If you love cheese, chances are you’ll never say no to a hearty bowl of savoury, gooey and rich macaroni and cheese. This classic American pasta dish is always a winner, but it’s made so badly in most places, it’s almost becoming popular for being horrible. When you do it the right way though, it can be an absolute killer. So, we’re sharing with you five yummy mac n’ cheese recipes you can try at home. Do let us know if you like them!
You’ll need:
8 ounces uncooked pasta
4 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup flour
pepper, red pepper, dry mustard and garlic salt to taste
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
small handful of chopped chives
1 cup bread crumbs
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water seasoned with some salt until al dente. Be sure to under cook the pasta a little so that it can continue its cooking process while in the oven. Strain and set aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter, then add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stir and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Season with your favourite spices, then pour in the stock and milk, while stirring to combine. Stir in 1 cup of Pepper Jack cheese and 1 cup cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, then stir until melted. Add the pasta and pour into your baking dish. Top it off with the remaining 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, chives and then bread crumbs. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.
2. Croque Monsieur Mac & Cheese
You’ll need:
1/2 pound macaroni or ziti
2 cups milk
2 cups coarsely grated gruyere cheese
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
3 slices white sandwich bread, roughly diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
8 ounces thinly sliced deli-boiled ham
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water seasoned with some salt until al dente, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup milk.
Combine both cheeses in a bowl. In another bowl, beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs, then fold in the bread and add half of the cheeses.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add in the onion and garlic, then cook while stirring until just brown. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, then cook while stirring. Add 3/4 cup water gradually and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, bring to a boil while stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Stir in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.
Butter a shallow casserole dish. Add half of the pasta, top with some of the ham and fill in the dish with the remaining pasta. Top everything off with the remaining ham, then cover with the bread mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly. This takes about 20 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
You’ll need:
1 pack elbow macaroni
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crushed saltines
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings, then heat through. Stir in the Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream. Drain macaroni, stir into cheese sauce with the saltines. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
4. No-roux stovetop macaroni and cheese
You’ll need:
1 pound pasta, any shape
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2-3 cups shredded cheese, like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
Optional extras (cook before adding): Ham, bacon, onions, peas, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower
Cook the pasta in boiling water seasoned with some salt until al dente. Drain and set aside.
To prepare the cheese sauce, warm 1 cup of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and the flour until there are no lumps. When you start to see steam rising from the warm milk, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture. Continue whisking gently until the milk thickens slightly to the consistency of heavy cream. This takes 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat to low and begin mixing handfuls of cheese into the milk. Stir in the salt and mustard. Stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust the flavour as desired. Remove the sauce from heat.
In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the pasta evenly. Add the second half of the sauce and any extra toppings. Serve the mac and cheese immediately while it is still warm.
You’ll need:
8 oz. (1/2 pound or about 1 3/4 cups) macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika plus more for sprinkling
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
3 cups grated medium cheddar cheese
Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then in a pan and over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes, then stir in the milk. Whisk constantly for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss gently until everything is covered. Add half the pasta into a casserole dish and sprinkle on half the cheese. Add the rest of the pasta and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, then dust lightly with the smoked paprika. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until it starts getting slightly dry and a tiny bit brown on the top. Serve immediately.
If you know any restaurants in the Klang Valley that serve a to-die-for mac n’ cheese, let us know in the comments section below!
