Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

Must Try

Can I Make This Macaroni And Cheese Ahead And Bake It When Im Ready

Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese: Easy Recipe (Fast Bake)

Yes you sure can. Just let it cool down, put some plastic wrap right against the surface of the mac and cheese and stick it in the fridge. If you have a few minutes to bring it out and let it warm slightly before you bake it, do that. But if you cant, just bake it till the center is hot and the edges are bubbling.

The Finished Product Wasn’t Exactly Like My Mom’s But It Was Still Really Good

When it came out of the oven, I was ready to dig in immediately and so was my family.

As nervous as I was to make it, it felt really good to be trusted with a beloved family recipe.

It was really tasty, but the general consensus was that it didn’t taste quite like my mom’s. In the future, I’d use the exact ingredients she told me to brands and all.

Read next

Did A Black Person Invent Mac And Cheese

Southern baked mac and cheese the James Hemings way

James Hemings was a highly trained cook known to many modern-day chefs and culinary historians alike. A notable African American chef who helped create and define American cuisine as we know it today.

According to Netflixs soul food documentary High On The Hog, where an all-Black creative team tells the story of African American food. Baked mac and cheese is initially cooked by Hemings in a mixture of boiling water and milk.

Hemings placed sharp American cheese in between layers of butter and milk-coated macaroni. Then baked in a Dutch oven over an open-hearth fireplace stove with hot coals placed on the pots lid to bake.

Today, we can make easy macaroni and cheese while still incorporating the original recipes culinary technique. Much safer inside an Instant Pot!

Read Also: Best Pureed Food Recipes For Adults

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

Tips For The Best Mac & Cheese

Perfect Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
  • Freshly grated cheese dont use pre shredded. They have anti caking agents that can make the sauce grainy.

  • No bloated overcooked pasta Cool macaroni slightly and lightly coat in butter. This stops the macaroni from absorbing more liquid while baking, resulting in bloated overcooked pasta and less sauce.

  • To avoid lumps in your sauce, stir constantly as you slowly pour the milk in and keep stirring once the milk is all added. If necessary, switch to a whisk to get rid of stubborn little lumps!

  • Plenty of sauce Because I like my Mac and Cheese saucy, not dried up so you can cut it like cake!

  • Can you make Mac and Cheese ahead of time? Most recipes are not suitable for making ahead, but this recipe is! The best way is to cool pasta then toss with sauce and adding breadcrumb topping. Cool, refrigerate or freeze then bake on the day of .

  • How long can Mac and Cheese stay in the fridge? Unlike most, this Macaroni Cheese recipe is good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Most Mac and Cheese will not keep well because theres not enough sauce so it gets absorbed by the pasta and youre left with dry, sauceless pasta.

  • Freezing? Yes! Assemble, cool, do not bake, just freeze it. Thaw then on the day of, bake per Note 5 in the recipe.

  • Add ins? This recipe is great as it is, but theres tons of add-in options. Add shredded chicken, sautéed onion and bell peppers/capsicum, bacon, hot sauce , dried herbs of choice.

You May Like: Freshpet Vital Balanced Nutrition Chicken Recipe

Can Mac And Cheese Be Cooked On The Stovetop

Making macaroni and cheese on the stovetop is super easy and faster because it doesnt have the extra step of baking the macaroni dish.

Here are four tips that will help you make the perfect stovetop macaroni and cheese:

  • Melt butter over medium heat before adding flour or other thickeners.
  • Add milk or heavy whipping cream slowly while stirring constantly.
  • Add salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings after removing them from heat.
  • Stir in shredded cheddar until melted before adding other desired toppings.
  • Cooking Tips For Baked Mac And Cheese

    • Boiling the pasta cook the pasta less than you normally would. I like to boil my elbow pasta for between 4 and 5 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you dont want it to get mushy.
    • Use room temp liquids if you can cold liquids generally take longer to thicken than warmer ones. I usually set my milk and half and half out while the water for the pasta is coming up to a boil.
    • The cheeses use your favorites! Our personal favorites are the cheddar and gruyere used in this recipe, but you can be very creative with the cheese selection here. Mozzarella, gouda, smoked gouda, swiss, monterey jack, colby jack, colby. There are plenty of reader comments down below the recipe that talk about the cheeses they used!
    • Shred your own I know its a pain, and its SO tempting to use the pre-shredded cheese in the bags. But those bags of cheese contain a starchy substance that keeps the cheese from clumping which also prohibits it from melting as well as it should.

