Oven Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe
I call this an Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe because the oven truly does all the work. This macaroni and cheese is creamy and dreamy without boiling the pasta or making a cooked cheese sauce before baking it in the oven.
I have a confession to make. Until now my macaroni and cheese of choice came in a box from the store. Shocking right? It wasnt that I loved the taste of the boxed kind . Its just getting out two pots to boil some macaroni and then make a cheese sauce and then stir it together and then bake it seemed like missing the point of an easy side dish. But then I found this recipe and after doing some testing and revisions I think I have come up with seriously the best oven baked macaroni and cheese recipe.
My changes to the original recipe I am taking help from are based on reviews and my own personal taste preferences. Half and half makes the macaroni and cheese extra creamy. A combination of smoked gouda and medium cheddar cheese makes for a simply delicious flavor combination slightly smoky, tangy, cheesy and not grainy. Ive never been a fan of dried mustard or any other spices in my macaroni and cheese. A little yellow mustard and hot sauce rounds out the flavor profile.
This is the only homemade macaroni and cheese Ill make now. And its so simple that I will be kicking those boxes to the curb. Try it and tell me if you agree!
About This Homemade Mac And Cheese Sauce
The sauce for this easy homemade mac and cheese is a classic roux based cheese sauce. Roux sounds very fancy but truthfully once you make a roux, youll realize how easy it is! Its just butter and flour cooked and then milk added so dont let it scare you away!
The results of creating a roux based sauce means your macaroni and cheese is going luscious and velvety smooth every single time. This allows the cheeses to melt in evenly and perfectly for this casserole.
To add to the creaminess of this dish, I combine a little bit of milk and a little bit of light cream .
Southern Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Creamy baked southern-style macaroni and cheese, a cheesy baked casserole and soul food classic.
Ive lived in St. Louis for some time now, and as Ive said before, its very southern here in terms of cooking. One of our favorite soul food restaurants had the best mac and cheese, and that would be Sweetie Pies. Miss Robies recipe is easily found on the web and the local paper has published a paired down recipe for the home cook.
Im pretty sure the location we went to in The Grove neighborhood has closed and I dont understand all the drama surrounding the closing. It was the subject of a reality TV show at one point. I just know we went often and always, always had her macaroni and cheese.
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Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Baked Macaroni and Cheese is a family favorite for dinner, parties and holidays! This super creamy macaroni and cheese can be made ahead of time, too!
Dont you just love make ahead casseroles like mac & cheese??? Also check out our Perfect Baked Ziti Recipe or this easy Stove Top Mac & Cheese recipe, a 15 minute meal!
What To Serve With Mac And Cheese
Looking for that perfect compliment to comforting, homemade mac and cheese? Whether you need a main dish, side dish, desserts, toppings, or condiments, we have you covered. If you dont know what to serve with mac and cheese, find the answer here!
There is no question mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. How can you go wrong with pasta swimming in a creamy, ooey cheese sauce? Its a meal adults or kids can turn down!
That must be the reason behind the plethora of macaroni and cheese recipes, from Velveeta Mac and Cheese , to Instant Pot, baked, stove-top, and gourmet recipes greet us at every recipe corner.
Whether you need to know what to serve with mac and cheese, sides or main dishes, the choices and recipes abound!
