Baked Macaroni and Cheese
There are two basic styles of making Macaroni and Cheese. One is to use a béchamel to which cheese is added and melted, and a more Southern version that adds eggs to half and half, evaporated milk or cream, making the mac and cheese more custardy. The béchamel version uses flour to thicken the sauce. Some recipes add a little sour cream or cream cheese to make it creamier. According one person who posted on the Internet, neither is required: "All you need is heavy whipping cream, butter and cheese of choice." See also Mom's Baked Macaroni and Cheese where she just layers the cheese in with the macaroni with dots of butter and a sprinkle of flour - this is how I remember her making it when I was young.
In the Southern version, eggs are tempered and added to the béchamel, then shredded cheese, and finally the macaroni. After baking, it is often cut into slices or squares. However, if you add in too many eggs, and the mixture gets too hot - it can still curdle or end up tasting eggy. Too many eggs also takes you from the smooth and creamy into the baked custard territory. That makes a mac and cheese you can cut into neat little squares, but it's drier and not some folk's idea of mac and cheese.
See Alton Brown's recipe below, the only recipe that adds an egg. The rest use a béchamel sauce instead.
If using Cheddar cheese, use a mild Cheddar as sharp does not melt as well.
Macaroni and Cheese can also be made on the stovetop. See these recipes:
+Jane's No Bake Macaroni & Cheese
Stove-top Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese is good served with stewed tomatoes or steamed broccoli served on the side
Dry macaroni and cheese Tips:
from https://www.southernliving.com/
What if your mac and cheese comes out of the oven dry. Whether it wasn't saucy enough before baking or you added too much flour on the stovetop, there's not much you can do to save the dish after it's finished cooking and is a bed of noodles sans cheese sauce. But don't shy away from baking this beloved comfort dish—if you want to know how to keep mac and cheese from drying out, there are several helpful tips and tricks to implement for picture-perfect, ooey-gooey macaroni and cheese every single time.
- Don't Use Too Much Flour Most macaroni and cheese recipes rely on a roux—a thickening agent made by combining a fat (usually butter) and flour—as the base for the sauce. You want to use equal amounts of butter and flour by weight. Too much flour will thicken the sauce, yes, but at the cost of it tasting floury and having a lumpy texture.
Even if you get the roux right, your mac and cheese could still turn out dry if you use too much roux or reduce your sauce down too far. Remember, the sauce will continue coming together in the oven, so you really only need to thicken it slightly on the stovetop. - Cut Back On Cream When considering how to keep mac and cheese from drying out, you may be surprised to learn excess cream can dehydrate the baked dish. While heavy cream adds a lot of flavor, excess cream creates too thick of a sauce that lacks enough water content to keep the pasta moist. Opt for mostly whole milk in your cheese sauce, and if you do use cream, use it sparingly. Keep in mind the starch from the pasta will also thicken the sauce as it bakes in the oven, so you need to initially make the sauce looser than your final desired viscosity.
- Use The Right Kind Of Cheese Another thing to consider is the types of cheese you use in your sauce. A blend of several cheeses balances flavor and melting qualities. Try not to use too many hard cheeses like pecorino Romano or Parmesan—a little of either is great for flavor, but too much and the sauce can become grainy and dry. So if hard cheeses aren't ideal for mac and cheese, what are the best types for silky cheese sauce? Most recipes call for extra sharp yellow Cheddar and sharp white Cheddar. Other cheeses that work well for ooey-gooey homemade mac and cheese include Gruyere, mozzarella, Swiss, pepper jack, Colby, and gouda.
I liked the flavor of the recipe from the The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook by Christopher Kimball. It uses American cheese; Monterey Jack, fontina or Cheddar cheese; and Parmesan cheese. - Shred The Cheese Yourself Just as important as the types of cheese you choose for your sauce is buying that cheese in block form—no pre-shredded cheese allowed! Pre-shredded cheese is coated to prevent clumping, and this effects how it melts. In fact, sometimes it doesn't melt at all. This creates a soupy sauce with a lumpy texture rather than the thick and silky result we want.
