Crunchy Top Macaroni And Cheese Food

CLASSIC CRISPY TOP MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350℉. First, make the topping by tossing the panko with the melted butter in a medium bowl. Then mix in the cheese. Set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and cover. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan and blend in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture is bubbly, and then gradually add the milk, stirring while adding. Stir in the Dijon. Over medium heat, cook and stir until the sauce boils, and then simmer for one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, add the cheese, and stir until just melted. Add the pasta to the cheese mixture and toss lightly to coat. Pour into a 9-inch square baking dish (see note), and then sprinkle with the topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the topping is lightly golden.

CRISPY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and whisk in the monterey jack, gruyere and cheddar one cheese at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding more. Add the pasta and stir until coated, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen (the sauce will thicken as it bakes).
• Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the panko, parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir to combine. Scatter over the pasta and bake until the crumbs are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

CRUNCHY-TOP MAC-AND-CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large saucepan of salted water to boil.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 4 minutes; set aside.
• Add squash to boiling water; cover and return to boil. Cook, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine broth, Cheddar, Pecorino, cream cheese, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper in blender. With slotted spoon, transfer cooked squash to blender and puree. (Leave water in pan.).
• Bring water back to boil. Cook pasta half the directed time on package; add cauliflower during last minute of cooking time. Drain; return to pot. Stir in puree and toss to coat. Spread pasta mixture in prepared baking dish; top with crumb mixture and spray with nonstick spray. Bake until top is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 25 minutes.

EXTRA-CRUNCHY SHEET-PAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the macaroni, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the half-and-half, cream cheese, and reserved pasta water in a large pot over medium heat, stirring until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce, whisking until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni to the pot and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if desired. Spread the macaroni mixture on an 18-by-13-inch sheet pan.
• Toss the panko, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are brown and crisp, rotating halfway through, 20 to 25 minutes.

CRUNCH-TOPPED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the paprika, turmeric and panko and cook, stirring, until the panko is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes; transfer to a small bowl and set aside for topping.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until tender, 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender.
• Add the macaroni to the pot and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add half of the reserved cooking water to the blender with the carrots and puree until smooth.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour and mustard powder and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in the evaporated milk and carrot puree; simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses until melted. Add the pasta and stir to coat, adding the remaining cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with the panko mixture.

BAKED, CRUNCHY-TOPPING, MAC N CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Grease a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
• Bring a pot of salted water (Who wants bland pasta?) to boil for the macaroni.
• The yummy topping: Melt 2 T unsalted butter
• In a bowl stir melted butter together with crushed Ritz and 1 cup cheddar until well combined. This can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• The yummy sauce: In a 5-quart heavy saucepan melt 3 T butter over med low heat.
• Stir in flour and red pepper flakes.
• Stir about 3 minutes and whisk in milk.
• Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.
• Simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 3 minutes or so.
• Stir in the cream, the 4 cups of cheddar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.
• Cook macaroni in boiling water, al dente. (per package instructions)
• Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Drain macaroni.
• Return the macaroni to the pot (off the burner) and mix together the macaroni, reserved cooking water, and the sauce. (The sauce does stick a bit to the wax paper when removed)
• Transfer macaroni mixture to baking dish.
• Sprinkle topping evenly over the macaroni and bake on middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown and bubbling.

CRUSTY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.
• Boil pasta al dente.
• Drain and put the pasta in one layer in a large shallow casserole.
• Whisk the milk and flour until well blended. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the milk & flour mixture over the pasta.
• Dot the butter all over the pasta.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the pasta to cover it fully.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until top is browned and crusty.
• If desired, after about 20 minutes, you can put the casserole under the broiler to brown the top faster.

CREAMY-CRUNCHY MACARONI, HAM AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Make a white roux by melting the butter and adding flour. Gradually add the milk to the pan, whisking away any lumps. Bring the sauce to a full boil; reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer until sauce is smooth and flour is cooked out (about 20 minutes). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Warm the béchamel. Add half of the Gruyère. Remove immediately from the heat. The cheese should just lightly melt into the béchamel.
• Add the cooked macaroni and ham to the béchamel cheese mixture. The consistency should be fairly loose but not soupy. Add milk if needed to loosen. Season to taste with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Place mixture in a greased casserole. Top with the rest of the Gruyère cheese and the bread crumbs.
• Place in oven until the cheese is bubbly and crisp (about 4 to 6 minutes). Do not overcook. It should still be quite moist. Serve immediately.
• Note: For the bread crumbs, use day-old sourdough bread slices and let them dry out. Grind in processor or crush in a zippered bag until super-fine. Pass through a fine-mesh tami (sieve) so the bread crumbs are like dust.

CRUSTY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.
• In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place mixture in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface.
• Sprinkle reserved cheese on top; dot with remaining butter.
• Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
• Raise heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

CRUNCHY CRUSTED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook macaroni until it is al dente; drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan; add the flour and cook, stirring constantly over low heat 2-3 minutes.
• Add the milk gradually, mixing the ingredients to incorporate the flour mixture and make a smooth sauce.
• Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• While still stirring, add the cheese and continue to cook 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Pour the sauce over cooked macaroni and mix them thoroughly.
• Pour this mixture into a buttered baking dish.
• Combine rice krispies and 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle this over the cheese-coated macaroni.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until the top is crispy.

BEST EVER MACARONI CHEESE WITH CRUNCH CRUMB

Steps:

• Put the bay leaves, leek and milk in a pan, and gently heat until steaming but just below boiling point. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 1 hr.
• Drain the milk and discard the leek and bay. Wipe out the pan, then add the butter, flour and mustard powder. Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted, then cook to a paste for 1 min. Splash in some milk gradually and stir until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, a little at a time at first, then gradually add more as the mixture gets saucy. (If you get any lumps, give it a vigorous whisk to remove them.) Heat, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pan so it doesn't catch, until the sauce is bubbling and nicely thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g of the cheddar and 25g of the parmesan. Season really well - keep tasting, as it will need a generous amount of salt.
• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions, until it is almost tender but still has a bit of chew to it. Drain well, then stir into the cheese sauce with three-quarters of the spring onions. Scrape into a large ovenproof dish or several individual ones.
• Scatter the remaining cheddar over the macaroni, then alternate between draping over pancetta slices (bunching them up a bit) and scattering with the bread cubes and remaining spring onions. (If you keep swapping between ingredients you'll get a nice mix of everything on the top.) Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and add a very little drizzle of oil - holding your thumb over the bottle so just a trickle comes out. Can now be cooled, covered and chilled for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 40 mins until bubbling, and crunchy and golden on top (if using individual dishes, check after 30 mins).