Easiest Baked Macaroni And Cheese
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Easiest ever baked macaroni and cheese this is a go-to recipe of many of my readers and it will become the same for your family!
No, really.
This is the easiest ever macaroni and cheese! And so delicious!
How To Make A Creamy Cheese Sauce
Heres the easiest way to make one. Its all in the roux, youll need equal parts flour and unsalted butter, a medium pot and a whisk or a wooden spoon and about 10 minutes.
- Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, stir in flour with a wooden spoon or whisk. I prefer a whisk when making a roux because it helps prevent lumps.
- Once the roux forms, pour milk or heavy cream in thirds to allow the flour to cook out so theres no flour aftertaste.
- Stir in cheese, garlic powder and other spices until cheese melts and sauce thickens. The sauce should be smooth and able to coat a spoon.
Watch Me Make This Southern Baked Macaroni And Cheese From Start To Finish
Im pretty sure you all know how hard it is to find a good, southern, soul food style baked macaroni and cheese recipe, right?
People tend to keep a tight grasp on their prized macaroni & cheese recipes, but not in my family. We share our favorite recipes like they are going on out of style! Aint no sense in taking recipes to the grave is how my grandmother sees it.
Well, imagine my shock when my sister sashayed in on Thanksgiving and casually placed this baked macaroni & cheese on the table. I could have sworn I had all of my family members baked mac n cheese recipes.
What was this impostor all about! The proof was in the taste. I had one plates of this macaroni and cheese and was on her heels like ash in the wintertime trying to get this recipe.
My husband took a bite and said, um, you need to take your mac n cheese recipe off your blog and put this one up. This one is way better than yours!
THANKS A LOT, MATTYoull pay for that comment dearly! lol
Yall this baked macaroni and cheese is FULL OF SOUL!! That is the first thing that came to mind when I took that first bite. Usually, Im not that into mac and cheese recipes that involve Velveeta, but this one.yeah, this one gets a pass!
I just love how that top layer of smoked cheese forms like a crust. Its super creamy, flavorful, and easy. The MVP is definitely that SMOKED CHEDDAR! Good God, I couldnt stop eating this stuff.
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What You Need To Make Baked Mac And Cheese:
Really simple ingredients in this one, and lots of room to adapt the recipe to make it your own. For this macaroni and cheese recipe, youll need:
- Elbow Macaroni other shapes will work, as will whole wheat pasta. We havent tested this with a grain-free pasta, but it would probably work. Of course, the texture would be slightly different.
- 1 pound of shredded cheese we like extra sharp cheddar, but you can use many types of cheese. We always recommend shredding your own cheese fo the best texture , but pre-grated will work in a pinch.
- Flour this helps the mac and cheese thicken up.
- Ground mustard this is totally optional but it adds depth to the flavor. You can also use dijon mustard if you dont have ground mustard.
- Milk whole, 2%, skimtheyll all work
- Butter helps you get that golden brown top on the macaroni and cheese!
- Salt and Pepper always! You wont need a lot of salt since cheese is salty.
To Bake Or Not To Bake
Also, the reason why this mac and cheese is a bit down to the wire is because Ive made it 3x in the past week , and Ive come to an important Thanksgiving-season conclusion: DO NOT BAKE YOUR MAC AND CHEESE.
Heres why:
- The risk of the dairy in the sauce splitting is way too high, regardless of the time and temperature. When you bake mac and cheese, the cream sauce can actually separate. In the words of Eric Kim, Overheating a cheese sauce, especially in the oven, can cause its emulsion to break, turning a velvety pasta into a grainy gunge. This is just a variation Im no longer willing to risk. Cooking things for the blog that Ive been making for years is a bit like my childhood piano recitals. I sweat. I second guess myself. I can risk my one pot of mac and cheese, but I cant risk all of yalls mac and cheese too!
- When you bake it, you have to use more milk and heavy cream to end up with a good amount of sauce, which means more money . The oven really dries out the sauce you worked so hard for, as it absorbs into the noodles before youve really had a chance to savor it.
- Who has the oven space, ANYWAYS?! We are blessed to have two ovens, but most people just have one, and goshdangit thurs a turkey in thur already.
Erics solution is to add a few bars of Velveeta to his mac and cheese, but Sarah had a bad reaction to some Velveeta once, so we avoid it.