    Read Also: Cucumber Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss

    Baked Macaroni And Cheese The Easy Way

    When you end up at the church potluck for lunch or in line at your nephews graduation, there is probably a tray of baked mac and cheese. It is a classic potluck or holiday dish because it is so simple and travels well. You can also prep it and toss it in the oven wherever you are to make sure it is creamy and fresh.

    Some folks call this southern baked macaroni and cheese or grandmas mac and cheese, or homestyle macaroni and cheese but whatever you call it, it is delicious and timeless. This particular recipe was made by my mother who learned it from her dad. It truly is a timeless classic that is requested at every family gathering. So, Im here to share it with you!

    Crock Pot Mac And Cheese

    Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

    The Chunky Chef09/05/2019

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

    Highly requested from my readers, this mac and cheese is made entirely in the slow cooker! No boiling pasta, no making a cream sauce, and no standing over a hot stove. Perfectly creamy and packed with flavor, this dish is great to take to a potluck, have as a holiday side dish, or even a fun family dinner!

    Looking for other non-traditional crockpot recipes? Check out my No Boil Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, Crockpot Meatloaf, Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein, and Crockpot Spaghetti Casserole!

    CROCKPOT MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE

    Here it is the recipe youve been asking for! Youve LOVED, and continue to love, my Baked Mac and Cheese recipe some of you have even won awards in cooking competitions using that recipe. But we all love a great slow cooker recipe, and Ive been busy developing the PERFECT crock pot mac and cheese recipe. One that yields an ultra creamy sauce, doesnt get too thick, and one that tastes every bit as delicious as the OG baked mac and cheese.

    Read Also: Oat Milk Matcha Latte Recipe

    Assemble The Ingredients For The Baked Mac And Cheese

    For the macaroni noodle, Morone sticks with the standard elbow shape, although she notes that “You can definitely switch up the pasta if you want … shell pasta, rotini, or any other small pasta would work pretty well.” She uses cream cheese, as well as cheddar and Gruyere cheese, but says “if you want to swap a different cheese in for the Gruyere, you could do that,” suggesting Gouda, Muenster, mozzarella, fontina, havarti, and Monterey jack as possible substitutes.

    The other ingredients needed to make this dish are butter, all-purpose flour, milk, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and panko bread crumbs.

    Best Ever Macaroni Cheese Recipe

    This perfect baked macaroni cheese recipe comes with a creamy cheese sauce, a hint of mustard and uses leftover French stick for its crunchy topping

    • 50g baguette, cut into small chunks
    • 2 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp melted
    • 350g spiral or other short pasta
    • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp English mustard powder
    • 3 tbsp plain flour
    • 250g vegetarian mature cheddar, grated
    • 50g parmesan , grated

    Recommended Reading: Whole30 Fast And Easy Recipes

    How Did Mac And Cheese Become Soul Food

    Hemings legacy of baked mac and cheese continued long after the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1860s.

    Macaroni and cheese began to have new meanings and multiple identities in the Black community.

    Mac and cheese became a celebratory dish, a convenient comfort food, and a meal stretcher for impoverished families.

    We recognize this dish today as soul food!

    Why Bake Mac And Cheese At All

    Quiet Corner:Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

    If you’ve ever opened a box of the instant stuff or made stovetop mac and cheese from scratch, you know there’s no real requirement to put it in the oven. You save time and get more or less the same thing without that extra step.

