Better Baked Mac Cheese Food

ALL-CHEDDAR BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the panko, melted butter and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.
• Whisk together the cream, mustard, cayenne, eggs, evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Reserve 2 cups of the grated Cheddar for topping. Stir the remaining Cheddar into the sauce.
• Pour the cheese mixture into the pot with the macaroni and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is warm but not hot, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the reserved Cheddar. Top with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake until the center of the casserole is set and the top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil pasta according to package instructions, just until al dente. Don't overcook! Strain (don't rinse) and set aside.
• Shred cheese and set aside to allow to come to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish.
• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Remove some, but not all of the grease from the pan and chop/crumble into pieces.
• Make Cheese Sauce: Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and then whisk in flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in milk. Add the cornstarch to the half and half and whisk until smooth. Gradually add it to skillet followed by mustard, chicken bullion, onion powder, garlic, powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook sauce, stirring well, for a few more minutes, just until it begins to slightly thicken. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar cheese. Taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.
• Add bacon (reserve a handful to top at the end), and cooked pasta and toss to evenly coat in sauce. Pour mixture into 8x8'' baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
• Breadcrumb topping: Add panko, melted butter and olive oil to a skillet (or the saucepan used to cook the pasta). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are golden brown. Evenly sprinkle over the mac cheese. Add remaining bacon crumbles on top.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender, about 7 minutes; strain well. Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl, add the butter and toss to coat.
• Whisk together the milk, eggs and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Add the milk-egg mixture to the macaroni; add the Cheddar and stir until it is evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
• Bake until the custard is set and the top is browned and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook 1 1/2 cups macaroni as the label directs; drain and return to the pot. Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup each grated parmesan and sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon flour and 1/2 teaspoon each dijon mustard, hot sauce and kosher salt. Transfer to a buttered 1 1/2-quart flameproof baking dish; top with more cheddar and parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees F, 15 minutes, then broil until golden, 2 minutes.

THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Meanwhile, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pulse in the food processor until the bread breaks into bean-sized pieces.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the fontina, Gruyere and all but 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the melted butter. Spread the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar evenly over the pasta, then scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

BETTER BAKED MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F and grease 2 large casserole dishes.
• Boil a large pot of water and add salt. Add macaroni and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well and return to pot.
• While pasta is cooking, heat 5 cups of milk in a saucepan.
• Stir in the pepper, parsley, garlic powder, salt and butter.
• Whisk the cornstarch with the remaining 1 cup milk until smooth, then add to the hot milk and cook until slightly thickened.
• Stir in all but 1 cup of the cheese until melted.
• Pour over the pasta in the pot and fold in completely.
• Divide pasta between the casserole dishes, top with reserved cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese melts and casserole is bubbly.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
• For the cheese sauce: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
• For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.