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What Makes Macaroni Pie Special
Jamaican, Trinidadian, Bajan, Guyanese and other Caribbean cuisines have slight variations on this recipe, and it varies from cook to cook, but the ingredients and method of cooking is similar. The macaroni, typically bucatini, is seasoned with pimento peppers, garlic, sometimes onions, dried seasonings, and whatever other additions the cook decides. Evaporated milk, ketchup, mustard, and lots of cheese is stirred in, then baked in a casserole until golden and firm. Once its done baking it should hold its shape when cut, even when right out of the oven. This firmness is a big part of what distinguishes macaroni pie from macaroni and cheese found outside of the Caribbean.
Simply Recipes / Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse
Recipe Notes And Tips
- People swear by Velveeta in this recipe, do not use a substitute. Miss Robie herself uses only Velveeta.
- While pre-packaged shredded cheese works fine, grating your own is the better option. It just melts better.
- Its going to be oily on top after baking, thats how it is with real cheeses and butter. If you think its excessive, blot some up with a paper towel while it rests. I do sometimes.
- Reheats are great, just pop in the microwave.
- This is filling and hearty enough to serve as the main dish but most often it is a side dish. Its unbelievably good alongside collard greens and fried chicken!
Delicious soulful macaroni and cheese, doesnt get any better than this. A real treat and labor of love for Sunday supper and the holiday table. Trust me on this one! Kelly
Try these collard greensin the Instant Pot for some more traditional soul food.
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How To Make Baked Macaroni And Cheese
As we decided to keep this recipes ingredients fairly basic, you may already have these ingredients. You will need the following:
We like to prepare our ingredients beforehand. As such I would recommend that you get the cheeses prepared before cooking. This way youre not in a panic trying to get that done before the pasta is ready.
Grate both the cheddar and sharp cheddar cheeses and combine together in a bowl.
Divide the cheeses into three groups.
- One group will make up the sauce 3 cups
- Another group will be added in between layers of the macaroni and cheese 1 1/2 cups
- And the last group will top the dish 1 1/2 cups.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente, usually about 1 minute less than the package directs to cook pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 3-quart baking dish and set it aside.
Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the flour in and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk and cook for about a minute.
Combine the milk and half and half into a large measuring cup.
Slowly pour in 2 cups of the half and half / milk mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth.
Slowly pour in the remaining half and half and the whole milk, whisking constantly, until smooth.
Whisking very often, continue to cook until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper.
How To Make Homemade Mac And Cheese
Making homemade macaroni and cheese is surprisingly easy and quick!
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The Best Way To Thicken A Cheese Sauce
If you prefer, omit the flour and thicken the cheese sauce with egg yolk. Although egg yolk contains a lot of cholesterol, it does not add anything to the sauce because it contains no flavor or color. In addition, some chefs prefer to thicken cheese sauces with roux, but omit all of the flour. You should make sure the cheese sauce is smooth and creamy.
Perfect Mac And Cheese In 5 Steps:
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Can You Freeze Mac And Cheese
Absolutely. When freezing mac and cheese, its crucial to allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight storage bag or container. After properly containing the mac and cheese, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let it thaw for 48 hours and then heat it in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Keys To A Perfect Cheese Sauce
The only tricky part of making a cheese sauce like this is incorporating the milk into the roux. These tips will set you up for success.
- Start with warm milk. Warming the milk a minute or two in the microwave will help it blend into the warm roux more easily.
- Add the milk slowly. Add the milk slowly while whisking the roux. At first, the roux will thin out, then it will clump up. You might think all is lost at this point, but persevere. Continue whisking the milk and it will loosen into a creamy sauce.
- Let bubble until slightly thickened. Once all the milk is added, let it bubble, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Youre looking for a thickness thats somewhere between heavy cream and buttermilk. Stir in the grated cheese, let it melt, and youre almost ready for mac and cheese bliss.
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What Type Of Cheese
This classic mac and cheese recipe is made with cheddar cheese. I particularly love medium or sharp cheddar cheese but any type will do. If you want a more luxurious mac and cheese or youre really trying to impress a crowd, you could use a combination of different cheeses. Just be sure to select a type of cheese that is good for melting, like white cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, brie, goat cheese, mozzarella, or fontina.
