Calling all cheese lovers! If you're searching for the ultimate macaroni and cheese recipe to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more, look no further. Embark on a culinary journey with us as we uncover the secrets to creating the most extraordinary mac and cheese that will transport you to cheese heaven. From the perfect blend of cheeses to the irresistible crispy topping, we'll guide you through every step of this delightful dish, ensuring a cheesy masterpiece that will become a hit at any gathering. Get ready to indulge in a cheesy extravaganza like never before!
Here are our top 12 tried and tested recipes!
ULTIMATE MAC AND CHEESE
This is America's favorite comfort food - tender macaroni, rich and cheesy sauce and a crisp crumb topping.
Provided by Food Network
Time 1h
Yield 15 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package for al dente pasta. Rinse under cold water; drain well.
- 2. Melt butter in same saucepan on medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and seasonings. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until well blended. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Stirring constantly, cook 3 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add macaroni; toss gently to coat. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix panko and paprika; sprinkle evenly over top.
- 3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is America's favorite comfort food--tender macaroni, rich and cheesy sauce and a crisp crumb topping.
Provided by McCormick Spice
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips McCormick®
Time 1h
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package for al dente pasta. Rinse under cold water; drain well.
- Melt butter in same saucepan on medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and seasonings. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until well blended. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Stirring constantly, cook 3 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add macaroni; toss gently to coat. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix panko and paprika; sprinkle evenly over top.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 413.1 calories, Carbohydrate 36.4 g, Cholesterol 64.9 mg, Fat 22.2 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 19.2 g, SaturatedFat 13.5 g, Sodium 550 mg, Sugar 4.1 g
ULTIMATE MACARONI CHEESE
Learn how to make perfect macaroni cheese every time with this recipe
Provided by Angela Nilsen
Categories Dinner, Main course
Time 1h10m
Yield Serves 4 generously, with enough for seconds
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Making macaroni cheese is a bit of a juggling act, so it's easier if you get a few things prepared ahead. Finely grate all the cheeses, keeping them separate. Tear the bread into pieces and whizz in a food processor to coarse crumbs. Mix 25g of the cheddar and one-third of the parmesan into the breadcrumbs. Toss the rest of the cheeses together and set aside. Thickly slice the tomatoes. Butter a dish, about 30 x 20 x 5.5cm. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
- Put a pan of water on to boil. Tip the macaroni into the boiling water, stir and bring it back to the boil. Simmer for 8 mins, or cook according to pack instructions, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking. While this is cooking, start the sauce.
- Warm the milk in a jug in the microwave (or in a pan). Melt the butter in a pan (big enough to take the macaroni as well), then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 min, stirring, then take off the heat. Pour in one-third of the warm milk and beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth - it is quite thick at this stage. Add another third - it may go a bit lumpy, but keep beating well and it will go smooth again. Pour in the final third of milk and keep beating until smooth.
- When the macaroni is done, tip it into a colander and put it briefly under very hot running water to keep it separate. Drain. Put the pan of sauce back on the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Lower the heat and simmer for about 4 mins until glossy, stirring every now and then. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and mustard, then beat in 5 tbsp milk, or enough to give a slack coating consistency. Taste and season (you shouldn't need much salt). If the macaroni is sticking at all, put it under the hot tap again, then stir to separate. Drain well, then gently mix it into the sauce and stir to coat completely. If necessary, adjust the consistency again with milk. There should be enough sauce to coat the macaroni thickly and liberally.
- Tip the macaroni cheese into the buttered dish, scatter over the cheesy crumbs and lay the tomatoes casually over the top. Heat through in the oven for 12-15 mins until beginning to bubble around the edges. Grill for 3-5 mins to brown the crumbs. Let it all settle for 1-2 mins, then serve while still piping hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 819 calories, Fat 42 grams fat, SaturatedFat 26 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 78 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 36 grams protein, Sodium 2.03 milligram of sodium
ULTIMATE MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: bacon, garlic, panko breadcrumbs, fresh chives, fresh parsley, butter, flour, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, dry mustard powder, cayenne pepper, macaroni, cheddar cheese, gruyère cheese, colby jack cheese, smoked gouda cheese, provolone cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded cheddar cheese
Provided by Pierce Abernathy
Categories Dinner
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon crispy and the fat has rendered.
