What Is The Best Cheese To Use For Macaroni And Cheese
For this mac and cheese recipe, I use 3 different types of cheese: sharp cheddar, Velveeta cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
You can mix and match the type of cheese that you put into your macaroni and cheese. Every combination will produce a slightly different flavor.
Some great cheeses to add to your macaroni and cheese are: Colby jack, mozzarella, mild cheddar, or even pepper jack for a spicy kick.
Recommended Reading: Does Laughing Cow Cheese Go Bad
Tips For Perfect Cheese Sauce
Have you ever made a mac and cheese that wasnt creamy or smooth? Instead if was grainy or gritty? The worst! Heres a few steps you should take for perfectly creamy cheese sauce.
How To Make Homemade Macaroni And Cheese:
- Boil the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water really well. Add the noodles and cook until just before al dente. The noodles need to have some bite so they dont turn to mush while baking in the sauce later.
- Make the cheese sauce. The cheese sauce is made by mixing flour and seasonings into melted butter. Whisk in some milk and cook until nice and thick. Once removed from the heat, add in the cheese and cream cheese.
- Bake. This helps the cheese bake into the macaroni noodles. A couple minutes under the broiler gives a nice crisp cheese topping.
Also Check: Easy Peanut Butter No Bakes
My Favorite Cheeses For Macaroni And Cheese
Depending on your mood, the cheese you use in macaroni and cheese can vary. Cheddar, fontina, gruyere, parmesan, and pecorino are all excellent options, but the combination of cheeses I go back to over and over again is a hearty amount of extra sharp white cheddar and a smaller, but potent amount of pecorino-romano cheese. The cheddar turns creamy and smooth and the pecorino adds a pop of salty cheese flavor to the sauce.
Okay, now this is where I get on my soapbox for a second. No matter which cheese you use for this, if you can, grate the cheese yourself. A previously shredded bagged cheese just doesnt melt the same way as hand grated cheese. I wish that wasnt true, but for now, to make the best mac and cheese, its best to shred the cheese yourself.
How Do You Make Homemade Macaroni And Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese starts with a flour/butter mixture called a roux. You melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until it becomes thick. Then you slowly, slowly add the milk. Warming the milk up a bit first helps keep the sauce thick, and it takes less time to heat up to a simmer. If combined properly, your roux/milk mixture should be rich and creamy once all the milk has been incorporated. Next, add the cheese and a few flavor boosters and pour that creamy goodness over cooked noodles and pop it in the oven to bake.
Recommended Reading: Best Way To Mail Baked Goods
Tips For A Perfect Oven Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe:
- This recipe can be easily doubled for a crowd
- Grate your own cheese do not use pre-shredded cheese for this recipe
- I use this brand of macaroni in my recipe
- Use an 8-cup capacity baking dish similar to this one
- Sprinkle some cooked and crumbled bacon on top after baking to make this a main dish serve it with roasted or grilled vegetables, a salad and/or fresh fruit
Foodtastic Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any highlighted, clickable Amazon link you see is an affiliate link that I may earn advertising fees on.
Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of Foodtastic Mom. Be sure to and print this recipe!
Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Baked macaroni and cheese doesnt have to be complicated with layers of ingredients to be the soul-warming food you crave. This homemade baked macaroni and cheese is my most favorite and has pleased crowds, small families, kids and picky eaters alikegive it a try and youll see why.
Sometimes you buy that glowing yellow macaroni in the box. Your kids like it, but it glows like the kryptonite they used in the old Christoper Reeve Superman movies.
Thats not normal people.
And I hate to break it to you, but theres nothing real in that box either.
I hate feeding it to my kids and I dare say that you hate it too. But I can also guess you dont know many other alternatives. Sure, you can get a box of Velveeta and melt that over some noodles. That works too, but that stuff doesnt even need to be refrigerated. Its mystery cheese.
So if youre looking for the real deal, the old school baked macaroni and cheese the way your grandma might have made itthis is it.
And just so you know, aside from the baking, this easy macaroni and cheese took 15 minutes and only two pans to make. One for boiling the pasta and a good enameled cast iron pan for the sauce and the baking cuts down on dishes. So yes, even you can make this on a week night.