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This Classic Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe Is Easy And Delicious
This classic baked macaroni and cheese recipe is easy and delicious. Macaroni is a very common pasta noodle, used in a variety of dishes. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f. 20 pumpkin spice muffin recipes for delicious fall mornings pumpkin spice and baked goods just go together. Cheese, butter, milk, and eggs join macaroni noodles in a quick casserole. The spice blend, after all, was designed for pumpkin pie, and the flavors that comprise it cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg pair well with fluffy, baked treats.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, black pepper. Many people enjoy eating macaroni in salads, with the. With meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and cheese, this baked macaroni recipe is a fun and easy meal to make when you’re craving that little bite of comfort. Macaroni is a very common pasta noodle, used in a variety of dishes. The layers of complexity to this dish’s flavor are accented by how compact and put together the finished product is! The spice blend, after all, was designed for pumpkin pie, and the flavors that comprise it cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg pair well with fluffy, baked treats. 20 pumpkin spice muffin recipes for delicious fall mornings pumpkin spice and baked goods just go together. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
Three-Cheese Pasta Bake Recipe | MyRecipes.com from cdn-image.myrecipes.com
Stovetop Mac And Cheese Option
I love the golden brown edges and top that baking the macaroni and cheese creates, but you dont need to bake it if you dont want to. For a stovetop mac and cheese, simply add the pasta to the cheese sauce and then let it sit, covered for a few minutes. This time gives the pasta a chance to absorb some of the sauce. You can also take a look at this easy macaroni and cheese recipe made on the stovetop.
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If Grey Skies Or Snow Flurries Have You Craving
A chicken casserole is easy to prepare. Tips and tricks to make the perfect chicken casserole recipe every time we earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. If grey skies or snow flurries have you craving. Chicken casserole is a perennial favourite for good housekeeping readers, with everyone. See these useful tips for cooking a chicken casserole and get 10 great chicken casserole recipes. Prepare stuffing according to package directions. There’s mac and cheese, then there’s the best way to make mac and cheese.
You should have a total of about 2 cups of chicken meat. There’s mac and cheese, then there’s the best way to make mac and cheese. If grey skies or snow flurries have you craving. What’s the best cheese to use so that your mac and cheese turns out smooth and creamy versus clumpy and oily? See these useful tips for cooking a chicken casserole and get 10 great chicken casserole recipes. Tips and tricks to make the perfect chicken casserole recipe every time we earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Discard the skin and bones. The spruce if you’re ready to graduate from boxed macaroni and cheese to somethin.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Bread Crumbs | Mighty Mrs from www.mightymrs.com
Homemade Mac And Cheese Casserole
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Homemade Mac and Cheese is a rich, creamy casserole that is truly a show stopper! Not only is this creamy macaroni and cheese recipe easy to make it, has a special ingredient making it extra delicious!
This dish has so much velvety cheese in a quick homemade sauce that, once you try it, this is going to be the only baked macaroni & cheese dish youll ever need!
Hello, my name is Holly and I am addicted to Macaroni and Cheese. It doesnt even have to be fancy, I love crock pot mac & cheese, stove top mac and cheese, baked mac and cheese or even out of a little blue box.
Of all of the mac and cheese recipes, *this* little gem right here is the best mac and cheese recipe ever and always gets rave reviews!
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Recipe Notes And Tips
- People swear by Velveeta in this recipe, do not use a substitute. Miss Robie herself uses only Velveeta.
- While pre-packaged shredded cheese works fine, grating your own is the better option. It just melts better.
- Its going to be oily on top after baking, thats how it is with real cheeses and butter. If you think its excessive, blot some up with a paper towel while it rests. I do sometimes.
- Reheats are great, just pop in the microwave.
- This is filling and hearty enough to serve as the main dish but most often it is a side dish. Its unbelievably good alongside collard greens and fried chicken!
Delicious soulful macaroni and cheese, doesnt get any better than this. A real treat and labor of love for Sunday supper and the holiday table. Trust me on this one! Kelly
Try these collard greensin the Instant Pot for some more traditional soul food.
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How Do You Make Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Making homemade macaroni and cheese is really pretty easy to do. Of course, start off by boiling the pasta. In this case we used elbow macaroni but you can use any short tube pasta, really.
Shells, cavatappi, orecchiette or any mini pasta that they sell these days. Ive seen mini rigatoni, mini farfalle, mini penne and so on. Elbow macaroni is the classic shape, and the one that most people are familiar with so we usually stick with that.
Start the cheese sauce by making a roux with butter and flour. Season the roux and then whisk in milk and cream. You can use half and half, too but I meanthis isnt a light recipe so why not go big?
