This simple (no roux) Zesty Mac & Cheese puts a unique twist on the classic favorite!

We had some friends get married recently.  The wedding was beautiful and the entire event was memorable for all.  There was a social hour prior to the food being served and everyone got two free drinks.  To claim those drinks, you paid with thin cuts of tree limbs that my friend cut prior.  I think that is super cool!  If walking up to a bar and paying for your drink with a round wood chip doesn’t make you feel the ways of the old hills, I don’t know what will.  

The food, like everything else, was amazing.  The talk of the table, though, seemed to be the macaroni.  It only took a couple of bites for the light to go off in my head! I suspected that all they did was add ranch seasoning/mix.  So, I gave it a test run.  To this day, I still don’t know who catered or what they put in their macaroni and cheese (for certain).  But, I got pretty close with this! 

Zesty Mac & Cheese

Print

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz medium cheddar
• 8 oz American cheese
• 2-3 tbsp ranch seasoning/mix
• 8 oz trompetti noodles
• 8 oz milk

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Sit the milk out and allow to sit at room temperature until needed.
2. Add trompetti noodles and return to boil. Cook uncovered until done, or approximately 12 minutes.
3. Strain noodles and return to pot with milk.
4. Cube or shred the cheeses and add to the pot. Place on medium heat and cover. Stir often.
5. Once cheese has melted, remove from heat and add the ranch seasoning/mix. Stir until seasoning is evenly distributed throughout.

Notes

This is best when consumed the same day. If you have leftovers, the best way to reheat is by adding milk and covering. If you choose to do this on the stove top, stir occasionally as it heats to prevent sticking and clumping. If you choose to microwave, remove and stir halfway through, then return to finish heating.

Roux or no roux?

A quick Google search of macaroni and cheese recipes will give you a huge variation, but they all (nearly all) have one thing in common……….they are roux based. Roux is just a base of fat/starch (butter/flour) that helps create a creamy end sauce rather than the cheese separating and clumping for an inconsistent, oily, stringy sauce; which can often happen when using natural cheeses like cheddar. Here’s the thing, roux wasn’t even on my radar until my mid twenties.  Growing up, the family recipe passed around was easy……..er. All that was required was Velveeta, milk, and noodles.  

Now, obviously the recipe has evolved a bit. To be honest, the first time I tried my grandmother’s recipe using just cheddar, I ran into the same problem that everyone else seems to when not using a roux. Splitting the difference on natural and processed cheese seemed to be the answer in forming my own recipe but staying true to the family way.  See, cheese like American cheese is processed and contains emulsifiers, such as sodium citrate, to help prevent separation and facilitate a more creamy texture. With half of the cheese in my recipe being American, I have never had an issue with separation.