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This School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese is great as a main dish or as a side. What begins of this classic dish on the stove top, finishes in a casserole dish in the oven, creamy ribbons of savory sauce blanketing every al dente noodle and bubbling up into delicious, seasoned breadcrumbs.
Grammar school lunches were soooo good in my day! I mean, I don’t know if students still look forward to pizza day or hamburger day the way I did, but it would take a lot to beat what we were served in the late 1970s, early 1980s, especially school cafeteria mac and cheese.
Our lunch ladies were the absolute best and I still associate them with the hypnotic aromas that emanated from our elementary school’s basement cafeteria and up to our first and second floor classrooms mid-morning. Those women darn near killed me with anticipation!
The recipe I am sharing for lunch lady mac and cheese was given to my mom by a classroom aide back in 1976. The aide liked the school’s macaroni and cheese recipe enough apparently and asked one of the cafeteria women for it. I have always felt lucky to have it, so I have finally decided to share!
For this method, you will need two different types of cheese, both sharp cheddar cheese as well as a little bit of American cheese. Combined along with a can of evaporated milk evolves the most amazing, cheesiest sauce anywhere!
Ingredients for Lunch Lady Mac and Cheese
- elbow macaroni
- Kosher salt
- olive oil
- unsalted butter
- evaporated canned milk
- water
- cornstarch
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- black pepper
- sharp cheddar, may be white cheddar or yellow cheddar
- deli American, not processed, pre-wrapped slices
- Italian breadcrumbs
Optional
- freshly grated Parmesan to be combined with breadcrumb mixture
How to Make Cafeteria Macaroni and Cheese
Before You Begin, A Little Something About Cheese
What sets homemade mac recipes apart from the boxed stuff is the ‘real deal’ dairy sauce. Take the time to grate your cheddar and the American from large blocks.
American is found at your grocers deli counter. I request a 4 ounce hunk of the stuff which gives me a little more than half a cup.
For the cheddar, you will need 1 1/2-cups. I specify sharp but if you prefer a mild cheddar by all means use that.
And it’s okay if you are over by a bit on either. You will be happier by way of the end result by using the real thing, pinky swear!
For the Breadcrumb Topping
Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a 1-quart casserole dish with a tablespoon of softened butter. Set aside.
Melt 3 more tablespoons of butter together with 1/4-teaspoon of Kosher salt. Once foamy, remove from the heat and stir. Allow to cool slightly.
Toss with 1/2-cup of Italian breadcrumbs. Allow to cool completely. This will become the crunchy topping.
Cook the Macaroni Noodles
Measure out 2-cups of dry elbow macaroni. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and to it, add a teaspoon of olive oil and the pasta. Cook according to the package directions LESS 2 minutes.
Drain the noodles, return them to the pot along with another tablespoon of butter, toss, and set aside. Between the butter and the oil used to cook the noodles, there is no need to sweat the noodles sticking.
For the Sauce
To a cold Dutch oven, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Add a full can of evaporated milk, 1-cup of water, and the remaining two tablespoons of butter.
Stirring constantly, turn the heat on medium-high and heat until the mixture comes to a boil. After a minute the cornstarch will begin to thicken the mixture, your cue to remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
Sprinkle in the shredded cheeses and stir until both are mostly melted. Season to taste before adding in the cooked macaroni. Stir the slightly undercooked noodles into the sauce to ensure each piece is well coated
Bake the Casserole
Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape all of the decadent sauce atop the noodles. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and place into the preheated oven.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until just bubbling. If you want the top golden brown and the bake time has not achieved the color you desire, broil the bake for 1 to 2 minutes. Monitor it so it does not burn because it will burn quite quickly due to the use of butter in the breadcrumb mixture.
Modifying the Norm to Make It Not Entirely Average
- Substitute crushed corn flakes for the breadcrumb topping in equal measure for a super crunchy top layer.
- Shave or grate some parmesan (about a quarter cup) into the topping mixture before sprinkling it over the casserole for extra cheesy goodness!
- Change up your dairy game and think Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Havarti instead! There are no real rules when it comes to cheese, especially if you’ve got some picky eaters who only eat certain varieties.
School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese (A Lunch Lady Throwback)
Equipment
- 1-quart casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry elbow noodles
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; softened to room temperature
- 1 (12-ounce can) evaporated milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch, pressed through a fine mesh sieve to eliminate lumps
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar, freshly shredded from a large block
- ½ cup deli American, freshly shredded from a large block; not processed, pre-wrapped slices
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
optional
- ¼ cup Parmesan, freshly grated from a large block and combined with breadcrumb mixture before baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a 1-quart casserole dish with one tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
- Melt 3 more tablespoons of the butter together with 1/4-teaspoon of Kosher salt. Once foamy, remove from the heat and stir. Allow to cool slightly. Toss with 1/2-cup of Italian breadcrumbs. Allow to cool completely. If using Parmesan in the topping, toss with breadcrumbs once cooled. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and to it the remaining teaspoon of Kosher salt and the olive oil. Add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions LESS 2 minutes. Drain the noodles, return them to the pot along with another tablespoon of butter, toss, and set aside.
- To a cold Dutch oven, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Add a full can of evaporated milk, the water, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stirring constantly, turn the heat on medium-high and heat until the mixture comes to a boil. When the mixture just begins to thicken, remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
- Sprinkle in the shredded cheeses and stir until both are mostly melted. Season to taste before adding in the cooked macaroni. Stir the slightly undercooked noodles into the sauce to ensure each piece is well coated
- Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining sauce atop the macaroni. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until just bubbling. If you want the top golden brown and the bake time has not achieved the color you desire, broil the bake for 1 to 2 minutes. Monitor it so it does not burn because it will burn quite quickly due to the use of butter in the breadcrumb mixture.
Notes
-
- Substitute crushed corn flakes for the breadcrumb topping in equal measure for a super crunchy top layer.
-
- Shave some parmesan (about a quarter cup) into the topping mixture before sprinkling it over the casserole for extra cheesy goodness!
-
- Change up your dairy game and think Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Havarti in lieu of cheddar or American.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
