Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with our Extreme Mac and Cheese recipes. These culinary masterpieces elevate the classic dish to new heights of flavor and indulgence. From the ooey-gooey Three Cheese Mac and Cheese to the tantalizing Lobster Mac and Cheese, each recipe offers a unique taste adventure. If you crave a spicy kick, the Sriracha Mac and Cheese will set your taste buds ablaze. For a healthier twist, try the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, a delightful blend of flavors and nutrients. And for a truly luxurious experience, the Truffled Mac and Cheese is a symphony of earthy and creamy flavors that will leave you craving more. Whether you're a traditionalist or a culinary adventurer, our Extreme Mac and Cheese recipes have something for everyone. Prepare to embark on a cheesy journey that will redefine your comfort food standards.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
ULTRA CREAMY BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
Our favorite mac and cheese recipe calls on a few smart steps to make sure the macaroni and cheese is ultra creamy and flavorful. While many cheeses can work in this recipe, the two cheeses we go back to again and again are sharp white cheddar and Pecorino-Romano cheese. The cheddar melts down to be creamy and the pecorino adds a sharp salty bite to the sauce. For the creamiest sauce, we hand grate the cheese since previously shredded cheeses don't seem to melt as well.
Provided by Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Categories American
Time 1h
Yield Makes 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- For baked macaroni and cheese, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a 3-quart casserole dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray. For stove-top mac and cheese, move on to the next step.
- Grate the cheeses and set aside. For baked mac and cheese, reserve 1/2 cup for topping the pasta before baking in the oven.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 2 minute less than the recommended cook time. Drain then rinse pasta with cold water and set aside.
- Add milk to a large microwave-safe measuring jug and microwave 1 to 3 minutes until warm. Alternatively, you can add milk to a large saucepan over medium heat then heat milk until warm.
- While the milk warms up, melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, add the flour. Cook, constantly whisking until the butter smells fragrant and nutty - the color of the butter-flour mixture will be light brown; 2 to 3 minutes.
- While whisking, slowly pour the warm milk into butter and flour mixture. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Remove the pan from the heat. and then stir in mustard, black pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, 4 cups of cheddar and all of the Romano cheese. Stir until the heat from the sauce melts the cheese.
- Taste the sauce for seasoning, and then adjust with additional spices or salt (we usually start with 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt and go from there).
- If the drained and rinsed pasta will fit into the pan, add it to the cheese sauce. If the pasta will not fit, add both the pasta and sauce to a separate large bowl and stir well.
- For a stovetop mac and cheese, cover with a lid and set aside for 5 minutes. In this time the pasta will absorb some of the extra cheese sauce. Serve.
- For a baked mac and cheese, pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until bubbling, about 30 minutes. For browned cheese on top, turn the oven to broil, and then broil 3 to 5 minutes until the top has blistered and lightly browned. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1/10 of the dish, Calories 578, Fat 28.1g, SaturatedFat 16.4g, Cholesterol 87.2mg, Sodium 728.9mg, Carbohydrate 51.1g, Fiber 1.7g, Sugar 14g, Protein 29.6g
MINI MAC & CHEESE BITES
Young relatives were coming for a Christmas party, so I wanted something fun for them to eat. Instead, the adults devoured my mini mac and cheese. -Kate Mainiero, Elizaville, New York
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 45m
Yield 3 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425°. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain., Meanwhile, sprinkle 1/4 cup bread crumbs into 36 greased mini-muffin cups. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese until melted., Remove from heat; stir in biscuit mix, eggs and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Add macaroni; toss to coat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons macaroni mixture into prepared mini-muffin cups; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and bread crumbs., Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 91 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 162mg sodium, Carbohydrate 8g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 4g protein.
MOMMA'S DEEP-DISH MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
My momma makes the best (and easiest!) deep-dish macaroni and cheese. It's like a baked mac 'n' cheese pie with a combination of smoked Gouda, pepper Jack, mozzarella, cottage cheese, and more. It's one of our family's favorite dishes and a holiday must-have.
Provided by Matt Ciampa
Categories Dinner
Time 1h5m
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 7 x 11-inch (17 x 27 cm) baking dish with butter.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until al dente, then drain and return to the warm pot.
- Add butter to the macaroni and stir until melted and the noodles are well coated.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, cottage cheese, 1 cup cheddar, ½ cup Gouda, ½ cup pepper Jack, ½ cup mozzarella, the cheese sauce, evaporated milk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne until well combined.
- Add the sauce to the pot with noodles and mix until fully coated. Season with more salt and black pepper to taste. Stir the eggs until well incorporated.
- Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and smooth in an even layer.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the remaining 1 cup cheddar, ½ cup Gouda, ½ cup pepper Jack, and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.
- Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Enjoy!
- RECIPE BY: Meiko Temple
Nutrition Facts : Calories 587 calories, Carbohydrate 43 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 28 grams, Sugar 6 grams
CREAMIEST MAC AND CHEESE
Boxed or frozen mac and cheese dishes don't even begin to compare to this comforting, from-scratch version that's easy, affordable, and ultra-creamy! Cheddar and cream cheese add a sharp and slightly tangy flavor to the rich sauce which coats perfectly cooked pasta. It's a great base recipe that can be tweaked to your taste by switching up the cheeses or adding some cooked veggies. Serve as a meatless main course with a green salad or as a side dish with roasted or grilled meats.
Provided by NicoleMcmom
Categories Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Time 1h15m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and 2 ½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Shred Cheddar cheese by hand or in a food processor; set aside.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard powder, then 3 ½ cups milk. Whisk occasionally until mixture comes to a simmer, then let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add cream cheese and cook, stirring often, until thick, creamy, and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Stir in 2 cups shredded Cheddar. Turn off the heat and let cheese melt. Stir in cooked macaroni. Add up to ¼ cup milk if you feel like the mixture is too thick.
- Layer ½ of the pasta mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 ½ cups Cheddar. Spread remaining pasta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining Cheddar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 504.5 calories, Carbohydrate 41.4 g, Cholesterol 83.2 mg, Fat 28.2 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 20.9 g, SaturatedFat 17.4 g, Sodium 1157.4 mg
EXTREME MAC AND CHEESE
This is a great recipe that has been passed down from my Grandmother, to my Mom, and to Me. You'll never go back to Mac and Cheese in a box!
Provided by ElvisPresley99
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 50m
Yield 1 Casserole, 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare Pasta shells according to package directions and cook to al dente.
- While Pasta is cooking, combine other ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well enough to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Drain Cooked Pasta, and add to cheese mixture and thoroughly combine.
- Transfer to a large casserole dish, and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and hot and bubbly.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 507.4, Fat 26, SaturatedFat 15.7, Cholesterol 72.2, Sodium 453.9, Carbohydrate 45.9, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 2.9, Protein 22.1
EXTRA CHEESY MACARONI & CHEESE
This is the ultimate mac & cheese recipe, so cheesy and creamy, the extra big elbows hold all the cheese sauce. A definite comfort dinner. Kids love it
Provided by Pumpkie
Categories Cheese
Time 1h
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook box of macaroni according to directions while cooking, make sauce.
- melt over medium heat 2 tablespoons butter and then blend in 2 tablespoons of flour with whisk remove from heat.
- blend in SLOWLY one pint of whipping cream (done a little at a time to prevent lumps). If you cannot get whipping cream you can substitue heavy cream.
- put back on medium heat stir constantly once hot to touch but not boiling add milk, once this is hot to touch again, add white cheese one slice at a time so it melts break cheese up into pieces, and then add in velveeta also broken up, one slice at a time.
- Stir constantly so it will not stick or burn.
- drain macaroni and pour into large pan (deep lasagna size pan 11 x 13) pour melted cheese sauce over it and mix.
- Cover with tin foil and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes.
HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE
This is a nice rich mac and cheese. Serve with a salad for a great meatless dinner. Hope you enjoy it.
Provided by Judy
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
- In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
- Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 858.2 calories, Carbohydrate 66.7 g, Cholesterol 141.6 mg, Fat 48.7 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 37.7 g, SaturatedFat 29.9 g, Sodium 879.3 mg, Sugar 10.7 g
Tips:
- Use a good quality cheese. This is the main ingredient in mac and cheese, so it's important to use a cheese that you enjoy the taste of. A sharp cheddar is a classic choice, but you can also use other cheeses, such as Gruyère, Parmesan, or Gouda.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but be careful not to overcook it. Overcooked pasta will make your mac and cheese mushy.
- Make a roux. A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken the sauce. A roux will help to make your mac and cheese creamy and smooth.
- Add milk or cream. Milk or cream will help to make your mac and cheese creamy and smooth. You can use whole milk, skim milk, or even half-and-half.
- Season the sauce. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. You can also add other ingredients to the sauce, such as cooked bacon, chopped vegetables, or cooked chicken.
- Top with cheese. Before baking the mac and cheese, top it with a layer of cheese. This will help to create a golden brown crust.
- Bake the mac and cheese. Bake the mac and cheese in a preheated oven until it is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Conclusion:
Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a simple dish to make, but there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to make it even better. By following the tips in this article, you can make a delicious mac and cheese that will be the hit of your next party or potluck.
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