Mix Up And Microwave The Macaroni And Cheese
First, you’ll need a large microwave-safe mug for the pasta and water. To ensure there aren’t any unnecessary messes, putting the mug on a plate is recommended, as the water will boil up and over the cup.
Next, add the pasta, water, and salt to the mug. Microwave on full power for seven minutes. Once again, microwave cooking times will vary from household to household, depending on the microwave being used. Be sure to always cook it long enough so that the pasta is soft and cooked through.
How To Make Microwave Macaroni And Cheese ~
- Put 1/3 cup of elbow noodles into your mug. Add a scant 1/2 cup of water to it. Be sure to use a liquid measuring cup to measure your water. And by scant, I mean just shy of 1/2 cup.
- Basically you will microwave this mixture until the water has evaporated. In my microwave this takes about 4 minutes.
- Microwave it for 2 minutes to start, then stir. Then another minute, and stir again. Then a final minute, and the water should be absorbed. If not, microwave a bit more until it is.
- Stir in your milk and cheese, and microwave for a final 30-60 seconds. Stir very well to blend everything together into a creamy sauce, and enjoy.
Mix The Cornstarch With The Milk
While the pasta is cooking, you’ll mix together the cornstarch and the milk in a bowl. Once finished, set the mixture aside to use later on. This mixture isn’t required until the pasta is done cooking. At that point, it will be added to the cooked pasta.
As a friendly reminder, cornstarch, when mixed with a liquid, creates a mixture that thickens the dish without changing the flavor. It’s a simple addition, yet totally essential to achieving the ultimate outcome.
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Microwave Mac And Cheese In A Mug
Its official. My life is changed forever now that I can have a piping hot mug of delicious mac and cheese in five minutes FLAT. No joke on that five minutes the pasta and water cook in the microwave for four minutes, during which you grate your cheddar cheese. The mug comes out of the microwave, gets a quick stir, the cheese and half and half get thrown in, and after another thirty seconds in the microwave, you ready for action, peeps.
Ready for melty, cheesy, gooey, comforting action. THIS MAKES MY LIFE WONDERFUL.
Let me just paint a picture for you. Its been a crazy day. You have three loads of laundry to get done, an errand to run, and youd love to throw a shower in there somewhere since your bottle of dry shampoo is running dangerously low. BUT dilemma youre also super hungry and havent eaten since this morning when you shoved down three eggs off of a paper plate while standing over the kitchen counter. What is this a perfect time for? Oh, maybe just a delicious mug of tender pasta coated in creamy, cheesy, saucy goodness that can be in your hands within five minutes.
BAM doneskies. Now go take that shower with belly full of comfort food, you gorgeous human, you.
So now that we have gone over those few unique elements of this wonderful little mug meal, lets chat about how we git r done.
Tips For Making This Recipe
When you are heating the mug in the microwave the water may boil out a little bit. That is ok, you can use a large coffee mug if you want to to avoid the little bit of bubbling over.
You made need to add more water and cook a minute or two more after heat in the microwave. Depending on how you like your pasta to be.
Use an ovenmit when removing the mug from the microwave, the mug is going to be hot.
We find that fresh shredded cheese works best because it does not have the coating that bagged shredded cheese has. You can use either one and make homemade easy mac in the microwave but we highly suggest using fresh shredded cheese.
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Tiktok Recipes & Food Trends
Tiktok has been a fun source for us to recreate this year as we are big TikTok influencers ourselves . Trying out creations and sharing with readers the full how to recipes is a joy! Please see some of our other tiktok recipes and food trends to see how you can have some fun in your own kitchen.
Cloud Bread Cloud bread was one of those super fun ideas this year that really tasted awful but is still super fun to make. Check out how to make cloud bread and also how to dial up the fun by making rainbow cloud bread here.
Hot Chocolate Bombs Over a year ago we posted how to make hot chocolate bombs when we saw them at Target who knew that it was gonna go crazy this year . Since then we have also shared a white chocolate cocoa bomb recipe and a melting snowman bomb recipe!
Mini Pancakes It was the year of itty bitty itty bitty mini pancakes, itty bitty cookieseveryone loves miniature!
Big Mac Pizza This one is a new recipe and its SO good! Take McDonalds home and fuse it into a pizza total yes.
Mug Mac And Cheese Recipe
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This mug mac and cheese recipe is an easy way to have a single serving of a delicious comfort food. Youll need a few ingredients, a large coffee mug, and a spoon to make it.
You can serve this single serve mac and cheese in a mug as a filling snack or a perfect meal side dish. Its especially good when served with this yummy crispy air fryer chicken.
