Baked and Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

            Who does not love the smell of cheesy macaroni? The memories it tends to evoke in my mind are great. I am not talking about the box type of macaroni and cheese. It just does not have the same flavor as this recipe. Not only is this considered one of the top comfort foods anywhere, it is also versatile. What I mean by that is that you can change up, tweak or add ingredients as you choose.

This dish can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Do not bake it until shortly before serving. Before baking, let the dish sit on the counter for one half hour before placing it in the oven to bake. There is one negative about making this ahead of time. The creaminess and cheesiness will lose some of it’s zing when prepared early.

My suggestion is to make it as close to the time you plan to eat or serve. One other important note I need to mention: When it comes to the cheese, please shred your own.

Those prepackages shredded cheeses contain a starch to prevent clumping, but that starch can also hinder the melting too.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Won’t the pasta be soggy after boiling and baking it?

That is why I make the suggestion to not boil the macaroni as long as you normally would. You want it to be less than al dente’ so that as it bakes, it will soak up the cheesy sauce.

How can I get the liquid to thicken faster?

For this reason, I set my liquids on the counter so that they will get to room temperature. Cold liquid will take longer to heat up to thicken. The room temp liquid will take less than half the amount of time to heat up.

What if we do not like those types of cheeses in the recipe?

Please, by all means, use your favorite cheeses in the recipe. Sharp cheddar and Mozzarella, Gruyere and Swiss, any combination that you enjoy can be used.

Making mac and cheese ahead of time

Make as ordered (yet do not heat), move to get a ready plate, and a little cold. Cover firmly with stop and store in a cold space 1-2 days ahead.

Before getting ready, let the plate be seated on a bit for recording points for 30 minutes.

Get ready at rules temperature 5 for 25-35 minutes, until burning and effervescent 7.

What ingredients do you need for macaroni and Cheese

1 pound, 8 cups cooked elbow macaroni

1 pound of Velveeta cheese

2 cups Monterey Jack, shredded

2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup of milk divided

4 tbsp butter melted

2 large eggs, beaten

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs for garnish

Additions:

            Bacon

            Tuna

            Smoked Sausage

            Chopped vegetables

            Ritz crackers, substituted for the Panko bread crumbs

How to make macaroni and Cheese

First Step: 

Preheat the oven to 375*

Cook the macaroni until just before al dente’, drain well

Second Step: 

In a saucepan put ½ cup milk and the velveeta, heat until the cheese is completely melted

In a mixing bowl add the eggs, garlic powder, salt and pepper, paprika and 1 cup each of the shredded cheeses.

Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir well to combine.

a)

b)

Third Step: 

In a mixing basin, join the eggs, margarine, garlic powder, hot-tasting powder, salt, and strong tasting powder, and 1 cup of every one of them made waste of cheeses.

With nothing in this, mix into the macaroni, and combine to make into one sound.

Fourth Step: 

Place the drained macaroni into a 9 x 13 baking dish

Pour the melted cheese mix over the macaroni, and stir to combine

Send out in tiny drops some panko bread bits on top and heat for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!