

Stir in some diced ham before cooking to make it a complete meal.Add diced bacon crumbles before baking and top with diced green onions when serving.Here are some of my favorite ways to spruce up this iconic side dish recipe: However, depending on the occasion, you may want to take this to a new level by adding in a few ingredients.
#Best baked mac and cheese recipe how to
Now you have the recipe on how to make the best baked mac and cheese. When you are ready to bake it, allow the dish to come to room temperature before placing it in the oven. Then cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Simply follow the instructions on how to prepare the dish, but do not bake it. The great thing about this dish is that you can save yourself time on the day that you want to serve it by making it a day or two in advance. Therefore, I would not recommend freezing any leftovers. Unfortunately, pasta doesn’t freeze well. Then cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you have any baked mac and cheese leftovers, let the mac and cheese cool completely. Store-bought shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that doesn’t allow the cheese to melt properly. The most important step in this recipe is shred your own cheese. Remove the baking pan from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Then top that with the remaining pasta and top with the remaining cheese.īake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly around the edges and the top has turned light golden brown in color. Pour half of the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until fully coated. Slowly add 1/2 of the shredded cheese and continue to stir until completely melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and add salt, pepper and paprika, stir.

The mixture should be able to coat the back of a spoon when dipped. Add the half and half and continue to whisk constantly until smooth.Ĭontinue to heat, whisking frequently until the mixture is nice and thick. Continue to whisk and cook for approximately 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while continually whisking until incorporated. Once melted add the flour and whisk to combine. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

And the remaining half will be divided and used in the inner layer and for the topping. One half of the cheese will be used for the baked mac and cheese sauce. When the cheese is grated put both varieties in a large bowl and toss to mix.ĭivide the cheese in two even piles. While the noodles are boiling grate the cheese. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven so that the noodles become nice and tender. Set the bowl with the noodles aside.īe sure to cook the pasta one minute less than what the package directions call for al dente consistency. This will help prevent the noodles from sticking to each other while you prepare the cheese sauce. You can drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top of the noodles and toss to coat. Therefore, you want the noodles a little firmer than you would want if you were only boiling them.ĭrain and place the almost cooked noodles in a large mixing bowl. The pasta is going to continue to cook while it is being baked in the oven. Once the water comes to a boil add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente consistency. Set the baking dish aside and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If you do not have a rectangular 9 x 13 inch baking dish, you could use a 3 quart oval baking dish to cook your mac and cheese. The first step in making this recipe is to preheat the and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. And within 20 minutes, you will be enjoying a classic, homemade side dish fit for any occasion! Baked Mac and Cheese INGREDIENTS Then toss it all together, put it in a baking dish and top it with shredded cheese. All it takes is a simple homemade cheese sauce that is prepared in less time than the pasta takes to boil. Homemade baked mac and cheese – the perfect side dish recipe for just about any meal, including holidays!Īnd beyond popular belief, making homemade macaroni and cheese is not difficult to do.