Although its a wonderful recipe, it can get quite messy if youre not prepared. I recommend having a saucer or paper towel to cut back on the mess. After all, microwave macaroni can overflow very easily.
Those who know me know that Im all about easy recipes. That includes mug meals that you can make without having to purchase the prepackaged version.
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How To Make Mac N Cheese In The Microwave
This is so easy, it hardly needs steps. You ready? Lets make mac n cheese.
STEP ONE: Add your choice of pasta, water, and salt to a large microwave safe mug. Stir and then microwave for 4 to 4½ minutes.
STEP TWO: Carefully remove the mug from the microwave and stir in the cheeses and milk. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds or until pasta is tender and the cheese is fully melted.
Thats it! You have mac & cheese!
Add A Delicious Side To Pair With Your Mac And Cheese
If you’re craving a side dish with your macaroni and cheese, then something green and healthy will do the trick. “If you’re making this for lunch, you could serve with a green salad,” Dalton recommends.
As with many macaroni and cheese dishes, this mac and cheese in a cup is perfect to whip up for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It’s also simple to make and take on-the-go if you’re heading into the office. But, a meal consisting of solely mac and cheese is always a good option.
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Mug Mac And Cheese Faqs
Can I use pasta shells or macaroni noodles over rotini? Absolutely! Any smaller type pasta shells or macaroni elbows work great and they all grab cheese differently. You may just need to adjust the timing and water until your shells are fully cooked and al dente.
How do you make a cup of macaroni and cheese better? Try altering for richer cheeses like gouda and white cheddar, adding more butter, a bit of minced garlic goes a long way and substituting whole cream over milk.
Is microwave mac and cheese healthy? I think the argument that many foods that include pasta are not considered healthy but any time you make things fresh with real cheese, dairy and pasta, its way better than overly preserved boxed macaroni.
Can you microwave macaroni? Yes! Its easy to add water and uncooked noodles to a mug and microwave. Just cook slowly and check on it so it doesnt burn.
Is mac and cheese junk food? I would not call mac and cheese junk food. Its filling, hearty, and delicious! Its not a salad, but you shouldnt feel guilty for indulging a bit in some pasta and cheese.
How do you make mug mac and cheese with no milk? Instead of milk, use whole heavy cream or even sour cream.
Once Youve Got The Recipe Down You Can Experiment With Variations
But for the first time I suggest trying it as written. I found that store-bought finely shredded cheese worked best, and made the creamiest sauce. I used a cheddar/Monterey Jack blend, but other blends will also work. I used whole milk. My mug had a 1 2/3 cup capacity. My microwave is a fairly standard 1000 watts.
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Kind Of Cheese You Can Use While Making Microwave Mac And Cheese Recipe:
Here, I am grating my own cheese that is mozzarella cheese for the sauce. You can use the store-bought grated cheese for the recipe. Also, you can use homemade cheese for this microwave mug meal.
If you are using your own grated cheese or homemade cheese, and if your sauce comes out thinner in case, try adding a pinch or tsp of cornstarch which is known as cornflour in the milk to thicken your sauce. In the store-bought grated cheese, it already contains some starch to prevent lumps in the cheese which helps in the thickening process.
Easy Mac And Cheese In A Mug Recipe
Macaroni and cheese is the gift that keeps on giving, because, simply put, people love mac and cheese, it’s so easy to make, and, well, it’s absolutely loaded with cheesy goodness! But what if we told you that you could make macaroni and cheese in just 10 minutes … in a mug? It is absolutely possible, thanks to chef and recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply. Dalton perfected a mac and cheese in a mug recipe, and it can go from the microwave to your table in just about no time.
Depending on the type of microwave you have, cooking times may vary. “The issue here is that people have different microwave strengths, so what might be seven minutes for me, might only be five minutes for someone else,” Dalton says. The cooking time of this recipe also depends on the type of pasta you use. While Dalton uses macaroni in her recipe, you could also opt for penne or shells. Just keep in mind that different pasta has different cooking times. Nevertheless, “The water does boil over, so you need a dish underneath,” Dalton notes. “If it boils up too much, you may need to add more water.”
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What To Lookout For
There are a few things that you will need to keep an eye out for when cooking anything in the microwave.
The milk can become superheated in the microwave and explode when you disturb it. I recommend cooking in small intervals to help prevent that from happening.
Its best to place a plate underneath the mug, so if any liquid overflows, it will not dirty your microwave. It makes cleaning so much easier.
The mug might become very hot, so be careful when removing it from the microwave. I recommend using a dry towel or oven mitt to remove it.
