Happy National Mac n' Cheese Day: Best in RVA

It's August 26. Do you know what that means? It's quite possibly the coolest "strange national food holiday" to ever exist - yes, it's National Mac n' Cheese Day!



Mac n' Cheese is all I ate as a kid, and all I wish I could eat as an adult. Therefore it's pretty much the only food I've loved for literally my entire life. So this is kind of a big holiday to me. Like, I almost took the day off.

The only way to do this day justice is to roundup a few of the best places to get Mac n' Cheese in RVA. You'll want to read through to the end, where I share a recipe for the best (and surprisingly, really simple) Mac n' Cheese from an old-school Richmond favorite.

Mosaic
smoked gouda cream sauce, cavatappi pasta and bacon–parmesan panko crust





Bistro Bobette
Truffle Mac and Cheese: Béchamel parmesan & Swiss black truffle oil




















Metro Bar & Grill
Lobster Mac: cavatappi, Parmesan, white cheddar, feta, Italian herb crust



















Have you had enough? Even after all that Mac n' Cheese heaven, I'm not done yet! I think it's only fitting to end with a classic; one that all Richmonders (and even non-Richmonders) know and love.


...recognize that? ^ ^ I think you do. It's...

Ukrop's Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese
Cheddar, parmesan, cottage cheese



I've been eating and loving this stuff since as far back as I can remember. I did some research (er, I Googled) the recipe. Apparently, this type of Mac n' Cheese recipe which for calls cottage cheese is popular all over the South; there are ample recipes available for your choosing. We tested it out and it tasted so similar to the real deal that I died a little inside.

Without further adieu, here's the recipe for Homemade Ukrop's Macaroni & Cheese!


































Jazzed up with cavatappi pasta instead of elbow macaroni, this might be one of my greatest achievements.



Okay, so it definitely is.

Homemade Ukrop's Macaroni & Cheese

  • 5 cups cooked macaroni (a little more than 2 cups, or 8 ounces, uncooked)
  • 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 8 ounces block cheddar cheese, shredded by hand (or, use store bought shredded)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt, pepper, and mustard in a large mixing bowl.

2. Stir in cheddar cheese.

3. Gently add cooked macaroni. Spoon into a greased 3-quart baking dish. Top with grated Parmesan and paprika.

4. Bake about 40 minutes or until set. Do not over bake. Serves 10.

6 comments:

  1. Life Changing!!!! Such simplicity and delicousness - who knew it could be done? My husband loves a soft mac and cheese so for years I have tried all varities of mac and cheese recipes using everything from aged extra sharp cheddars to the wonderful but expensive gruyere trying to find a recipe we both will love. I just pulled this out of the oven and this mac and cheese using everyday affordable cheeses JUST BLEW MY MIND!!! Ohh I am so happy my hubby will be home in just a few minutes and I can't wait for him to try it because I am certain he will love it too. Thank you Thank you Thank you for unselfishly sharing your recipe.

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    1. Is the three cheese the same as the homemade just a different name because the three cheese is the one I wanna make.?

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  3. Thanks for such a great blog. You also can share some suggestions on  best late-night eats in richmond.

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