Recommended Reading: Best Cleaner For Baked On Grease
How To Make The Easiest Mac And Cheese
This is the absolute easiest mac and cheese that you will ever make, and it yields the tastiest and most decadent mac and cheese that you will ever eat! Heres how youll throw this one together:
- Preheat the Oven preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine the Pasta, Milk, and Salt add the pasta, milk, and salt to a 3-quart baking dish and stir to combine.
- Add Some of the Butter slice two tablespoons of butter and place over top of the macaroni + milk mixture.
- Cover and Bake cover the dish with a fitted lid or aluminum foil as tightly as possible , then bake for 30 minutes.
- Combine the Butter, Breadcrumbs, and seasonings while the macaroni bakes, combine the other 2 tablespoons of butter , ½ cup of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Stir in the Cheese after 30 minutes, remove the macaroni from the oven and take off the lid or foil covering. Stir in the cream cheese, heavy cream, two cups of shredded cheese and the black pepper.
- Top + Bake sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over top of the macaroni and cheese, followed by the breadcrumbs, then return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs and cheese are browned on top.
- Serve + Enjoy!
What Makes This The Best Mac And Cheese
Im a sucker for mac and cheese, but lets be honest, sometimes you take a bite of mac and cheese and it just does not hit the spot. The cheese is eh, the creamy, gooey texture is lacking, and its chock full of mysterious ingredients that are likely to cause a stomachache in an hour or two. THIS mac and cheese, though, is the total opposite of all of that: its super easy thanks to our fail-proof dump-and-bake method, requires minimal ingredients , and it is ultra-cheesy and creamy .
Don’t Miss: Baked Mac And Cheese With Bacon
Creamy Macaroni And Cheese With Bacon And Peas
The Chunky Chef03/19/2015
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Okay guys, let me guess one of your kids favorite meals probably chicken nuggets, and Id guess macaroni and cheese too. Am I right? Thought so lol. My kids LOVE mac and cheese. Of all forms, all flavors, even the Kraft easy mac that you microwave. They go nuts. So over the years Ive made several varieties of homemade mac and cheese, to try to get them to please for the love of all things holy, eat something I cooked for you!!.
This macaroni and cheese dish isnt just for the kids it has some grown up flavors, and its a little bit healthier. Although, as youre eating it, you wont be able to taste that its healthier all youll taste is a deliciously creamy sauce and some amazing flavors. Want to know the secret?
Yep, almond milk! Do you guys drink this stuff? Its actually pretty good and its really good for you
You can choose any pasta shape that you like for this macaroni and cheese classic elbows, some penne, rotini, anything! I love the curly and fun shape of cavatappi Part of the unique flavors of this dish comes from the cheeses used the white cheese you see there is gruyere. It. Is. Amazing! Its rich, nutty, and delicious. I paired it with a sharp cheddar.
I chose to garnish mine simply with just a few extra crumbles of bacon, but it would also be delicious with some fresh chopped chives or just some minced parsley.
I hope you all try this one
Easy Macaroni And Cheese
Also Check: Honey Baked Ham Snellville Ga
How To Make Baked Mac And Cheese:
- Preheat oven, prepare baking dish: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9 or 12 by 8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Toast panko: Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and spread even, let toast, tossing frequently until golden brown. Set aside in bowl.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni just to al dente according to package instructions. If its done early before sauce toss with a little olive oil so it doesnt stick together.
- Make roux and sauce: In a large saucepan or medium pot melt remaining 5 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly 1 1/2 minutes. While whisking slowly pour in warmed milk and half and half. Season with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook until thick: Cook mixture stirring constantly until thickened .
- Stir in cheese off heat: Remove from heat let cool 1 minute then stir in 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup gruyere .
- Toss pasta with sauce: Pour drained pasta into a bowl, pour in sauce and remaining 1 cup gruyere cheese. Toss to evenly coat with sauce.
- Layer in baking dish: Pour into prepared baking dish, spread into an even layer. Sprinkle panko over top and gently spread into an even layer.
- Bake: Bake in preheated oven until edges are just barely bubbling, about 20 minutes .
- Let cool just a few minutes and serve warm.
How To Make One Pot Mac And Cheese
Step 1. Cooking the pasta. First, to make this creamy homemade mac and cheese, youll need to cook the pasta. Fill a large pot with water and cook macaroni in a pot following directions on the package. Once cooked, drain, dont rinse, and leave to sit in the colander.
