The best baked mac and cheese recipe
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If you are still looking for a quick easy recipe to serve to your kids for dinner, then why not make this baked mac and cheese recipe and call it a night!
Anybody doesn’t love mac and cheese? Yeah, we all know the answer, we can barely find someone who doesn’t. And this baked mac and cheese recipe is the best if you want to please the crowd and serve a delicious version of this famous dish.
There are plenty of options available in the stores to help you prepare mac and cheese at home. However, mac and cheese when made at home is easy to make, delicious to have, and healthier than store-bought.
Making baked mac and cheese is not a hard task. As you boil the macaroni, you prepare your béchamel sauce, add the cheese to the sauce with the macaroni in a baking tray, and off to the oven. So, if you are still looking for a quick easy recipe to serve to your kids for dinner, then why not make this baked mac and cheese recipe and call it a night!
What are the ingredients of this baked mac and cheese recipe?
Pretty straightforward, the ingredients of this recipe are:
- Macaroni: short pasta.
- Milk, butter, and flour: for the béchamel sauce.
- Cheese: cheddar and mozzarella. I like to add a little amount of grated Parmesan as well.
- Breadcrumbs: for the topping.
How to make this recipe?
Making this recipe is way easier than you think. You just need to follow these easy steps and you will end up with a silky melting delicious baked mac and cheese.
First, start by boiling the water and cooking your macaroni. Remember not to add oil to the water so that the sauce sticks on the pasta later on.
Next, start preparing your béchamel. Heat the butter, add flour, mix then start adding gradually the milk while stirring continuously.
Before the béchamel thickens, add the cheese, mix the ingredients and pour the sauce over the macaroni in a baking tray.
Finally, bake the mac and cheese and serve hot!
What is the best pasta for mac and cheese?
To have the best results, always use short pasta such as elbow, fusilli, or penne pasta.
Which cheese is best for mac and cheese?
If you search the internet to find the best cheese for this dish, you will find that most recipes call for the use of Gruyere cheese. For the best results, it is better to combine gruyere and mozzarella. The reason is that gruyere will boost the cheesy flavor in the recipe, while mozzarella will give you the silky melting cheese effect.
Other than Gruyere, you can use cheddar cheese or pepper jack. In this recipe, I am calling for the use of cheddar cheese.
Here are some tips for the best-baked mac and cheese!
It is better to use freshly grated cheese to avoid grainy sauce.
Coat cool macaroni with butter or olive oil. Macaroni will not then absorb more water and get overcooked while baking.
To keep the macaroni safe from sticking to each other, wash them with cold water.
Add a small amount of milk over butter and flour and whisk well to remove any lumps, then add gradually the remaining milk.
Some FAQs about this recipe
Can you make baked Mac and Cheese ahead of time?
Of course, you can. Boil the pasta, prepare the sauce, combine them in a baking tray and let them cool. Then cover the tray with a plastic bag and store it in the fridge. Another option, which is what I am in favor of, is the have the sauce and pasta ready in separate containers and combine them in the baking tray at the time of baking.
How long can you store Mac and Cheese stay in the fridge?
You can store mac and cheese in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. However, you will feel like it is a bit dry and no sauce in there. Do not worry, the status will change once you warm it up. If you like a saucier mac and cheese, save some sauce in the fridge to pour it later before warming up your plate.
Can I freeze macaroni and cheese?
It is better not to freeze this dish. You will not end up with the same result once you thaw it.
What are the variations of this dish?
- Bacon: you can add bacon inside the dish or on top of the mac and cheese plate
- Chicken: fry the chicken and add it to the tray along with the pasta before you pour in the sauce.
- Veggies: such as carrots and peas, broccoli, or any of your favorite vegetables.
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If you are still looking for a quick easy recipe to serve to your kids for dinner, then why not make this baked mac and cheese recipe and call it a night!
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 200g pasta (elbow or fusilli)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2.5 cups milk
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 cups freshly shredded Gruyere or cheddar
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp parmesan (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping:
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Bring hot water in a large pot to a boil.
- Pour in macaroni and cook 1 minute less than al dente time.
- Wash the pasta with cold water, then cover it with olive oil.
- Set the pasta aside.
- In the pot, melt the butter and pour in the flour.
- Mix until well combined.
- Pour in half a cup of milk and whisk until the roux is well dissolved.
- Pour in gradually the remaining amount of milk while stirring continuously.
- Add salt and nutmeg.
- Before the béchamel sauce thickens perfectly, turn off the heat and add the cheese.
- In a baking tray, spread the pasta and pour the sauce on top.
- Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180°C.
- Serve immediately.
- Bon Appetit.
Notes
- You can coat the breadcrumbs with olive oil. Bake them for 5 minutes to brownish then add them to top the mac and cheese after baking.
- Once you wash macaroni with cold water, you can toss them to coat with butter instead of olive oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 378 kcal per serving | Serving size: 1 serving spoon | Number of servings: 8
Total Fat 22 g | Saturated Fat 12 g | Cholesterol 58 mg | Sodium 698 mg | Potassium 129 mg | Total Carbohydrate 13 g | Dietary Fiber 2 g | Sugars 4 g | Protein 31 g | Vitamin A: 11% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 47% | Iron: 19%
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