Add a few cups of good quality shredded cheese like sharp cheddar and gruyere. Do shred your own cheese for this macaroni and cheese recipe, it will make for a much smoother sauce! The pre-shredded cheeses have their place but its not for this baked pasta recipe.
Once your macaroni and cheese has been assembled, its really almost time to eat! All you need is 15 minutes in the oven for the macaroni to warm up and for the cheese to melt. Essentially, everything here is cooked so the oven time is quick.
Also, make sure to not over cook the macaroni and cheese because if you do the cheese )since were using real cheese here) will break apart and become oily. A little bit of oil is going to happen, again, real cheese here, but you dont want an oily mess.
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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!
How To Store And Freeze
- Baked macaroni and cheese will keep in an airtight container for three to five days in the refrigerator.
- It also freezes well, put the casserole in a freezer-safe container to use as a side dish for a family meal, or put in individual containers for lunches or snacks. Mac-n-cheese will last in the freezer for up to three months.
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What Can I Do With Sloppy Joe Meat
Number one, slap some on a toasted bun!! After that, here are some of my favorite things to do:
- Spoon some over some crispy waffle fries. Bonus points if you also melt some cheese over the fries before adding the sloppy joe meat!
- Add some to a grilled cheese.
- Roll up in crescent roll dough and bake at 375 F degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Cheese makes a great addition to these as well!
- Add some on top of a burger.
Whats The Difference Between Manwich And Sloppy Joes
Technically Manwich is a pre-made sauce thats used to make sloppy joes. Im not sure exactly whats in it, and have never tried it myself, so I cant say that my recipe tastes similar or not. Manwich is marketed as a easy way to make sloppy joes but in reality, homemade sloppy joes are JUST as easy to make!
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Mac And Cheese Ingredients
Macaroni and cheese is my comfort food HEAVEN. From instant pot to slow cooker and of course this classic baked mac and cheese, I love them all.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar gives this baked mac and cheese tons of flavor. The addition of gruyere to the cheese sauce in this recipe is next level but of course whatever you have on and will work just do not use pre-shredded cheese.
- Macaroni: I use a traditional elbow macaroni but any short pasta will work. Shells are great choices! Cook al dente as the pasta cooks more as it bakes.
- Topping: The most perfect buttery crumb topping is one of my favorite parts of this recipe. Add in bacon, more parm, crushed crackers pretty much anything with crunch will work!
What Cheese Is Best For Mac And Cheese
Sharp Cheddar is my first choice for flavor however you can certainly use your favorite cheeses. Mix it up and use a bit of gruyere, or even pepperjack for a little kick. If you have bits of cheese leftover, you can combine them all together in this easy homemade mac and cheese sauce.
Now, this recipe has a special ingredient that is a little bit unconventional but makes it extra yummy AND it is optional. The addition of cheddar soup makes the sauce a little bit extra velvety and just adds a little something.
I think its much better than Mac and cheese with Velveeta! The addition of the cheddar cheese soup to this recipe is something you definitely should try! .
Cheese Tip: Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses dont melt the same way as they have additives to keep them from clumping/sticking.
Making Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is not difficult but below are a few simple tips to make sure it turns out absolutely perfectly every single time!
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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.
How To Make This Soul Food Classic
Its really easy, heres how:
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Tips For The Best Homemade Baked Mac And Cheese
- Use block cheese and shred, do not buy the pre-shredded cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is great for so many things but not macaroni and cheese. Its coated and wont melt properly. You need to shred it yourself for the best result.
- Cook your pasta to slightly less than al dente, about one minute shy is perfect. The reason is that this is baked mac and cheese so the pasta will continue to cook in the homemade cheese sauce in the oven. You dont want soggy macaroni.
- I used elbow pasta but really, any tubular past will work.
- This mac and cheese recipe starts with a roux. The roux is super important to getting the creamiest cheese sauce of your life. Here is what you need to look for:
- The roux is whisked together until bubbly and golden.
- Whisk in cold milk not warm to prevent the flour from clumping.
- Cook the roux until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes before adding the cheese.
