Oven Baked Mac N Cheese

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How To Make Kraft Macaroni And Cheese In A Microwave Oven

Creamy Mac n Cheese Recipe | Baked Mac n Cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine

  • 7.25 ounce package of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

  • In a 2qt microwave-safe dish add 1-1/3 cups water. Heat the water for one minute.

  • Pour the pasta from the box into the hot water .

  • Stir the pasta and put the uncovered dish in the microwave oven for 5-7 minutes on HIGH . It is very important to stir the pasta every 1-2 minutes to avoid having the pasta stick together. You will know the pasta has been cooked long enough when there is no longer water in the dish. Do not overcook.

  • Once the water is absorbed, remove the dish from the microwave oven. Add 1/4 cup butter or margarine and mix together with the pasta.

  • Next add the cheese sauce that was included in the box along with 1/4 cup milk.

  • Blend all of the ingredients together until the pasta is well coated with the cheese sauce. Enjoy!

Prep time:10 min

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!

Cooking Tips For Crock Pot Mac And Cheese

Ive tested this recipe more times than Id like to admit, and through all those trials and errors, Ive come up with a few helpful tips.

  • Spray the crockpot. I know it might sound weird, but it really helps keep the pasta from sticking too much to the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Use the right liquids. For most of my attempts, I was using regular, whole milk, and every time it would thicken way too much and sort of seize up on me. Ive found that a mixture of chicken broth, evaporated milk, with a little heavy cream for richness, yields the best creamy sauce.
  • Grate your own cheeses. I know I know. Its SO tempting to open a bag of pre-shredded cheese from the store and Ive done it on occasion. But most commercial pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose, which essentially keeps the cheese from all clumping together in the bag. Ever noticed how bags of pre-shredded cheese that are coming up on their expiration date usually have clumps of cheese stuck together inside? Its because the cellulose is just about gone from the cheese. That coating prevents the cheese from truly melting down into a gloriously gooey cheese sauce, and can leave your sauce a bit on the gritty side.

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Perfect Mac And Cheese In 5 Steps:

  • Preheat the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees and lightly grease a square baking dish.
  • Cook the macaroni. Slightly undercook your noodles . Drain and set aside.
  • Make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add milk and cheese. Stir in milk and half and half, slowly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup shredded cheese to the sauce and stir just until melted. Add the cooked macaroni noodles and toss to coat them in the sauce.
  • Pourinto baking dish. Pour half or the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the top. Pour remaining pasta over it and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • What To Serve With Baked Mac And Cheese

    Oven baked Mac n cheese!

    Mac and Cheese is worthy of serving as a meal in its own right, served with just a fresh green salad or simple vegetable side. Nothing heavy because Macaroni Cheese is so rich as it is!

    As a side dish, it will compliment virtually any non-Asian main dish. From simple Baked Pork Chops to Steak, a Roast Chicken to Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs, the only things I probably would not serve with Mac and Cheese would be very light summery mains such as a Tuna Tartare just a little too much contrast.

    And of course, festive gatherings! Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter alongside a grand Roast Turkey or your Herb & Garlic Butter Slathered Turkey Breast, the juicy Roast Pork with impossibly Crispy Crackling or your Prime Rib thats so perfectly blushing pink all the way through, it makes you want to weep.

    Holidays would not be the same without this Mac and Cheese!! Nagi xx

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    How To Make No

    1. This is going to go so fast, you wont believe it! Add your DRY macaroni to a greased 9Ã13 baking dish.

    2. Pour the milk over the dry pasta and stir. Add 1 cup of cheese, salt and pepper to mixture. Stir well.

    3. Add the remaining cheese to the top, bake at 350 for 1 hour until macaroni and cheese is browned on edges and completely set!

    4. This simple recipe is easily one of our familys top five of all time. It is on our table at least a few times a month, and always a huge hit when I take it to family gatherings! Its perfect for newlyweds, college kids or those just starting to cook too. If you are mac and cheese connoisseurs like we are, I hope you try it and love it as much as we do.

    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 .

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    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.

    Add The Pasta And Sauce To A Dish

    Oven Baked Macaroni and cheese | 3 cheese macaroni

    After the cheese has melted, add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until all the noodles are well-coated.

    Then, add the mixture to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Top with more cheese

    Then, bake! I like to broil for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time to give it a little color and extra crisp around the edges.

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    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.

