Good Mac And Cheese Recipe

Instant Pot Mac And Cheese

Alton Brown Makes Baked Macaroni and Cheese | Good Eats | Food Network

The Chunky Chef03/23/2020

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

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is ultra creamy and rich with a velvety smooth sauce! Ready in about 20 minutes, its always a family favorite. Perfectly cooked, every time, and no need to babysit the pasta, or even drain it! Made with no canned milk and no Velveeta.

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is the perfect comfort food! Recipes like my Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa and Instant Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup are great for when you want an ultra-comforting family meal thats ready incredibly fast. This is one of my Pressure Cooker recipes youll definitely want in your recipe box!

INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE

Youve been asking for it, and Ive been working on it this is the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese that will make your mouth completely water, and have you reaching for seconds.

The lusciously creamy cheese sauce, enveloping every noodle so full of flavor, yet so simply made.

This mac and cheese is just as easy as making that macaroni in the blue box but is SO much better for you. No preservatives and other hard to pronounce ingredients. Just pure cheesy goodness!

When I was developing this recipe, I used cheeses that I found melted really well, and gave a good classic mac and cheese flavor, however, Ill also be detailing different cheeses you can use if you prefer another mixture.

Southern Baked Mac & Cheese

There are three major takeaways from Millie Peartree’s famous baked mac & cheese.

Make sure your pasta is super al dente. Boil it for too long and your baked macaroni will be mushy.

Layer it like a lasagna! Millie puts an entire layer of pure cheese in between two layers of macaroni. Game. Changer.

Make a custard. Whisking together eggs and milk and pouring it over the mac & cheese will make it extra creamy, saucy, and decadent.

whole milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350° and butter a large, deep baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese.

Add half of the macaroni mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle Colby-cheddar cheese blend over pasta mixture, then top with another layer of pasta .

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk then pour evenly over pasta.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake! It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven.

Turn on oven broiler. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese. and broil until golden! It will firm up as it cool.

If you dont like sharp cheese please feel free to use mild or any other cheese you like

Can You Make Mac And Cheese Without Butter

Mac and cheese can be made without butter, actually quite easily and you will not notice much of a difference in overall taste and texture. You can easily make mac and cheese without butter by using some sour cream, olive oil, or one of the other top 11 butter substitutes listed below for mac and cheese sans butter

Butter isnt a must for mac and cheese. However, it makes it more tasty and creamy. But, You dont have to use real butter to get the same texture. You can use margarine, plain or greek yogurt, olive oil, cream cheese, and even mayonnaise to get the same taste.

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Substitutes For Paneer

Using any of these will make mac and cheese that tastes as good or better than the one made with butter. If you use these substitutions, youll have a dish of mac and cheese that is creamy, cheesy, and piping hot.

Can You Freeze Mac And Cheese

Yes, I have frozen it with success! I make it up to the point of baking, cover well, and freeze right in the pan. Then I bring it out and let it thaw at room temp for an hour or so, and then into the oven. Just like making it ahead and refrigerating it, the result isnt quite as saucy. But still delish.

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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News Result For Really Good Mac & Cheese

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What Is A Mac And Cheese Roux And Why Do I Need It

A roux is essentially a way to thicken a sauce or liquid. You need a fat and a flour in order to make this thickening agent and then you need to heat it to activate it.

The reason why you dont want to skip the roux for this mac and cheese sauce recipe is that the roux is what helps make it thick and luscious.

What To Serve With Baked Mac And 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

Best Mac And Cheese Sauce

Alton Brown Makes Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese | Good Eats | Food Network

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

No matter if youre making stovetop mac and cheese or baked mac and cheese, this is the best mac and cheese sauce on the internet!

Made with simple ingredients such as a mac and cheese roux, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, this cheese sauce for mac and cheese is creamy and scrumptious.

Obviously, if youre on this site you are a cheese lover. I mean, we are The Cheese Knees after all!

Every cheese website deserves to have a signature mac and cheese sauce thats easy to make, creamy, and perfect on any noodle! PS: if you havent tried our classic mac and cheese, you need to now!

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How To Make The Creamiest Macaroni And Cheese

Youre only looking at six ingredients . Itcan even be made in under 30 minutes .

I love that you can keep this as a quick stovetop mac and cheese or slide it into the oven to get bubbly and browned. I love it both ways.

Were going to call this our basic mac and cheese not because it isnt incredibly delicious, but because its the perfect base for other variations. Take a look below for some suggestions.

To make our go-to macaroni and cheese, you will need the following:

Pasta: The shape and size are entirely up to you. Look for pasta that will hold onto the creamy sauce. Elbow macaroni and shells are great options.

Butter and Flour: Its the combination of butter and flour that thicken the sauce. We like to use unsalted butter for this and then adjust salt to taste when making the sauce. That said, salted butter will work if that is all that you have.

Cheddar cheese: Whenever we make macaroni and cheese, we reach for sharp white cheddar cheese. Its flavorful and melts beautifully. For more cheese suggestions see our notes below. Whatever cheese you use, its best to grate it yourself. I know its extra prep time, but hand-grated cheese melts so much easier into the sauce.

Cream cheese: The mac and cheese would be excellent with just cheddar cheese added, but to make it ultra creamy, well stir in some cream cheese. It adds a lovely silky texture, and since it has a little zinginess, it brightens up the flavor a bit.