- Choose A Noodle That Holds A Lot Of Sauce You may not think of the noodles when brainstorming how to keep mac and cheese from drying out, but they can be just as important as correctly executing the sauce. Macaroni noodles are the obvious, classic choice for mac and cheese, but another way to avoid dried out macaroni and cheese is to choose a noodle that holds a lot of sauce. Jumbo shells are great, as are noodles with a lot of ridges, nooks, and crannies like cavatappi, rotini, fusilli, campanelle, rigatoni, ziti, and penne.
- Don't Undercook—Or Overcook—The Pasta The importance of the pasta doesn't stop at choosing a noodle shape that maximizes moisture. Understanding how to properly cook the noodles is another crucial part of knowing how to keep mac and cheese from drying out once your dish is in the oven. You want to avoid undercooking your pasta too much because undercooked noodles will absorb all the sauce. Additionally, the mac and cheese will take longer to bake, and that extra time in the oven will only dry out the dish further. You also don't want to overcook the pasta, which will result in soggy, mushy mac and cheese. For best results, the noodles should be al dente.
- Add More Cheese And A Crunchy Topping That final layer of cheese on top of baked mac and cheese isn't just for looks; it also helps keep the saucy noodles underneath from drying out in the oven. If you like a crunchy topping on your baked mac and cheese, you can also add crushed Ritz crackers, corn flakes, potato chips, or breadcrumbs. This not only adds more flavor and a different textural element but also further insulates the noodles, acting as a protective layer to keep the moisture in the sauce beneath from evaporating.
- Cover The Dish With Aluminum Foil Cover the dish with aluminum foil for the majority of the cooking time, only removing it during the last 5 to 10 minutes if you want your cheese or breadcrumbs to develop a golden brown crust. Leaving the mac and cheese uncovered exposes the pasta to the hot air circulating the oven, which can rapidly dry out the dish. Covering the dish with foil will ensure the moisture from the sauce doesn't totally evaporate while baking.
Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni And Cheese
from https://www.marthastewart.com/
Make your own gooey, delicious macaroni and cheese with this no-fail macaroni and cheese recipe. You'll learn how to get the perfect creamy macaroni and cheese consistency.
FMM: One of my own complaints about baked macaroni and cheese is that it often comes out of the oven in a solid form which can be cut into squares, rather than being creamy, which is what I like. Emily Weinstein, on NYTimes.com, described Martha Stewart's recipe this way in her search for the perfect recipe: "I wanted something cheesy, I knew deep down I wouldn’t be entirely happy with an end product that was too solid, a brick in which macaroni is suspended for all eternity in its cell of baked cheddar. It would need to be something creamier and saucier, but without sacrificing the cheese. I also wanted to indulge in a mac with some bread crumbs on top. . . As the name suggests, this is not a humble, modest, sit-by-the-sidelines macaroni and cheese. First of all, the cheese-to-pasta ratio is pretty bodacious. Second, it calls for a combination of sharp cheddar and Gruyere or pecorino Romano, which means big flavors and a relatively pricey trip to the store. You also add a stick of butter and 5 1/2 cups of milk, and finish the whole thing with fresh bread crumbs. Its nickname was Martha’s “crack-and-cheese,” so addictive were its properties. . . Michael took it out of the oven when the bread-crumb topping had darkened to a perfect gold; it may as well have been emanating rays of light. I cut into the pan to find that while the crust was crispy, the inside was still a bit liquid, so that when a piece was served, the macaroni spread out a bit on the plate. Solid enough to hold its form, but creamy."
This makes a lot and you may want to cut the recipe in half or even thirds. I have not tried it.
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish (2 Tbsp. for breadcrumbs, 6 Tbsp. for white sauce)
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar [3 cups are usesd for the sauce, the rest sprinkled on top]
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) OR 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces) [1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano are used for the sauce, the rest sprinkled on top]
1 pound elbow macaroni
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
Breadcrumbs: Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
White sauce with cheese: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
Macaroni: Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.
Serves 12
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook by Christopher Kimball (Little Brown, 1998)
For Kimball the yellow farmhouse is a symbol of a way of life ("where the past is still the present") and a way of cooking ("simple ingredients simply prepared"). The yellow farmhouse is where Marie Briggs, "the town's de facto baker", lived when Kimball was growing up. Many of the dishes in this book are inspired by the kind of cooking he tucked into at Marie Briggs' table after a morning of baling hay with farmhands whose names really were Onie and Herbie. The headings in the table reveal the down-home focus: The Soup Pot, Covered Dish Suppers, Macaroni and Noodles (Kimball notes,"As far as I can remember, nobody on the farm ever used the word 'pasta'"), The Dairy, and The Cookie Jar.
