki is pretty and always looks nice.... but I think her hat is more Aussie outback, not American Western.
Great Job Mother!! Thats called Home Cooking at its Finest. The Love of Cooking is something everyone should enjoy. ❤❤
Vicki, when making a "roux" for sauce (which is the fat and flour), you cook the flour and fat together first to get the rawness of the flour out, until you have a paste.
However, you used cornstarch.
What you call cornflour, we call cornstarch. And what we call cornflour, you call cornmeal. The difference is texture.
For the "cornstarch" that you used, you would want to mix that with cool milk first to make a "slurry."
Roux would be with regular wheat flour though, no?
Corn flour, corn meal, corn masa, and corn starch are all different things.
@DarthFader3000
You can make a roux with corn starch. It's just made differently (see above). What Vicki calls cornflour (in the UK), we call that cornstarch in the US.
I was always taught to bring the water to a boil and then add the macaroni. Also to make the sauce in a double boiler. My mother would also use a deep casserole, not a shallow one.
Mac and cheese was introduced to the US by President Thomas Jefferson’s chef, James Hemings (brother of Sally Hemings), half siblings of Jefferson’s late wife Martha Wayles.
James Hemings learned his trade while he and Jefferson were in France when Jefferson was an envoy.
Mac and cheese originated in rome
Yes it's a dish that originated in the UK and went to france
@@USMCgrunt11UK actually
Looks absolutely sumptuous! ♥Love your cooking videos; they're so personable and the dishes you prepare look so tasty! Best wishes from Iowa! 🎄
Ok y’all. I’ll personally pay for your tickets(up to 4), and stay if you ever want to come to Tennessee. You need some southern hospitality. 🫂🫂🫂🫂
I'm afraid if they ever get real Southern hospitality, they'll never want to go back to home.
Show them our southern food
Like what @@Countryreactions
Oh we deffo want to make it Tennessee one day aha!
4 is the perfect number Millie, James, Archie & Vicky (aka mom) ✈️ let's go!
Believe me. There are 1000s of ways to make mac and cheese!! People like different cheeses, except cheddar is a must. But folks have their favorite recipe. You should do what you want!! Whatever tastes best to you is what you should make!!
I used to love making my own pasta. The recipe I used was 1 cup of flour, 1 medium egg, a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Mix it together, roll it out, cut it and let it dry for about an hour or two. Quick, easy.
Love the hat! Your kids are sooooo lucky!!!!
I love watching your mom cook. Y'all need to get her an overhead camera for when she's actively cooking, have both the normal camera and the overhead camera always running and then edit between.
Well done again Vicky! Your Mac and cheese looks amazing. We love to take the leftovers (if there are any) and reheat them with chorizo, bacon or tuna. There are so many macaroni casseroles taken from this classic dish so experiment away!
IF I recall mac and cheese was a French dish Thomas Jefferson introduced to America when he came home after being an ambassador in France for several years.
My wife never used flour in her Mac and cheese. Just butter and 3 kinds of cheese. American, cheddar, and cream cheese. She also added bacon or ham. It was incredible.
Sounds delicious, wish I could eat Mac n Cheese. Unfortunately, I'm very lactose intolerant, so never exposed to it as a kid or adult.
Oh Miss Vicky you have nailed it. You do want the top to be crispy crunchy with a brownish color on top. One thing we always aff is a pinch of nutmeg.
This looks good! My family does it a little differently, it's more like a cheese custard instead of cheese sauce and you don't have to make the sauce! (Recipe below if anyone wants to try it.) It's a bit quicker to put together because of that, but it does have to cook for about an hour if you make a big pan of it. I use 3 different cheeses, in 3 different forms. Thick shredded extra sharp/mature cheddar, finely shredded gouda, and pepper jack that is cut into small cubes. I use a bigger noodle so they fill up with the melty cheese!
450g mostaccioli (penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc can be used instead)
250g extra sharp/mature cheddar, shredded
250g gouda, finely shredded
250g pepper jack (havarti, Monterey jack, mozzarella can be substituted), ½" cubed
½ liter milk/cream
30g butter, sliced
2 eggs
60g all purpose flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder to taste
Preheat oven to 375f/185c, boil water for pasta.
Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions. It will cook further in the oven so take care not to overcook it.
After draining the pasta, add back to pot and mix in half of the butter until it's melted and evenly distributed. Set aside.
In a large heat safe bowl whisk milk, eggs, flour, seasonings, mustard unti well combined.
Reserve 50g of each cheese. Add these remaining cheese to the milk mixture. Stir in the pasta, making sure it's mixed well.
Pour into large (13"x9") greased casserole dish. Top evenly with reserved cheeses, add remaining butter slices dotted across the top. Sprinkle with more black pepper.
Bake covered for 45 minutes, remove cover and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.
It is very rich, gooey, and a little greasy so definitely reserve it for a once a year treat at the holidays or something. 😂
Great job looks awesome
Thanks! You guys are awesome and down to earth! 😊❤ Love you! What a great mom! Remind me of my mom.
16:22 A stealthy black panther sneaks in the kitchen door.
Hello li'l cutie❤
10:31 a chocolate milk cow approaches the kitchen door. :)
I love how your mom shows us step by step. I'm not so much of a cook. Too impatient. But I do love watching people cook.
Most of us use dry pasta for Mac and cheese. Quick tip it's so much easier to put the cooked..pasta into the pot of cheese sauce and mix it then pour it into the baking dish. Love From Michigan and it's a beautiful evening kinda cold and snowy ❤❤
Yeah I'm 50 years old and I ate mac and cheese all the time homemade mac and cheese and I know lots of people who make homemade mac and cheese and none of them use dry pasta unless they're doing a pasta bake I have no idea what you're talking about
yeah fresh pasta is always better. you just dont even need to cook it if you are making mac and cheese. I just buy fresh pasta at the store because im terrible at making my own pasta
Seeing as how you're trying out our American foods you should treat yourself to a great set of pots and pans. Keep up the good work. And most of all have fun.
I don't bother. The sauce runs down through the pasta anyways
She has 3 pans, why spend £100-200 on a pasta machine?
@@Markle2k I've never used a machine to make homemade pasta though might need one for specific pasta shapes like macaroni. I would just go with the convenience of pre-made dried pasta instead.
This cooking video idea is fantastic 😍!! I'm an American lady in California and loving your channel! I have been watching for over a year now and have been on this journey with you 💕. Thank you for Vicky,as well. Keep doing it.
Use dry pasta for mac and cheese. I like a wee bit of dried (Colman’s) mustard in the cheese sauce. Top with buttered bread crumbs before baking.
I mix the cooked macaroni in with the cheese sauce and then putting it in the pan. 😊
Here in South Carolina I grew up eating my grandmother's recipe which is more of a mac n cheese pie. You boil a small box of elbow macaroni. Put it in a baking dish, add a stick of butter in pats to the macaroni until melted and season with salt and pepper, add shredded or chunk cheddar cheese and two whisked eggs. Then add milk (or half and half to make it thicker) just up to the top of the macaroni. Then bake.
That’s how I do it, from WV.
My mother and grandmother's way was similar, but with sharp cheddar and often some bits of ham thrown in. The milk/egg mix in place of a roux gives it more of a custard texture.
My mom makes hers the same way, minus the eggs and then topping with either bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. She usually uses a combination of sharp cheddar and colby cheeses, I've also made it with provolone.
How could I not know about this? This sounds delicious!!!! I am American and have lived in four U.S. states. I am also a mac n' cheese fanatic. Where has this been all my life?
One of my favorite foods ever. Just recently discovered the joy of hot sauce on Mac n Cheese and it's a life changer.
Looks fantastic
You nail this one mom. Your mac & cheese looks better than most restaurants I've been too and definitely better than I make at home. I'm very impressed. ♥ Archie is so handsome. I just love seeing him in your videos. ♥
Someone's probably mentioned it already but one can be very creative with the choice of cheese (or cheeses). Cheddar, of course, is almost obligatory, but some fontina is nice, afew gratings of Parmesan...the choices and combinations are endless.