Variations Of This Recipe

PROTEIN Feel free to add in some shredded chicken, pulled pork, or some crispy bacon for an extra protein punch.
VEGGIES Trying to get your veggies in? Stir in some steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
TOPPINGS If you love a topping on your mac and cheese, transfer the cooked cheesy mac to a baking dish and top with either some extra cheese, buttered panko breadcrumbs, or buttered crushed Ritz crackers. Broil a few minutes until crispy.
COOKING LIQUID If you prefer to use all chicken broth, or all water feel free to do that. Just make sure there are 4 total cups of liquid.
DIFFERENT CHEESES Gruyere, Gouda, Fontina, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby, or all Cheddar. These are all good melting cheeses and will give you a smooth sauce. However, feel free to play around with different combinations that you like!

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Tips For The Best Mac & 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 switch 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.

Macaroni And Cheese Variations

This recipe is easy to adapt to other variations. Here are some of our favorites:

Baked Mac and Cheese: Once the pasta and cheese sauce are combined, add it to a baking dish and bake with a little more cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. We shared this Baked Macaroni and Cheese a while back.

Garlic Mac and Cheese: Fresh garlic and roasted garlic are excellent in this recipe. Add either to the butter just before adding the flour. For fresh, Id use 2 to 3 cloves. For roasted garlic, you can increase to 6 cloves or more. See our recipe for making roasted garlic.

Use a Variety of Cheeses: Cheddar isnt the only cheese to use. Try easy melting Gruyere, Fontina or Monterey Jack. For more flavor, a bit of parmesan or pecorino cheese is lovely, and for a more adult dish, try blue cheese!

Spiced Macaroni and Cheese: Mustard , nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper are classic additions to the cheese sauce. Smoked paprika is also delicious.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese: A kid favorite! Stir roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli into the pot before serving. Heres how we make roasted broccoli.

Lighter Mac and Cheese: Swapping half of the cheese sauce for pureed cauliflower cuts calories and still tastes incredible.

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How Can I Dress Up My Macaroni And Cheese

This baked macaroni and cheese may be the most versatile dish ever. Add in some red pepper for kick, any cheeses you like , add veggies like broccoli and chopped chicken and its a one-dish meal even. Or BACON. Hello. Yeah. Make some garlic bread crumbs for the top if you want some crunch and throw those on. Its really endless.

How To Make A Roux For Mac And Cheese

A roux is simply a mixture of fat and flour, usually in equal measures, which is cooked together in order to remove the raw, floury flavor. For macaroni and cheese, you make a fairly light roux by cooking it for about three minutes. Then, milk is added to the roux to make the béchamel sauce.

First, start by melting the butter.

Then add the flour and seasonings and

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure-8 motion, for three minutes. This one looks a bit darker than a classic roux might because of the smoked paprika.

Then, to make your white sauce , add the milk slowly, whisking the entire time, and cook until bubbly and thick.

Aaaand then add your cheese for your glorious macaroni and cheese situation.

Theres your base for the best baked mac and cheese recipe ever!

There are loads of mac and cheese recipes out there, with fancy embellishments and uber creative spins. But his isnt one of those its a classic baked mac and cheese thats simple enough to appeal to everyone. Readers report entire families devouring this stuff on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter! BUT its also a great jumping-off point if you want to make it your own

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Easy Homemade Mac And Cheese

This Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe is made with 8 ingredients in 15 minutes on the stovetop ! Time to ditch the boxed mac and cheese for this irresistibly creamy, smooth & cheesy homemade recipe!

I have six kids and a husband with a taste palate of a 12-year-old-boy, which means we eat a lot of mac and cheese in our house. A lot of mac and cheese.

So naturally I created this easy homemade mac and cheese recipe so that we could consume less of the boxed varieties. Because I really care about feeding my family healthy meals that they actually enjoy! And did I mention that they love mac and cheese?!

Once you taste this homemade mac and cheese you and your family will say “goodbye” to powdered cheese forever, and say “hello” to this creamy dreamy real-cheese version again and again!

This homemade mac and cheese recipe is made with only 8 ingredients in 15 minutes! That’s the same amount of time it takes to make the boxed varieties, but with no preservatives or artificial ingredients!

Homemade Baked Mac And Cheese

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe | How to Make Mac N Cheese | Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

There is absolutely nothing I love more than cheese. And when you add pasta to it? Fuggetaboutit.

Mac and cheese is one of those recipes that can take on so many different forms. I love it anyway I can get it but baked mac and cheese is my very favorite and Ill tell you why The topping. I use breadcrumbs for my topping occasionally, but, a Panko topped mac and cheese is just that much better.

I mix in Parmesan, butter, and paprika with the Panko so it crisps up beautifully and gets a nice golden brown color when this amazing homemade mac and cheese is baked.

Im going to be honest here. When I make mac and cheese, its the mac to cheese ratio that I am most concerned about. I love it when the mac and cheese is oeey gooey and the cheese sauce is just so creamy. GIMME.

With all this cheese going on in this macaroni and cheese recipe, I need a little help from my KitchenAid Deluxe Stand Mixer and its handy dandy Fresh Prep Slice/Shredder attachment. I picked up this beauty at Walmart this past week and I am in LOOOOOVE. I was torn between the options: SILVER | COBALT | PISTACHIO. But, when I pictured them in my kitchen, I knew I had to go with the cobalt its just stunning!

I use my stand mixer about 954 times each week. Being a food blogger and mom means Im in my kitchen a lot baking up goodies and whipping up amazing dinners like this homemade baked mac and cheese. I am always, always looking for help in the kitchen and the Kitchen Aid Deluxe Stand Mixer is the answer.

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