Faith: Uses a white sauce as a basis for the cheese sauce. Tastes very good (the combination of the 3 cheeses gives it a nice cheesy taste, in part due to using the Parmesan cheese, a very strong cheese), but it is not very creamy - add more milk, see next recipe by The House, Los Angeles, CA, but they add more flour? I leave out the nutmeg.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (preferably whole milk)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
5 ounces grated American cheese
5 ounces grated Monterey Jack, fontina or Cheddar cheese
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated high-quality Parmesan cheese
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat 2 tablespoons butter. When foam subsides, add flour and whisk mixture for 1 minute over medium heat. Gradually add milk and continue whisking over medium high heat until mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, salt, and dry mustard.
3. Over low heat, add the American and Monterey Jack cheese and stir with a wooden spoon until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Keep warm.
4. Cook pasta and drain. Add back to pot. Add remaining butter and stir to coat evenly. Add the cheese sauce and the Parmesan to the macaroni and stir to mix. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is hot and creamy. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and additional grated nutmeg if desired.
Topping:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Add the bread crumbs and cook, tossing to coat with butter until bread crumbs just begin to brown. Let cool and stir in Parmesan. Adjust oven rack so it is 6-inches from the heating element and heat broiler. Pour cooked macaroni and cheese into a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle crumbs evenly on top. Broil until crumbs turn deep brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced [skip]
1 bay leaf [skip]
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
Remember to save leftovers for Fried Macaroni and Cheese.
Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy The House, Los Angeles, CA
Faith: This recipe also uses a white sauce as a base for the sauce, but uses more milk than Christopher Kimball's recipe to the left - also more flour, which will make the sauce even thicker.
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup flour
2 3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
10 ounces extra-sharp raw goat-milk cheddar, grated
4 ounces fontina, grated
4 ounces Gruyere, grated
1/2 pound pasta shells
1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs or panko (Japanese brand of coarse dry bread crumbs)
Melt the butter in a saucepan. When it starts to bubble, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. In a separate pot, heat the milk to just below boiling. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove the pot from the heat and add the spices, cheddar, fontina, and Gruyere.
Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes less than al dente in boiling, salted water (the outside of the shell should be cooked but the inside is not).
Preheat the broiler.
Stir the pasta into the cheese sauce and portion evenly among 6 ramekins. Divide bread crumbs evenly among the ramekins and sprinkle on top. Brown the ramekins in the broiler or oven until golden brown and the sauce is bubbly, about 4 minutes.
Fannie Farmer's Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese
This recipe is from the 1946 edition of "Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking School Cookbook". With time on it's side - this recipe is hands down the best for traditional, homemade baked macaroni & cheese.
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups good quality shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
- In a large saucepan melt butter.
- Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
- Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
- Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
- Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
- Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
- Turn off flame.
- Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
- Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- (You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling.).
4 servings
35 minutes prep
Em's Mac n' Cheese
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
2 1/2 cups grated Cheddar (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Emeril's Essence [skip]
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Add the noodles and stir well. Pour into the prepared dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese with the bread crumbs and Essence. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Mac & Cheese
Copyright 2002 Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Ina’s recipe puts sliced tomatoes on top, which is interestingxs.
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (see Note)
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
Note: To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Put the tomatoes and bread crumbs on top and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.
Classic Macaroni and Cheese
from Cook’s Country
Serves 10-12
3–4 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into large pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , 4 tablespoons melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese , (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread, melted butter, and Parmesan in food processor until ground to coarse crumb. Transfer to bowl.
2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni to boiling water and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup macaroni cooking water, then drain and rinse macaroni in colander under cold running water. Set aside.
3. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until foaming. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook until mixture begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water until cheese melts. Stir in macaroni until completely coated.
4. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until cheese is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead: The macaroni and cheese can be made in advance through step 3; since the pasta continues to absorb moisture, adjustments must be made to avoid a dry filling. To do so, increase amount of reserved pasta cooking water to 1 cup. Pour filling into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, lay plastic wrap directly on surface of pasta, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. The bread crumb mixture may be refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, cover macaroni mixture with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle bread crumbs over top, and bake until topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