Oh, and a pinch of Cayenne pepper in the sauce makes a shockingly nice addition!
I use Gruyere, which is a really nice cheese to cook with. If I feel adventurous, I'll also throw in one small container of Bleu cheese. For the topping, I grate a little Parmesan cheese, too!
Fontina and smoked gouda are also wonderfully melty cheeses. And they blend really well with cheddar. 😊
@@bobbiejojackson9448 That sounds amazing! Love that smoked Gouda.
Hi, Vicky. I top my macaroni and cheese with a mixture of melted butter, seasoned bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese, then scatter a few slices of thinly sliced fresh tomatoes. It adds a nice texture to the dish. I very much enjoy watching your cooking videos.
Growing up we always served mac and cheese directly out of the pot. Baked mac and cheese, with bread crumbs on top, was a "fancy" version from restaurants or holiday meals.
Ur mom is phenomenal, u r blessed 🇺🇸
Vicki, that looks like great macaroni and cheese. Well done.
I top mine with a sprinkling of toasted seasoned bread crumbs. I toast the bread crumbs in a cast iron skillet, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Delicious!
it looks great Vicki i enjoy your cooking videos thank you for making them.
Vicki, you completely aced it!! It is exactly perfectly done in every way!! I hope your husband enjoyed it (of course he did😊) as much as James and Milly did!💖
Always put salt and butter in with the noodles.
I use a little dry mustard and a pinch if paprika.
Bravo Mum ❤
I think most of us would love a video of how to make your mother's British food specialties.
I know you must have some favorites she made when you were a kid.
Well done Vickie! Your mac and cheese looks delicious. Although I do not use herbs in mine, I do add some freshly grated nutmeg to the cheese sauce, sliced tomatoes across the top and a mixture of melted butter and panko bread crumbs over everything. I hope your husband enjoyed it as well. Looking forward to your next recipe!
I agree with theresabeck you should stop apologizing for your cooking. You have a great instinct for recipes and they are well received 😊. I cooked for a family of 5 for many years and loved it. When everyone loves what you make, you have won 😍. These are now your own recipes! Fantastic job
Have you ever tried boiling the water first and then added the pasta?
Thank you Vicky! You are awesome! Definitely an American comfort food! 😊❤
Its great how many American comfort foods originated in the UK
@sharnadixon-scott710 Well, the Founders were all English. So, we definitely took a lot from England.
@@conniekungfu206happy to share
I love seeing your mom cook American recipes. I'm sure cooking new recipes is very hard when you don't have somebody who's experienced in making that dish to show you the way. She tries very hard, and I'm sure she comes very close to the real thing.
Lovely to see you again, Ms. Vickie.
The vast majority of cooks in the US use dried macaroni for mac 'n cheese.
The story I was told about the origins of American mac n cheese go back to Thomas Jefferson, our third president. He was an ambassador to France shortly after our revolution. He had a dish of pasta and cheese sauce while he was in Europe and loved it. When he returned to his home in Virginia, called Monticello, he instructed his cooks how to make it. It was a common dish served to his visitors. Because it didn't rely on expensive meat (and the ingredients didn't require refrigeration) it became a popular meal across the US. It also helped that it is simple to make. Anyway, this is the story I heard when visiting Monticello. Monticello is kept as a museum now and is a very interesting place to visit. Jefferson was quite creative and invented many things. He is also a study in contradictions. He publicly expressed his belief that slavery was wrong, but had many slaves and didn't free them until his death in 1826. He founded one of the first universities in the US, near his home. Despite his successes, when he died he was in debt. He relied on the kindness of his friends, business partners, and debtors to remain in his mansion in luxury. Hearing stories about him, my impression is that he was a well educated dreamer with great ideas, but a terrible business man.
Ms Vicki - that mac & cheese looked amazing!!!! I'm loving these videos!!!! You need your own channel!!!!!
