Eaglefeather's Macaroni & Cheese

Subject: Eaglefeather's Macaroni & Cheese Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:45 pm

This is one of my absolute all time favourites. My mum, being of an English background her parents came from London and Wales, her cooking style was English in nature. I don't know if someone gave her this recipe or whether she made it up herself, I only know she made it regularly when I was growing up.

Ingredients

1 large can of Tomato Juice
5 cups of Macaroni pasta
8 to 10 rashers of bacon cut in half
200 to 300 grams of grated chedder cheese, mild, medium or old. Each has a very distinct flavour. I prefer old.

Method

Place the Macaroni and all of the bacon into your pot of boiling water and cook the Macaroni as you normally would, but you want to stop it when it is just past the cooked through stage. It should still be rather firm when bitten into. The only way to know when it is done is to bring out a piece every once and a while and bite into it.

While the Macaroni is cooking, grate the cheese and set it aside. Empty the contents of the large can of Tomato juice into a medium sized roasting pan. Place on the stove with low to medium heat. To this add some pepper and about a cup of the grated cheese. Stir as the juice starts to heat, you want the cheese to melt into the juice. You want the juice to be nice and hot, but not boiling, by the time the Macaroni is finished cooking.

When the Macaroni is done strain the water out, but do not rinse, especially with cold water. Using either a fork or salad tongs, remove the bacon and set it aside.

Turn on the broiler unit of your oven and make sure the oven rack is at least in the middle position. I like to get the roast pan approximately ten inches from the broiler burners.

Pour the Macaroni slowly into the hot tomato juice, being careful not to let it splash and burn yourself. With a large spoon stir the Macaroni into the juice so it is all covered. Now get the bacon and lay the strips across the top of the Macaroni. There should be enough bacon to completely cover the Macaroni.

Finally, get the rest of your grated cheese and cover the bacon. I like to use lots of cheese, approximately an inch deep all across the top.

Place the roast pan into the oven and leave it until the cheese browns to a colour you like. You must be careful that it doesn't burn. Once all the cheese has melted and turned a golden brown remove from the oven and let stand about five minutes. Serve from the pan, making sure everyone gets a nice share of the cheese with the hidden bacon.

You may have noticed that there are no spices in this dish, except pepper. I usually put a small amount in the juice when heating it, and then everyone adds more to taste after it is served. I have tried doing it with spices, but they ruin it. This is one dish that has tons of flavour built right in.

If you have left overs and that happens rarely around my house, they can be fried in butter and garlic the next day to add as a side dish to whatever you are having for dinner. It is strange that garlic can be added the next day and it tastes great, but if garlic is added during cooking it ruins it.

Ok, hope you like.

Subject: Re: Eaglefeather's Macaroni & Cheese Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:57 am

Now that's an interesting version of macaroni cheese. Normally we cook the macaroni make a cheese sauce and just stir it all together, but yours sounds very tasty.

Subject: Re: Eaglefeather's Macaroni & Cheese Sat May 01, 2010 3:21 am

It does actually Tricia.

I guess it would look a pinky colour too, compared to our creamy yellow one.

Tomatoes and cheese work together well, so I reckon this would be quite yummy:)

Thanks Bob.

Skye x

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