**Macaroni and cheese**, a classic comfort food, is a dish made with macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce, often cheddar. It is typically baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. This versatile dish can be customized with a variety of ingredients, such as vegetables, meats, and spices. For a creamy and indulgent macaroni and cheese, try the **Classic Macaroni and Cheese** recipe. For a healthier option, try the **Skinny Macaroni and Cheese** recipe, which uses low-fat milk and cheese. For a unique twist, try the **Lobster Macaroni and Cheese** recipe, which features succulent lobster meat. And for a vegetarian option, try the **Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese** recipe, which is packed with colorful vegetables. No matter which recipe you choose, you're sure to enjoy this delicious and satisfying dish.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CHEESY BEEF & MACARONI CASSEROLE
This Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole is an easy to put together and it boasts big flavor! We've made this recipe countless times and everyone in my family raves about it!
Provided by Holly Nilsson
Categories Dinner
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook noodles for ¾ of time according to package. (My noodles said 9 minutes so I cooked them for 6). Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Meanwhile, brown beef, garlic & onion in a frying pan. Drain.
- Combine green peppers, beef, noodles, tomatoes, tomato sauce & paste, basil, salt & pepper, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Combine remaining cheeses & 1 tablespoon of parsley. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is browned!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 537 kcal, Carbohydrate 48 g, Protein 30 g, Fat 24 g, SaturatedFat 12 g, Cholesterol 85 mg, Sodium 484 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, ServingSize 1 serving
THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
A blend of three cheeses delivers a punch of flavor in this creamy mac and cheese. Toasted breadcrumbs give a crunchy texture contrast.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
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.
CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Think Stouffer's without the freezer. While it can be enjoyed straight from the pot, this macaroni and cheese has a slightly looser sauce than the stovetop variety to allow for thickening in the oven. Bread crumbs, while optional, make it truly spectacular.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories dinner, lunch, casseroles, pastas, main course, side dish
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It's going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
- Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
- Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 3-quart or 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1076, UnsaturatedFat 24 grams, Carbohydrate 85 grams, Fat 61 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 46 grams, SaturatedFat 31 grams, Sodium 1027 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 1 gram
BEEF 'N' CHEESE MACARONI
"I love to make this delicious main dish for my brother and me when our parents are at work at dinnertime," reports Jamie Brown of Witchita, Kansas. The mild-tasting combination of ground beef and noodles is sure to be a hit with even the pickiest eaters.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 30m
Yield 4-6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In the same pan, melt butter. Add the cheese, milk and salt; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Drain beef. Stir beef and macaroni into cheese sauce; heat through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 279 calories, Fat 13g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 42mg cholesterol, Sodium 392mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 15g protein.
BEV'S MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is the recipe I have been using for Macaroni and Cheese since the beginning of time! Truly a classic and a staple on our family table. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. A great side dish to be served with my Meatloaf Barbecue Style!
Provided by Bev I Am
Categories Cheese
Time 45m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Melt butter in medium saucepan.
- Stir in flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth.
- Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk until smooth.
- Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thickened (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted.
- Combine cheese mixture with macaroni in greased 2 quart casserole.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 420.3, Fat 20.8, SaturatedFat 12.8, Cholesterol 64, Sodium 707.7, Carbohydrate 39.4, Fiber 1.5, Sugar 1.3, Protein 18.6
THE BEST BAKED MAC & CHEESE RECIPE EVER
Super creamy and gloriously cheesy, this classic baked mac and cheese boasts a golden bubbling lid with ooey gooey goodness underneath.
Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty
Categories Main Course Side Dish
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Boil the pasta JUST until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside. (Mix in a little butter to keep the noodles from sticking if it's going to be awhile before you make the sauce)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika. With a wooden spoon or whisk, stir constantly for three minutes.
- Add the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Continue to stir constantly until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add 2 cups of the cheese, stirring until melted. You'll reserve the last cup of cheese for topping. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss gently until all of the pasta is coated.