You should put chicken stock or a chicken bouillon cube for flavor for the pasta. Always keep them just shy of aldente because it's going to finish cooking in the oven. Lightly season your rue. I use salt, pepper, and a little peprika. Start to slowly put some of your cheese in. I use three different types. White cheddar, colby jack, and gouda. You mix in your pasta with the sauce and then put in the baking pan. Always butter your noodles as well. Top it with the remainder of cheese and bake. Love from Los Angeles.♥️🤗👍
Fried chicken bread pudding apple pie devilled eggs pound cake now mac and cheese. Think amercians are loving watching this series of dishes that came from the uk
Looks right at the end. Good job.
Lovely job with this classic dish, Victoria. When I was 8, I had to babysit my two little brothers (age 1 and 2). Mac 'n cheese was the first food I learned how to cook. (I learned how to make pancakes a few days later.) We boys ate a lot of mac 'n cheese. Sometimes I'd add cut up hot dogs, sometimes a can of tuna. Many cans of chili disappeared into my mac 'n cheese over the years, too. One time I added half a cup of Cap'n Crunch, but for some reason it wasn't as good as we'd hoped. Cap'n Crunch was much better in pancake batter, though. For three boys home alone, it was hilarious. These days, I like to make mac 'n cheese with salt, pepper, chopped Vidalia onions, chopped green onions, and some minced garlic. I don't add the fried bacon crumbles, anymore, because I gave up pork, but anyone who recommends adding bacon is steering you right (especially if they tell you to add a couple spoons of the bacon grease into it). And, yes, you were absolutely right to sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Now, everyone is going to beg you to make this every week. ❤
It's fun to see the Americans reactions to her making British dishes that amercians love and seeing the amercians different twists
@@sharnadixon-scott710 Heck, yeah! You should see what we can do with a glass of water! We twist the bejeezus out of those things.
Looks good. I don't think you did anything wrong, but I do have a few thoughts and a few things I do differently.
there is nothing wrong with using dried pasta, especially for macaroni and cheese. Now if it is fettuccine or something, then yes you could get a better dish from fresh pasta. The thing with dried pasta is get the good stuff, there is a whole science to drying pasta and it makes all the difference. How do I know - RUclips of course. I always thought pasta is pasta but fresh was better, then I saw some videos that explained it. The channel Alex has a whole series on dried pasta that kinda kicked off my investigation.
I use regular flour for making a roux for a white sauce or bechamel (the base for the cheese sauce). I cook it for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste before adding the milk. The longer you cook it the more flavor you get (it gets nuttier tasting) but also the longer you cook it the lower the thickening power of the roux. It will change color from blonde (most thickening) to a deep dark brown (most flavor but least thickening). For Mac&Cheese - blond is the way to go. You can brown the butter up front to get more flavor. After I have cooked the roux to the right color then I add the milk. Typically, you want to bring the liquid to a boil after adding it to the roux. The boiling activates the thickening power and really helps maintain the consistency of the sauce. I usually bring it to a boil then let it simmer for 20 minutes or so to develop more flavor. Then I add the cheese a little at a time making sure each batch is completely melted and back up to temperature before adding next batch - this helps it maintain a nice creamy consistency and not seize up.
I mix the cheese sauce and pasta together before going in the oven. Sometimes I put breadcrumbs on top, but honestly, I don't think it adds to the dish. Now that shredded cheese on top looks like it did add something, I'm going to give it a try next time I make it.
Oh my goodness, that’s the sweetest baby ever! God bless you all, what a beautiful family!
I’m in Chicago, but my mom was French, so her Mac and cheese was just a bechemel sauce with pasta. It was delicious. Anyway, love your channel. 😢💕
The view out your window is GORGEOUS!!
I like to make Mac & Cheese with canned milk. I also used canned milk if I make Mashed Potato's from scratch.
Love your videos,and the hat looks great.
Your husband was hilarious. He was like oh hell no I'm not coming in, there's a camera in there. LOL. Had he known what you cooked though I doubt that the camera would have stopped him. That looked delicious.
Don’t add the milk when there is still a bunch of raw flour in the pot. You need to cook the raw flour in the butter for a bit to cook it otherwise you’ll get a flour taste in your food, then add the milk once the flour has been cooked for a few minutes. Also since you’re also baking it you want the pasta cooked just under Al dente, they’ll cook the rest while baking. So you should boil the water first before adding the pasta, then drain once cooked enough. It will keep the noodles from over cooking and becoming mushy.
