Baked Mac And Cheese Recipe

About this macaroni and cheese

Macaroni and cheese – also known as macaroni and cheese in the US and macaroni and cheese in the UK – is a dish made with cooked macaroni and cheese sauce, most commonly cheddar. It may also contain other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs or meat.

Traditional macaroni and cheese is an oven-baked casserole; however, it can be prepared in a pot on the stovetop or with a packaged mix. Cheese is usually first added to a white sauce to make a monet sauce, which is then added to pasta. In America, it’s considered comfort food.

Ingredients

Macaroni

• Use unsalted butter for this recipe
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni with ribs

Cheese Sauce

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Topping

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

How to make baked mac and cheese

Cook macaroni until firm. The macaroni should be too firm to eat straight from the pan. flow away.
In a small bowl, beat eggs.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and sprinkle with flour. Stir over medium heat. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Don’t let it burn pour in the milk, add the mustard and blend until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until thick. Minimize heat.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten eggs, beating constantly so that the eggs are not undercooked. Stir together until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce, stirring constantly.

Blend until smooth. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add salt, seasoning salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoning salt as needed. Don’t put salt. Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered casserole, sprinkle with extra cheese, and bake at 350˚ for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

What to serve with baked mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is worth a stand-alone meal with a fresh green salad or a simple vegetable side dish. Nothing heavy because the macaroni cheese is rich

As an accompaniment, it goes with almost any non-Asian main dish. From simple grilled pork chops to steaks, from grilled chicken to crispy garlic drumsticks, the only thing I probably wouldn’t eat with macaroni and cheese would be very light summer entrees like tuna tartar – just a little too much in contrast big.

And of course holiday parties! Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter – and a great roast turkey, or your turkey breast with herbs and garlic butter, a juicy roast pork with crunchy crackles, or your prime rib Totally pink and you want to cry. Holidays won’t be the same without this macaroni and cheese

How to store mac and cheese

Refrigerate leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container for three to four days. To heat, add a little milk or cream, then reheat on the microwave or stovetop, stirring regularly. You can freeze macaroni and cheese for up to six months. Let the macaroni and cheese cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe bag to remove as much air as possible. Date and freeze. When ready to serve, simply thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator. Warm up as usual.

Tips for the best baked mac and cheese repaice

Freshly grated cheese – don’t use pre-shredded cheese. They contain mold release agents that can make the sauce grainy. No bloated, overcooked pasta – cool the macaroni slightly and brush lightly with butter. This prevents the macaroni from absorbing more liquid as it cooks, which can cause the pasta to swell, overcook (hot pasta absorbs liquid faster, and the butter forms a thin protective film) and less sauce.

To avoid the sauce from clumping, keep stirring as you slowly pour in the milk, and continue stirring once the milk is fully incorporated. If necessary, switch to soaking to remove stubborn bumps. Plenty of gravy – since I like my macaroni and cheese to be juicy and not dry out, you can cut like a pie.

Can you make the macaroni and cheese ahead of time? Most recipes are not suitable for precooking, but this recipe is! The best way to do this is to cool the pasta before mixing it with the sauce and adding the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate, refrigerate or freeze and bake during the day (see Recipe Note 5 for baking times).

How long can macaroni and cheese keep in the refrigerator? Unlike most others, this macaroni and cheese recipe will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Most macaroni and cheese don’t hold well because there isn’t enough sauce for the pasta to absorb it, leaving you with dry, sauce-free noodles.

Freeze? Yes! Assemble, cool, don’t bake, just freeze. Then defrost the same day and bake according to Note 5 in the recipe. Add-ons? This recipe is great, but there are a lot of additional options. Add shredded chicken, sauteed onions and peppers, bacon, hot sauce (for heat), dried herbs of your choice.

Variations of macaroni and cheese

Bacon – If you like bacon, feel free to add some crispy crumbled bacon or even to macaroni and cheese.

Stovetop – If you don’t want to bake this macaroni and cheese, you don’t have to! Make sure you cook al dente pasta (check the package for the correct time), you only need about 3 – 3 1/2 cups of cheese in total. No need to layer pasta and cheese, just add all the cheese to the sauce and mix with the pasta.

Assorted toppings – I absolutely love the cheese layer on top as it gets nice and crispy, but we also like to toss 1 cup panko with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and use that as a topping. 1 cup of Ritz biscuits and 2 tablespoons of butter works really well too!

Different Baking Times – Recipes call for lower baking temperatures and times, but most of the time I adjust to my family’s tastes. I like to bake the macaroni and cheese at 350F for 30 minutes, then 2-3 minutes for a delicious cheesy “crust”.

Quick, easy, and delicious macaroni and cheese dishes. Fancy, designer macaroni and cheese often have so many exotic and expensive cheeses, but they don’t always taste the best. This easy recipe is cheap and delicious. I hope you do them perfectly. Visit our website’s answerthequestion.net regularly for more useful knowledge.