- Add half the pasta to a two-quart casserole dish (I like a tall 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish). Sprinkle on half the cheese. Add the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, then dust lightly with the smoked paprika.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the mac and cheese is bubbling and browning on top.
- Serve, topping individual servings with parsley or cooked, chopped bacon if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 442 kcal, Sugar 7 g, Sodium 601 mg, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, Carbohydrate 38 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 23 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, ServingSize 1 serving
HOMESTYLE BEEF, MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is a tasty and complete meal. My family is wild over this recipe and I'm always asked to bring it to pot luck parties.
Provided by DDFROG197
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no pink shows; drain excess fat. In the large pot, combine macaroni, beef, tomato soup, tomato juice and corn; heat through. Stir in cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 777.3 calories, Carbohydrate 68.6 g, Cholesterol 123.6 mg, Fat 38.4 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 39.6 g, SaturatedFat 16.8 g, Sodium 1183.5 mg, Sugar 13.9 g
BEEFY MACARONI AND CHEESE BAKE
Make and share this Beefy Macaroni and Cheese Bake recipe from Food.com.
Provided by SharleneW
Categories Cheese
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until done; drain.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large frying pan and sauté onion until softened.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned.
- Add tomatoes, thyme, oregano and salt to taste.
- Cook about 5 minutes to blend flavors.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together flour and milk.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil.
- Continue cooking 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup cheese.
- Stir until cheese is melted.
- Stir into meat sauce.
- Combine with macaroni.
- Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
- Bake at 375° until golden, about 20 minutes.
THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE
Amanda Hesser brought this recipe to The Times in a 1998 article about a return to simply-prepared, down-home foods in response to the brash, over-the-top 90's style of cooking. It's an adaptation of one found in Pam Anderson's book, "The Perfect Recipe," and it calls for stirring the mixture every five minutes while it is baking. This gives it the ideal balance of lightness and creaminess -- a detail that is missing from most macaroni and cheese recipes.
Provided by Amanda Hesser
Categories dinner, weekday, casseroles, editors' pick, pastas, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 1 1/2-quart heat-proof dish, such as a souffle pan, in oven to warm.
- In a small baking pan, combine bread crumbs, a pinch of salt and the melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
- In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the macaroni. Cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to preheated dish. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
- In a small bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the mustard mixture. Mix well. Pour egg mixture over macaroni. Add 3/4 of the cheese, and stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt.
- Place dish of macaroni and cheese in the oven, and bake for 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven and add about half of the remaining evaporated milk, and half of the remaining cheese. Stir well, and return pan to oven. Bake 5 minutes longer, remove pan from oven, and stir thoroughly. If mixture does not look moist and creamy, add a little more of the milk and cheese. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes, removing pan from oven halfway through to stir in remaining evaporated milk and cheese.
- While macaroni is baking, add pan of bread crumbs to oven. Bake until bread crumbs are toasted and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. When macaroni has baked, sprinkle surface with toasted bread crumbs, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 824, UnsaturatedFat 14 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 42 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 23 grams, Sodium 829 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 1 gram
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the macaroni and cheese will be. Use real cheese, fresh milk, and high-quality pasta.
- Don't overcook the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but be careful not to overcook it. Overcooked pasta will make the macaroni and cheese mushy.
- Use a roux to thicken the sauce: A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken sauces. It will help to create a creamy, smooth sauce for the macaroni and cheese.
- Add cheese gradually: Add the cheese to the sauce gradually, stirring constantly. This will help to prevent the cheese from clumping.
- Season to taste: Season the macaroni and cheese with salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. You may also want to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat.
- Bake until golden brown: Bake the macaroni and cheese until the top is golden brown and bubbly. This will help to create a crispy crust.
- Let it rest before serving: Let the macaroni and cheese rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help to set the sauce and make it easier to serve.
Conclusion:
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a versatile dish that can be customized to your liking. Whether you like it cheesy, creamy, or crispy, there is a macaroni and cheese recipe out there for you. So next time you are looking for a quick and easy meal, give one of these macaroni and cheese recipes a try. You won't be disappointed!
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