Worlds Best Mac Cheese Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil an 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain into a colander and rinse under cold water until cool, then drain again.
• Stir together pasta and cheese sauce until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned in places, about 20 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large pot of water over high heat and cover. Place a large saute pan with 2 tbsp oil or bacon grease over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add mushrooms to the pan and saute for 7-10 minutes or until fully cooked and slightly caramelized. Toss or stir occasionally. Season with a pinch of Kosher Salt and Black Pepper then deglaze the pan with the Sherry Vinegar. Allow all of the vinegar to cook out, then remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
• Now time for the cheese sauce! Add 4 tbsp butter to a medium sauce pan. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in 4 tbsp all-purpose flour. Whisk for about 30 seconds, just long enough to lose the raw flour taste but not long enough for the flour to caramelize. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring to allow the herbs to saute for about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the warm milk while whisking continuously so the roux and milk incorporate smoothly with no lumps. (HINT: Sometimes removing the pot from the heat source while you stir in the milk will help reduce the possibility of lumps forming.) Allow the mixture to come to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• While waiting for the sauce to simmer, start the pasta. Liberally salt the pot of boiling water. The water should taste very salty for best results. Add the pasta to the water and cook for a minute or two less than the suggested time on the pasta package so that the pasta is very firm, because you will be baking it later and you don't want it to get too soft.
• Once your sauce has reached simmer, stir in the chevre, cheddar and half (2 oz) of the parmigiano reggiano cheeses. Add truffle oil and slowly stir until the sauce is smooth, with all cheese melted. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a small mixing bowl combine remaining parmigiano reggiano and panko.
• Remove the pasta from heat and strain immediately making sure it is well drained. Return to empty pot or use a large mixing bowl to toss the pasta, cheese sauce and mushrooms. Place mixture in a deep glass or ceramic loaf pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the Panko/cheese mixture over the top, coating evenly. Bake on upper shelf of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and cheese sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy the best mac & cheese you'll ever eat!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter or oil an 8-inch baking dish.
• Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse the pasta in cold water and set aside.
• Combine the cooked pasta and the sauce in a medium bowl and mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the cheeses and then the chili powder.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let the mac and cheese sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• Beecher's Flagship Cheese Sauce
• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
• Add the cheeses, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• This sauce reheats nicely on the stove in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently so the sauce doesn't scorch.
• Make Ahead
• This recipe can be assembled before baking and frozen for up to 3 months-just be sure to use a freezer-to-oven pan and increase the baking time to 50 minutes.
• notes
• One-half teaspoon of chipotle chili powder makes a spicy mac, so make sure your family and friends can handle it!
• The proportion of pasta to cheese sauce is crucial to the success of the dish. It will look like a lot of sauce for the pasta, but some of the liquid will be absorbed.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the baguette chunks over a baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter and season. Bake for 6 mins until crisp, then set aside.
• Boil the pasta for 2 mins less than stated on the pack, then drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and English mustard powder, cook for 1 min, then stir in the plain flour.
• Cook for 1 min more, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce. Simmer for 5 mins, whisking all the time until thickened. Take off the heat, then stir in the cheddar and half the parmesan.
• Stir the pasta and some seasoning into the cheesy sauce. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, or four individual dishes.
• Scatter over the bread and the remaining parmesan, then bake for 20 mins until crisp and golden. Can be frozen before baking - defrost thoroughly before cooking.

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.

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.