Vicki nobody makes there own pasta for macaroni and cheese
The only time my mom made pasta was for homemade chicken soup.
I have never used anything but dry macaroni for this dish. I have never wanted to make fresh pasta.
I love that you mentioned the type of stove top you have. It's something I've been wondering about. Now I want to make Mac and cheese. Haven't had any in a long while.
I think your hat and denim is adorable. I'm loving these videos.
Girl!! Vid just started and I say BRAVO for you doing this.
Great video! Impressed by your double-oven/double-stove top. My electric range is adequate, but half the size. 👍
Yes Mac n cheese done different in many homes it’s what you like but I like bacon on top it’s really easier to put cooked pasta in the cheese sauce n mix
That turned out pretty! (I add garlic but mostly that's because I don't think I can cook without garlic)
Lovin it! ❤
This cookbook, printed in Naples in the early 1300s, may contain the first recipe for pasta and cheese. It includes a recipe called "de lasanis" that calls for sheet noodles cut into squares and sprinkled with grated cheese.
There's no right way or wrong way to make mac and cheese. You did an amazing job
This brought back memories of my Grandma making Mac-n-cheese and Fish on Fridays. Though her recipe is completely different. I think it is because she grew up during the Great depression and had to make do with what they were rationed or grew in the garden. She told me stories how her mother would do her best to have a huge pot of oatmeal and Mac-n-cheese with a bit of meat and vegetables in it, if it was available; then feed the homeless. I now make it like her...with a bit of a twist because I love spicy food..I add jalapeños or red pepper flakes with garlic and onion...sometimes left-over ham.❤❤❤
Adding small chunks of ham is a delicious way to make it an even more filling dish.
Tip for you: When making dishes with a cheese sauce try putting a dab of or two of a hot-sauce like sriracha or tabasco in the sauce to make the flavors pop. (You can put more if you like it spicy, but you only need a little to get the desired effect. Start small and increase to taste.)
Oh my goodness gracious, bu that Mac and Cheese looks delicious! You nailed it, honey!
Is your corn flour what we call corn starch? If it is, then you don’t need to thicken it in melted butter. You do that with wheat flour. The wheat flour and melted butter makes a rue. You don’t want to overheat the butter but you do need it to be hot enough to cook the flour. The idea is to cook it until it thickens and gets bubbly. When it gets that way, cook it about one minute (which can help get rid of the raw flour flavor. After one minute whisk in your milk.
When your milk and flour mixture begins to simmer and thickens up, take it off the heat and begin adding your cheese. This will prevent the cheese from breaking down under high heat and ruining the texture. If you need to add more milk to thin the sauce or if adding the cheese cools down too much so that it doesn’t melt, then return it to a gentle heat, just hot enough to melt your cheese.
With corn starch, you shouldn’t need to brown it in butter to get it to thicken. To make it lump free, reserve about about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of COLD milk and stir in the desired amount of corn starch until mixed. Once your butter/milk mixture begins to lightly simmer, slowly stir in the cornstarch/milk mixture. The heat of the milk will activate the thickening process.
Personally, I prefer to make a butter/wheat flour rue as it has more flavor.
No No Don't change a thing. That looks amazing. I want to make some now. Thanks for sharing your kitchen time.
You did it perfectly! I'm getting hungry just watching this!
Great job!!! I half cook my pasta, but whatever works for you. It all is good imo
Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing. Its always better when you put your own twist on a recipe. I would like to try your british cheese and butter. We do have Jersey and Guernsey cows in America as well others. My dad grew up in the 50's amd they had a jersey milk cow on their farm.
I usually drain and rinse a can of green peas and throw it into the mac/cheese. It's terrific and makes me feel less guilty!
When making Mac & Cheese at home, don't be afraid with experimentation with various cheeses (blends/mixes). You have a lot of freedom for creativity with this dish. Use your favorites, you're not limited to just cheddar.
This looks delicious. Great job Mom. ❤️✌️🌼