Indulge in a culinary journey with our crusted macaroni and cheese recipes, a delectable symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to a realm of pure bliss. From the classic comfort of traditional macaroni and cheese to innovative twists that add a touch of gourmet flair, our collection offers a diverse range of recipes to satisfy every palate. Prepare to embark on a cheesy adventure as we unveil the secrets to creating the perfect mac and cheese, culminating in a golden-brown crust that adds an irresistible crunch to each bite. Dive into a world of cheesy goodness, where every recipe promises a unique and unforgettable experience.
Let's cook with our recipes!
CRISPY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 50m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
BEST-EVER MACARONI AND CHEESE
In the South, mac 'n cheese is like everyone's favorite aunt-and this best-ever recipe beats out the rest.
Provided by Southern Living Test Kitchen
Categories Casserole
Time 1h10m
Yield Serves 10
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add next 6 ingredients; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup each of shredded Cheddar cheeses until melted. (Reserve remaining 1/4 cup each of shredded cheeses.) Stir in pasta and diced cheeses; pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
- Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in preheated oven until bubbly and golden, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle with reserved shredded cheeses; broil 6 inches from heat until cheeses are melted and golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven; cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.
CRUSTY MACARONI AND CHEESE
Make and share this Crusty Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by chia2160
Categories Cheese
Time 1h10m
Yield 8-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
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.
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
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Macaroni and cheese may seem an easy proposition. Noodles, cheese. But the secret to this creamy dish with a crunchy and crisp top is American cheese. This is no place for fancy cheeses or fancy noodles. Leave the whole-wheat penne and artisanal orecchiette in the cupboard and bring on the elbow pasta.
Provided by Julia Moskin
Categories brunch, dinner, easy, lunch, weekday, casseroles, main course, side dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 8 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. 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 pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 291, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 24 grams, Protein 15 grams, SaturatedFat 14 grams, Sodium 557 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 1 gram
CRUNCHY CRUSTED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Make and share this Crunchy Crusted Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by StephanieNS
Categories Cheese
Time 50m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 377.4, Fat 20.4, SaturatedFat 12.6, Cholesterol 55.9, Sodium 720.2, Carbohydrate 34.6, Fiber 1, Sugar 1.3, Protein 14.3
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
Tips
- Use a good quality cheese. The cheese is the star of the show in this dish, so it's important to use a good quality cheese that melts well. Some good options include cheddar, Gruyère, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
- Don't overcook the pasta. The pasta should be cooked al dente, or slightly firm to the bite. This will help it hold its shape and prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Make sure the sauce is thick enough. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the pasta and vegetables. If it's too thin, it will make the dish watery.
- Don't skimp on the breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add a nice crust to the top of the dish. Make sure to use fresh breadcrumbs, as stale breadcrumbs will not brown properly.
- Bake the dish until it's golden brown. The dish should be baked until the top is golden brown and bubbly. This will ensure that the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are crispy.
Conclusion
Crusted macaroni and cheese is a delicious and comforting dish that is perfect for any occasion. It's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste. Whether you like it cheesy, crunchy, or somewhere in between, this dish is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a satisfying and delicious meal, give crusted macaroni and cheese a try.
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