Mac and cheese, America's ultimate comfort food, gets a delicious new spin

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Sometimes nothing will do but fabulous homemade mac and cheese.

Baked mac and cheese "is truly an art form, crispy on top and creamy in the center, with either a coating of bread crumbs or a righteous amount of cheese crowning the brick," say Daniel Holtzman and Matt Rodbard in their new book, "Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts" (Harper Wave/Harper Collins).

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That description is enough to set mouths watering for a freshly cut portion from a piping hot baking dish.

There's nothing like hot, fresh and delicious macaroni and cheese. However, "if the center heats past 180°F, the cheese sauce can break … [and] if that happens, your dish" can wind up a cheesy mess, say the authors of an entertaining and informative new book. (Fox News)

And on that point — check out this new recipe below for a delicious meal. 

Read an excerpt from "Food IQ," featured here with special permission.

Creamy and Crusty Mac and Cheese, from ‘Food IQ’

Mac and cheese is America’s ultimate comfort food. 

Loved by children and adults alike, the rich and creamy texture is an unparalleled food feat.

Baking the mac to get a browned, crispy, crusty outside requires some care.

If the center heats past 180°F, the cheese sauce can break. If that happens, your mac will be a greasy mess.

Loved by children and adults alike, the rich and creamy texture of mac and cheese is "an unparalleled food feat," say the authors of "Food IQ." (iStock)

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 cups whole milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon sweet garlic powder

½ cut whole milk cottage cheese

10 ounces mixed grated cheese such as Cheddar, jack, mozzarella and American

(Serves 8 generously)

Father and son in the kitchen. When was the last time you made a new mac and cheese dish for the whole family? The recipe shared here might just become a favorite to keep cooking again and again.  (iStock)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked according to the directions on the package. Drain and reserve.

3. In a blender, mix the milk, eggs, flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, cottage cheese, and mixed grated cheese and blend on high until completely incorporated (about 2 minutes).

A heaping slice of Creamy and Crusty Mac and Cheese, from the new book "Food IQ."  (Ed Anderson)

4. In a large bowl, mix the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce.

5. Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into a 9-by-13 inch baking dish, spreading it evenly, then bake for 35 minutes.

6. Rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

From the book "Food IQ" by Daniel Holzman and Matt Rodbard. Copyright © 2022 by Daniel Holzman and Matt Rodbard. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.

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