- Add the garlic, bread crumbs, chives, and parsley. Stir and cook until the bread crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot.
- In the same pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until combined.
- Add the evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, mustard powder, and cayenne. Whisk to incorporate and smooth any lumps. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the cheddar, Gruyère, Colby Jack, Gouda, and provolone cheese, then fold the cheeses into the pasta. If it seems too dry, add more milk to your liking.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the mac 'n' cheese is bubbly, melted, and golden brown on top.
- Serve with a sprinkle of the bread crumb mixture for added flavor!
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 656 calories, Carbohydrate 63 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 34 grams, Sugar 11 grams
ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a saucepan over low heat, add oil then the onions sweat until translucent. (no color) Add the butter. When butter is melted, stir in the flour, stir until smooth. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, heat the milk and wine until it boils. Remove from the heat, stir in the paprika, cheese, season to taste with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt. Mix in your cooked macaroni and serve immediately.
ICON'S ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH MOLTEN CHEESE SAUCE
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- For the Macaroni and Cheese Sauce Base: Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepot over medium high heat. Add flour and mix until flour is incorporated into butter. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue to cook until sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and season with mustard, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Allow to cool before using.
- For the Topping: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside
- For the Molten Cheese Sauce: Take about 1/2 cup of the sauce base and warm over a medium burner in a small saucepan. When warm, add cheese and cook until melted. Season as necessary.
- To make the Macaroni and Cheese: Cook macaroni in salted water, drain and rinse with cold water. Place the yellow cheddar, Gruyere, white cheddar, tomatoes, and pasteurized prepared cheese product in a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 of the macaroni and cheese sauce base or about 2 1/2 cups, and mix thoroughly. Place the mix evenly into 4 small casserole dishes or 1 large serving plate. Sprinkle with topping and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until hot and bubbly. Make sure to serve lots of molten cheese sauce.
ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a saucepan over low heat, add oil then the onions sweat until translucent. (no color) Add the butter. When butter is melted, stir in the flour, stir until smooth. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, heat the milk and wine until it boils. Remove from the heat, stir in the paprika, cheese, season to taste with nutmeg, white pepper, and salt. Mix in your cooked macaroni and serve immediately. Note: If you like to turn this dish into a casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish, sprinkle 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese on top, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried bread crumbs on top of the cheese. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until lightly brown.
CHEF JOHN'S MACARONI AND CHEESE
This easy-to-make old-school macaroni and cheese has a perfectly crispy crust.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam and bubble, stir in the flour; cook on medium heat until flour just begins to turn pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme, cayenne pepper, and white pepper; cook and stir another minute, then whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth. Pour in remaining milk and whisk again. Bring the sauce just to a simmer.
- Stir in nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and salt; simmer on medium-low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking often. Turn heat off, then add 2 1/4 cups of Cheddar cheese; stir until melted and combined. Add Dijon mustard.
- Transfer the macaroni into a casserole dish, then pour in the cheese sauce; stir to thoroughly combine sauce with pasta. Mix panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl, and sprinkle crumbs on top of macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup of Cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs and Cheddar cheese topping are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 694.8 calories, Carbohydrate 72.8 g, Cholesterol 94.5 mg, Fat 32.3 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 29.4 g, SaturatedFat 19.9 g, Sodium 928.4 mg, Sugar 8.1 g
KILEN'S ULTIMATE MACARONI-N-CHEESE
My 14-year-old son thought up this recipe. He likes mac-n-cheese but wanted something different, so he started to mix things up and came up with a great combination!
Provided by staciw
Categories Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Time 20m
Yield 5
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and return pasta to pot. Stir butter and milk into macaroni until sauce is smooth.
