Vintage Eats Recipe:  1965 Macaroni and Cheese

I feel like this post could be called ‘Ode to Macaroni and Cheese.’

That’s because my family loves this dish so much.

I grew up eating macaroni and cheese regularly. It was as much a part of our routine as Cheese Toasties (Grilled Cheese to the rest of the world) on Sunday nights and Cherry Delight for birthdays.

We ate Macaroni and Cheese on weeknights, holidays, potlucks, picnics and anything else we could think of. It was cheap, tasty, easy to fix, and fairly nutritious.

What more can be said for any dish?

Full confession: We actually were raised with the Kraft macaroni and cheese version from the box. They were usually 2 or 3 for $1.00 and we usually had 9 or 10 on our pantry shelves. Mom didn’t want to run out.

It was so simple that my sisters and I could fix it for dinner when we arrived home before Mom who was a teacher. Dad worked on the railroad so we never when he would get home, but we always left some for him just in case.

Nowadays, I’m using fewer packaged mixes so that means experimenting to find the ideal vintage Macaroni and Cheese recipe, one that is warm, soft, and gooey. True comfort food and on a budget. Ideal!

This recipe is it.

The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1965) features this luscious dish on P. 174 in the Cheese Main Dishes section. My daughter and I tried it at Christmas and it was perfect for her vegetarian diet.

It is so simple and can be easily assembled in less than 30 minutes before popping it into the oven. I’m content with it at that stage, but my family is divided on whether to bake this dish. I thought baking dried it out somewhat, but others thought the baking added a delightful crunch. To each his or her own.

Note: The first time we made the recipe, we boiled 1.5 cups of macaroni, as it called for. But, alas, we thought the cheese overpowered the macaroni. We do love our cheese, but in that case we didn’t like the proportions and doubled the amount of pasta which created what we thought of as the correct amount.

Of course, you could halve the cheese if you wanted, but doubling the pasta meant more servings and more to love about this dish.

While Macaroni and Cheese is nutritious on its own with protein from the cheddar cheese and milk, I added ham chunks to my latest version for additional texture and interest.

You can also add vegetables as in this 1967 Good Housekeeping cookbook recipe ‘Polka-Dot Macaroni and Cheese.’

I liked adding the onion which is listed as an optional ingredient for another level of flavor.

That’s the great thing about cooking this dish– you can make it your own according to your taste preferences or by simply cleaning out the refrigerator.

What memories do you have of Macaroni and Cheese?

Enjoy your Macaroni and Cheese however you make and eat it!

**

1-1/2 c. elbow macaroni

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. all-purpose flour

2 c. milk

½ t. salt

Dash pepper

¼ c. minced onion (optional)

2 c. shredded sharp process cheese

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender; drain.

Melt butter; blend in flour.

Add milk.

Cook and stir till thick.

Add salt pepper, onion, and cheese; stir till cheese is melted.

Mix sauce with macaroni.

Turn into 1 1/2-quart casserole. Iff you like, sprinkle tomato slices with salt; arrange on top, pushing edge of each slice into macaroni.

Back in moderate oven (350 degree) about 45 minutes or till bubbly and browned.

Yield: 6-8 servings