Three Cheese Stovetop Mac And Cheese
Ive had a new mac and cheese on my recipe plan for awhile. My baked macaroni and cheese is my most requested recipe and cooler weather is a great time to throw this super creamy three cheese stovetop mac and cheese version out there.
This one is just as tasty, but doesnt require baking. Just whip up the cheese sauce and mix in cooked pasta. Easy as that.
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How To Measure Pasta For This Recipe
Sometimes a reader or two has had an issue with how much pasta this recipe needs. This recipe is written by volume and sometimes people think that since a cup is 8 ounces that they can simply use 12-16 ounces of pasta or go by the weight of the dry pasta written on the box.
Youll end up with problems if you do this. Please follow the volume instructions and measure your pasta dry in a measuring cup meant for dry items . Small pastas like ditalini or little wagon wheels can go up to about 2 cups and be fine in the recipe, and large ones like bow tie or cellentani can as well. If you will stick to elbow pasta until you get the hang of things youll be better off.
Ive made this recipe with every pasta shape on the market and if you will measure in cups, your recipe will be just right.
Making Instant Pot Mac And Cheese Ahead Of Time
Some recipes are great, and even better, when made ahead but mac and cheese just isnt one of them.
As the pasta sits, it absorbs more and more of the sauce, making the mac and cheese dry, and the noodles mushy.
In my opinion, this is a recipe that just tastes the best when made right before you eat it.
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Tips For The Best Macaroni And Cheese Youll Ever Eat
Feel like you may still need some help? If you have time, jump over to this post for the juicy details: 18 Secrets to the Richest, Creamiest Mac and Cheese Youll Ever Eat or focus on these tips:
Never stop stirring your milk once it hits the pan. If your skillet is too hot or you walk away and for a minute you could scorch the white sauce and it will curdle. It doesnt really hurt the taste, but it will look sort of clumpy. Some readers have called it grainy. It only takes 5 minutes. Just hang out and stir until that sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
Use good cheese in your baked macaroni and cheese. That means avoiding bagged, pre-shredded cheeses because they contain cellulose that can in some cases cause your cheese not to melt as it should. -And speaking of cheese, you have so many options! My favorite is sharp cheddar and Swiss.
-Try to choose a melting cheese and a flavor cheesefor the best flavor and texture in your baked macaroni and cheese.
Do taste as you go. Taste your cheese sauce before you add your pasta. Is it bland? That can be because of the cheese you used or even the kind of salt you seasoned with. If it doesnt have enough flavor, add a pinch more salt, stir it in and taste it again until it suits you.
-Feel free to add more pasta if you want to. Some people say that this recipe doesnt have enough noodles in it, but Ive never had that problem. And yes, you should cook your pasta before adding it to the cheese sauce.
Homemade Macaroni And Cheese: What Kind Of Cheese Should I Use
I honestly use different cheese combinations almost every time I make this mac and cheese recipe but the one I always come back to is sharp cheddar and Gruyere. If you cant find Gruyere, Jarlsberg Swiss cheese is the best substitute. Other cheese that work: mozzarella, jack cheese or pepper jack for a little zip, American and Velveeta as well for a creamier cheese sauce. This baked mac and cheese uses 6 cups of cheese so just
To add even more flavor to my homemade mac and cheese, I add Parmesan to the Panko topping so good!
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Can I Make This Dish In Advance
We’re all for a make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe, and this one is no different, so don’t leave it off your holiday dinner menu.
This baked mac and cheese recipe can be made through Step 2 up to one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until you’re ready to bake it the next day. Bring the dish to room temperature, for approximately 30 minutes, before proceeding with Step 3.
These Pro Tips Will Make This Recipe A Success
- When cooking the pasta, make sure to cook the macaroni al dente. If the pasta is fully cooked before its added to the cheese sauce and then baked in the oven, it will become really mushy. If you only cook to al dente , the pasta will finish cooking correctly with the cheese.
- When mixing together the milk mixture and the cheese, if not all pieces of cheese melt right away, that is fine. When the pasta is poured over the top of the cheese, it will add additional heat, which will finish melting the cheese.
- This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and then baked when needed. Simply prepare everything, add everything to the baking dish, then cover and place it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove it from the refrigerator and bake.
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