  • Shred your own cheese. For this recipe, grating your own cheese will give you the smoothest results.
  • Start with a white sauce. A white sauce is made with butter or olive oil stirred with flour and milk. It thickens once it cools, then you stir the cheese into it to make your cheese sauce.
  • Do NOT add the cheese to boiling sauce. When adding the cheese, remove the white sauce from the heat completely before adding the cheese. I usually move this to a different burner so it stops boiling. You dont want to add the cheese to the mixture if its boiling/bubbling. Doing so will cause the cheese to break down causing a gritty texture.
  • Add the cheese a little at a time. I usually do this 1/4 cup at a time, whisking in between until its all melted.
  • Easiest Baked Macaroni And Cheese

    Rachel GurkPosted:

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    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!

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    Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Recipe

    The best mac and cheese recipe youll ever make, this easy baked mac and cheese is rich, creamy, cheesy, and so delicious. We used Cavatappi noodles, white cheddar cheese, and whole milk for extra indulgent flavor kids and adults will love. Finished with a panko topping, this recipe is indescribably delicious!

    How To Avoid Grainy Cheese Sauce:

    Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Sausage and Broccoli
    • The type of cheddar makes a difference. High quality aged cheddar cheese will give you a stronger taste and smoother texture. More mild and inexpensive cheddar cheeses will have less flavor and almost a grittier taste.
    • Use fresh grated cheese. Pre-shredded store-bought cheese will not melt the same as freshly grated cheese, and grating the cheese helps it melt smoothly and evenly in the sauce.
    • Bring the cheese to room temperature. I like to grate the cheese very first, before moving forward with the recipe. That allows it to sit at room temperature while I prepare the white sauce.
    • Use low heat. In order for the cheese to melt properly and smoothly we want it to have gradual changes in temperature . When its time to add the cheese to the white sauce, remove the sauce from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. It only needs to be warm enough to melt the cheese.
    • Dont over-stirthe sauce once the cheese has melted. Add the noodles and quickly assemble in pan and put into the oven.

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    Variations Of Crock Pot Mac And Cheese

    • Pasta Shapes to mimic the classic recipe, I normally use elbow pasta. But any short-cut pasta works just as well! Medium shells, penne, rotini, etc. Just note that different pastas will have slightly different cook times, so use the recipe times as an approximate.
    • Cooking Liquids like I mentioned above, I prefer the taste and consistency of chicken broth, evaporated milk and heavy cream. However, feel free to test out different proportions of those liquids, or try out different liquids. Just note that I can only vouch for this recipe as written.
    • Cheeses As with most mac and cheese recipes, the types of cheese called for are not the only ones you can use. Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Gruyere, sharp cheddar any and all!
    • Seasonings feel free to add in additional seasonings that you love in your mac and cheese.

    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.

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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.

    How To Bake Mac And Cheese In The Oven

    HOW TO MAKE MACARONI & CHEESE || OVEN BAKED MAC N CHEESE EASY

    This is not a one pan recipe. You must first cook the noodles. The mac and cheese gets baked in the oven to make sure all the cheese is extra melted. This is not your boxed mac and cheese with fake cheese powder! The real deal is worth waiting for.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Cook the noodles. Cook macaroni until just under al dente . Set aside.
  • Make the roux. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, mustard powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.
  • Melt the cheese. Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups sharp cheddar, Velveeta cheese, and Parmesan cheese until melted. Its okay if the Velveeta cheese isnt completely melted.
  • Add to baking dish. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce and pour into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Bake to perfection. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Do not overcook this will dry out your macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
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    My Love Affair With Mac And Cheese

    I have a mini love affair with mac and cheese. As a child, I would take it any way I could get it out of a box or made from scratch by Mom. Wait what am I saying, I do that now Mounds of cheese melted into a velvety, creamy sauce and tossed with pasta. Yes, please!

    There are lots of recipes for macaroni and cheese in the world and to be completely honest, Id probably love most of them. That said, I do think there are a few key elements for the best mac and cheese.

  • The sauce to pasta ratio is important to get right. After baking there needs to still be enough sauce thats not absorbed into the pasta so every bite is a creamy one.
  • No mushy pasta! We prevent this two ways .
  • The sauce should be well seasoned not with lots of extra spices and ingredients, just simply with salt, pepper, and maybe a tiny bit of mustard to add a touch of tang.
  • 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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