- Mix croutons and mozzarella cheese into macaroni and cheese until cheese is melted.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 306.4 calories, Carbohydrate 34.2 g, Cholesterol 38.3 mg, Fat 13.9 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 11 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 545.9 mg, Sugar 5.9 g
TYLER FLORENCE'S ULTIMATE MAC AND CHEESE
Make and share this Tyler Florence's Ultimate Mac and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by NoProblems
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 50m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme springs and 2 garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3 quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy. Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 953.1, Fat 54.1, SaturatedFat 31.7, Cholesterol 157.1, Sodium 856.1, Carbohydrate 72.3, Fiber 3, Sugar 3, Protein 43.7
THE ABSOLUTE AND MOST ULTIMATE MACARONI AND CHEESE
I got this in a recipe chain letter. We eat a lot of m&c and this one is really the ultimate! It's different (in a good way) that you don't have to cook the sauce first, it bakes right in with the macaroni.
Provided by Mirj2338
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 40m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly butter 13- x 9- x 2-inch glass baking dish.
- Cook macaroni in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.
- Drain pasta.
- Transfer to prepared dish.
- Mix in cubed cheese.
- Whisk flour, salt, mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg in medium bowl until no lumps remain.
- Gradually whisk in half and half, then whipping cream and sour cream.
- Add eggs and whisk to blend.
- Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to blend.
- Sprinkle grated cheese over.
- Bake macaroni and cheese until just set around edges but sauce is still liquid in center, about 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes to thicken slightly (sauce will be creamy).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 340.2, Fat 25.9, SaturatedFat 15.8, Cholesterol 115.9, Sodium 501.8, Carbohydrate 15.4, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 0.6, Protein 11.9
"WORLD'S BEST" MACARONI & CHEESE
We tasted this in Seattle at the Pike Place Market in the Beecher's store. It is the best! I had to get their recipe and I found it on the internet; It is a very rich creamy comfort food. I do not have Beecher's cheese so I improvised with what is available and it came out as tasty as the original. Serve this with a crisp salad. Enjoy!
Provided by Sageca
Categories Cheese
Time 1h15m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350; F. Set a large pot of water on high heat.
- Meanwhile, begin the sauce by making a roux: in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue to stir this roux over medium heat for two to three minutes.
- The roux should be cooked and free of the flour flavor but still light in color.
- Gradually add milk, whisking briskly to maintain a smooth sauce.
- Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.
- When sauce thickens, add cheeses, salt and spices to the sauce, and stir until all the cheese has melted. I make my sauces in the microwave; turns out great and never scorches.
- Somewhere during this sauce-cooking process, your pasta water has started boiling. The original is made with Penne noodles. Add a generous amount of salt to the water and cook the pasta until almost but not quite al dente (two minutes before the package directions indicate). You want barely undercooked pasta so that it can finish in the oven later. Halt the cooking by draining the pasta and rinsing with cold water. Return pasta to pot.
- Pour sauce over pasta and stir until completely incorporated. The combination should be fairly saucy, almost soupy.
- Dish the mixture into a buttered 9-13 pan and sprinkle with extra grated cheeses and cayenne. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until you have beautiful, browned edges. Those edges will be a welcome and flavorful addition to each serving.
- Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. I divided this in 2 containers and froze one.
Tips:
- Use a good quality cheese. A sharp cheddar or a combination of cheeses will give you the best flavor.
- Don't overcook the macaroni. It should be al dente, not mushy.
- Make sure the cheese sauce is thick and creamy. If it's too thin, it won't coat the macaroni properly.
- Add some bread crumbs to the top of the macaroni and cheese before baking. This will give it a nice crispy crust.
- Let the macaroni and cheese cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help it set and make it easier to cut.
Conclusion:
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that is loved by people of all ages. It's easy to make and can be customized to your own taste. Whether you like it simple or loaded with toppings, there's a macaroni and cheese recipe out there for everyone. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give one of these recipes a try. You won't be disappointed!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love