    In my opinion, there are two arguments for baking it. First is the crispy topping. In some recipes, you put the mac and cheese in a baking dish and toss it in the oven until the top is bubbling and browned. In others, you take it a step further and add a crunchy topping of some sort. I prefer the latter approach: As long as we’re going for some crunch, we might as well go for maximum crunch. In my recipes, that means a buttery panko bread crumb topping, baked until golden brown.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    The second reason for baking mac and cheese is that it transforms it into a make-ahead dish. You can assemble it in advance, refrigerate it, and then finish it in the oven when you’re ready to serve. Of course, the longer you try to hold it, the more moisture the pasta will gradually absorb from the sauce, which makes for a softer texture. But I don’t really mind that. In many ways, overcooked pasta is actually preferable to al dente in a cheesy baked dish like thisit’ll make for more of a cohesive, scoopable mass, not unlike a savory, Americanized kugel.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Recommended Reading: Gluten Free Wheat Free Dairy Free Recipes

    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.

    Make The Cheese Sauce

    While the noodles cook, melt 8 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the milk, mustard, salt, and pepper, then bring the sauce to a boil. Quickly, before it boils over, turn the heat back down, and let the mixture simmer. At this point, you’ll need to let the sauce cook until it thickens, which will take about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese, and once it’s melted, stir in the other cheeses until melted. Once the sauce is smooth and lump-free, stir it into the baking dish with the cooked pasta.

    Read Also: Sister Schubert Yeast Rolls Recipe

    Making The Cheese Sauce

    Transforming the roux into a cheesy sauce is a simple matter of adding milk and cheese. Technically, the mix of roux and milk is called a béchamel and adding cheese makes it mornay sauce use these terms if youd really like to impress your dinner guests, but otherwise calling it a cheese sauce works just fine!

    Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese

    Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe | I Heart Recipes

    Sharing is caring!

    Southern soul food baked mac and cheese the Black folks way!

    Mac and cheese is one of my favorite Southern comfort soul foods and a favorite of many households.

    Its a staple for soul food Sundays, summer cookouts, , and always a featured item at a soul food Thanksgiving or on a Black folks Christmas dinner menu.

    Even though I love macaroni and cheese, I dont always want to make it the traditional way.

    Recommended Reading: Bone Broth Based Soup Recipe

    New Orleans Mac And Cheese Recipe Tips

    Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make this recipe:

    To cook the flour taste out of your roux, make sure to whisk in the half and half slowly in thirds. Got a serious craving for cheese? Feel free to add as many types of cheese as you like. Ive used anywhere from one to five different kinds of cheese in my mac and cheese, so theres room for creativity here. If youre a spicy food lover like me, try doubling up on the cayenne pepper or garnishing with a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. To ensure that your mac and cheese browns evenly rotate the pan halfway through baking. Try adding a fresh sprig of rosemary or thyme when cooking your sauce to impart some extra flavor. Be sure to remove the sprig before pouring the sauce into the casserole dish.

    Creamy Baked Mac And Cheese

    The Chunky Chef09/30/2019

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

    This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by both children and adults. It uses a combination of cheeses, layered in the dish as well as melted into a rich and creamy cheese sauce, for the ultimate in cheesy deliciousness! Perfect for a comforting dinner or as a holiday side dish!

    Looking for other comfort food dishes? Check out my Homemade Sloppy Joes, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Crockpot Meatloaf, and Homestyle No-Boil Mashed Potatoes!

    BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

    Baked mac and cheese. Its nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations! In fact, I almost didnt post this recipe, as there are SOOOO many mac and cheese recipes available, and most people already have their favorite way of making it.

    Of course, theres no right way or wrong way, so Im here sharing the way I like to make my mac and cheese .

    You May Like: Organic And Gluten Free Recipes

    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.

    What Toppings Can You Put On Baked Mac And Cheese

    Baked Mac and Cheese (So Creamy and Cheesy)

    The options for macaroni and cheese toppings are endless.

    From crunchy to creamy, spicy to sweet, theres a topping out there for everyone!

    Take a look at some top favorite combinations.

    If you want something creamy but not too heavy on the stomach, sour cream is your best bet.

    This will add texture and enhance the flavoring.

    • Creamy pesto sauce:

    If you love pasta dishes that have pesto in them, then this topping may be just what youre looking for!

    Pesto can add both flavor and color so keep that in mind when choosing toppings.

    Recommended Reading: Halloween Drink Recipes With Tequila

    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.

    Popular Articles

    More Recipes Like This