I go through a few more tips just below the recipe, so be sure to check them out.
The video below will take you through all the steps on making some easy homemade mac and cheese in a mug. Alternatively, you can find the full written recipe immediately beneath the video.
What Kind Of Cheese To Use For Microwave Macaroni And Cheese
- We tried this many different ways, and found that the pre-packaged grated cheese made the creamiest sauce. I was stumped about that until I read the ingredients and saw that there is some starch added to prevent clumping in pre-shredded cheese. I think this may also help thicken the sauce. Not sure, just a guess.
- We tried grating our own cheeses and the sauce came out thinner. In that case I added a pinch of cornstarch to the milk, and that seemed to help with thickening.
I have eaten SO much mac & cheese in the past few days of testing that I am totally sick of it, so now its your turn Let me know in the comments is you try this, and what worked and didnt work for you!
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Can You Substitute Almond Milk For Milk In Mac And Cheese
Yes, you absolutely can. This recipe for mug mac and cheese is flexible enough to enable you to use whatever kind of milk you have on hand.
However, keep in mind that the higher the fat content in the milk the creamier the results will be.
This time, I used regular whole milk, and I wound up with a recipe that had an amazing amount of cheesy goodness.
You can also leave out the milk altogether or use just a splash of milk with the cheese. Ive done that more than once, and its still a delicious recipe.
Regardless of what type of milk you use, this homemade mac and cheese is one of the best things you can make when you dont have much time.
How To Make Mac And Cheese In The Microwave
Rachel GurkPosted:
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Homemade Easy Mac! Learning how to make Mac and Cheese in the microwave makes it easy to make your favorite treat at home. And youll know whats in it.
OXO sent my free products to try for this post. I was not compensated to use them, or for my opinions.
Its a little embarrassing how much Easy Mac I ate when I was in college. And when I say a little embarrassing, I mean a LOT embarrassing.
I had this big gigantic blue mug and that was my Easy Mac mug. Mac and cheese was a frequent late-night study snack in the dorm and we all know late night snacks arent good for your waistline. Hellllllo, freshman 15!
To commemorate my college days, I knew I had to make a DIY version of one of my favorite snacks in college.
All you need is pasta, water, a microwave safe bowl, milk, and sharp cheddar for this microwave macaroni and cheese recipe. You cant take a shortcut and buy pre-grated cheese for this recipe. Youll end up with one big blob of cheese that doesnt coat the pasta at all.
Take it from me. I know.
Yes it doesnt look exactly like the blue box version. This is a good thing, my friends. High quality sharp white cheddar makes this a very tasty replacement to my blue box love .
I used this awesome Grate and Slice Set from OXO to prep this recipe. This slicer/grater makes grating cheese so easy. Plus it grates right into a container for easy measuring. No more messy grating.
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Best Cheese For Mac And Cheese
I am super picky on my mac and cheese. It must be cheesy. It must be creamy. It must be super flavorful. This Microwave Macaroni and Cheese covers all the things I love about mac and cheese, but made in a coffee mug in the microwave and SUPER Cheesy!
Speaking of cheese I prefer to use cheddar however you can use your favorite cheese including Monteray jack, provolone and parmesan!
If you are wanting your mug mac n cheese to be richer add some butter into the mac and cheese after cooking in the microwave.
Tips On Making Microwave Mac And Cheese In A Mug
- Mac n cheese is elbow pasta, milk and cheese, and its pretty forgiving. Feel free to play around the proportions of each to suit your taste.
- Use as big a mug as you have because the water will boil up pretty high.
- I used freshly shredded cheese because Ig it melts better, but you can use packaged pre-shredded cheese.
- You can also make this in a small bowl.
- If you prefer, boil the pasta on the stove top and use the microwave to add the milk and cheese.
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How To Make Mac & Cheese Mugs
- 1Measure out the pasta and water into a coffee mug . *Elbow macaroni or small/tiny shells work best for this as they are easier to stir and cook better this method.*
- 2Microwave on high for 2 minutes and take out and stir. Almost every time the water overflows for me, so I put my mug on a microwave-safe plate. Repeat cooking on high for 2 minutes and stirring until the pasta is cooked through, usually only takes a total of 4-6 minutes depending on the brand and microwave strength. If the pasta is still not cooked through, add another teaspoon or two of water, stir and repeat 2 minutes heating and then stirring.
- 3When pasta is done, remove from microwave and stir in milk and shredded cheese and microwave one more minute to melt the cheese. Stir one more time and enjoy!
- Last Step: Don’t forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don’t forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
