Chicken and Maccaroni

Today's recipe comes from The White House Cook Book, 1887.  It is a simple recipe, but also very tasty.

I boiled a few boneless chicken breasts, rather than a whole chicken, this may not be as flavorful, but it is what I had on hand. Once the chicken and maccaroni are boiled, layer them in a pan. Maccaroni then chicken topped with salt, pepper and bits of butter. The recipe calls for the chicken liquor to be put on top of the layer as well, but since I did not boil an entire chicken, I used some chicken broth instead. Continue layering until the dish is full, or you run out of ingredients.  On the top add a few more bits of butter and add a nice cup of rich cream on top.
Place in a 350* oven for about 30 minutes.

This recipe came out very nice. It is simple enough to make in a pinch with a few ingredients. The "sauce" that is formed between the broth, butter, and cream is very good!! This is sure to be a repeat recipe.

Macaroni

Macaroni and Cheese?!?! Really?!? Who knew it was that easy in the 19th century? Well, sorta. This Macaroni recipe is taken from The Virginia Housewife, 1838.  And if you are looking for something easy and yummy for a crowd, this is the perfect recipe!

There are no exact measurements for this one, which does make it easy and a good "go-to".  Boil your noodles (you really want to use a straight noodles like "macaroni" or "penne" not elbow macaroni, this is a later invention).  This macaroni is built in layers. After draining the noodles, place enough in the bottom of the pan to cover, then add cheese and butter,  and repeat. I chose a 9 x 13 baking pan at home, since it was easiest in the oven.

I used a whole box of noodles and a block of sharp cheddar, sliced thin. You want to keep the slice fairly thin so they melt well. The amount of butter is up to the individual, you want enough to give a flavor, but not too much, I almost used too much.

Place the dish in a nice hot oven (350 to 400) for about 15 to 20 minutes. I left mine in for about 15 minutes, I was hungry :)

There is really nothing  bad to say about a nice hot bowl of mac & cheese! This would be great as a side dish with a nice meat at an evening meal or as a bring-a-long dish for a potluck!