Step 2.Making the cheesy sauce. In the same cast-iron Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat, melt butter, add milk and mustard, whisking continuously. Once butter is melted, add shredded cheese, nutritional yeast, continue to whisk till combined. Remove from the heat, taste, adjust mustard and salt as desired.
Step 3. Combining macaroni with cheese sauce. Add cooked macaroni to the pot with cheesy sauce and stir to combine.
Step 4.Baking mac and cheese- Optional step. You can entirely skip this step and not bake mac and cheese at all! Or bake it if you would like to turn this into a baked version with a cheesy crispy crust on top.
Sprinkle extra cheese and some nutritional yeast on top and broil for 3 minutes till crust is formed. Serve baked macaroni and cheese warm.
Read Also: How Long Does Babybel Cheese Last Refrigerated
Also Check: Selling Baked Goods On Etsy
Can I Make This Macaroni And Cheese Recipe Ahead Of Time
Yes! To make this baked macaroni and cheese recipe ahead of time, simply follow the directions up until baking!
Instead of placing in the oven to bake, let the dish cool to room temperature, cover the dish and place in the refrigerator.
This macaroni and cheese dish can be stored in the refrigerator 24 hours before baking. After that I find that the noodles absorb too much of the cheese sauce and the dish comes out dry after baking.
Best Cheese For Mac And Cheese
A combination of Gruyere and mozzarella cheese. Gruyerefor the most superior flavour with the best melting qualities for creamy sauces such as this theres no contention in my view. And mozzarella for stretch nothing does the cheese pull like a good mozzarella!
But honestly, any cheese that melts well works is excellent with Mac and Cheese, such as cheddar, tasty, Colby, Swiss, Pepper Jack, Emmental.
Read Also: Does Babybel Need To Be Refrigerated
Don’t Miss: How To Bake With Gluten Free Flour
The Best Type Of Cheese For Macaroni And Cheese
This is a contentious issue! The taste of the cheese you use really comes through in the finished dish, so choose something you enjoy.
I like a mix of cheeses to add different qualities: parmesan for savory, umami depth of flavor mozzarella for that stretchy, stringy pull and mild creamy taste, and Swiss or gruyere for nuttiness and great melting texture.
Something like a semi-matured or sharp cheddar is also great in macaroni cheese. It helps the top layer to brown really well, and adds a good salty hit in the sauce.
Essentially, anything which melts well is going to be welcome in macaroni cheese. This goes for less obvious melting cheese choices like cream cheese or a creamy blue, as well as many firm cheeses.
Can Mac N Cheese Be Made Ahead
This is really best served immediately, but if you need to make it ahead, here is what I recommend:
If you need to buy yourself a little extra time, keep it warm in the oven on the lowest possible setting.
You *could* assemble it and keep it in the fridge or freezer, but I find the above method preferable because the macaroni will absorb a lot of the sauce as it sits.
Read Also: Can I Lose Weight Eating Baked Potatoes
Kraft Macaroni And Cheese Is Changing Its Name
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese gets new name, logoKraft Macaroni and Cheese has a brand new name and look. After more than eight decades, the iconic blue boxes and bowls will now read Kraft Mac & Cheese. The name change, according to KraftHeinz, is 06/24/2022 11:55 am | View Link
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is Changing its Name SortaKraft Macaroni and Cheese is changing its name after 85 years. The household staple is now called Kraft Mac & Cheese, which is meant to reflect the way fans organically talk about the brand, the 06/24/2022 9:54 am | View Link
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Changes its Name, Iconic Blue BoxThe change from macaroni and cheese to mac & cheese, is meant to reflect the way fans organically talk about the brand. The iconic blue box now features just a single-color hue of blue and 06/24/2022 3:20 am | View Link
- Kraft rebrands its famous Macaroni and CheeseKraft Macaroni and Cheese has been re-branded as Kraft Mac and Cheese and the new look and name will hit shelves later this summer in August. The company announced the change in a press release 06/23/2022 9:21 am | View Link
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is changing its nameKraftHeinz, announced. The iconic blue boxes and bowls will now read Kraft Mac & Cheese, and the logo will be updated. The change from macaroni and cheese to mac & cheese, is meant to reflect the