This Easy Baked Mac and Cheese is made by baking a mixture consisting cooked elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, all purpose flour, butter, milk, all purpose cream, pepper, paprika powder. Calling all cheese lovers and try to make this easy macaroni and cheese recipe at home. This Easy Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is a bit expensive so make sure to make a large batch and serve it during a special occasion.
MACARONI AND CHEESE
We all love cheese (sorry for the lactose-intolerant community). Even when we deny it, we simply LOVE cheese. I consider cheese as an enhancer to any food. I cannot imagine a food which will not be made special with the addition of cheese. What more when cheese is the main ingredient of dish?
If you have read my previous blogs, you’ll know that I am a veggie lover and would always choose veggie dishes whenever I can. Well.. like they say, every rule has an exception. If you put me in a room with all my favorite veggie dishes and the mac and cheese, I will give my point to… *drumroll* mac and cheese! (I’m sorry veggies. It’s not you, it’s me.)
Growing up, I have only known two types of cheeses. Actually it’s the brand rather than the type. Eden and Quickmelt cheeses have been a part of my cheese dish adventures. (I consider cheese whiz a cheese spread). And now that I’m an adult who does the grocery on my own, I always take the time to wander the supermarket. I have heard other types of cheeses similar to what will be used in this recipe but I thought that they were only available in other countries since I commonly see them in cooking videos made by foreign people. The moment I knew that they have always been in local supermarkets, I literally told my self “It’s mac and cheese time!”
Macaroni and cheese, or mac n cheese for short, is a cheesy macaroni pasta dish made with different types of cheeses. Some versions of this dish uses meat but I chose to make my mac and cheese meatless. What makes mac and cheese unique is that it uses a cheesy white sauce instead of the famous tomato-based sauce for pastas.
If you have a budget and wanna try something new especially for occasions, read the mac and cheese recipe below and give it a try! Happy cooking!
HOW TO MAKE MACARONI AND CHEESE
May be you look at the ingredients list and the first thing you notice are the cheeses. “Oh no. What are these cheeses?” Don’t be intimidated as these cheeses are always available in supermarkets. About these cheeses, I once used a pre-grated cheese and noticed that they are not sticking too much. I then learned that these cheeses has a coating that prevents them from sticking to each other. So in making mac and cheese, I highly recommend to buy a block and just grate them at home. They may be a bit pricey, so make sure to consider your budget.
Making the mac and cheese is actually very easy compared to what you expected. Of course, we start by cooking the pasta. It is best to cook it until almost al dente since it will further cook with the other ingredients for later. When your cheeses are ready, simply combine them in a bowl to make a cheese mixture of these different cheeses.
The last ingredient to prepare is the sauce. Start by making a roux. Finish the sauce by adding milk and all purpose cream. Congrats! You have made the famous béchamel sauce. To make it a mac and cheese sauce, add your grated cheese and melt it in the sauce. Add the cooked macaroni and mix well. If you don’t have an oven or simply in a rush, the mac and cheese is already delicious at this point and you can eat it now. If you have an oven and more time in the kitchen, let’s give our mac and cheese a crispy crust.
Grease a baking dish and make layers of the pasta, grated cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese and then bake. I like my mac and cheese when the top starts to bubble and the edges are starting to brown. Let your mac and cheese cool a bit or eat it straight out of the oven!
Macaroni and Cheese
10
servingsIngredients
400 grams elbow macaroni
1 ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup Monterey jack cheese (you may use gruyere, velveeta, quickmelt or any cheese)
½ cup mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk (or fresh milk)
1 cup all purpose cream (or half and half milk)
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
Directions
- Boil some water in a pot and add salt. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until almost al dente. When cooked, drain the water and let the pasta cool.
- Prepare and grate your different cheeses (better to use block of cheese). Combine these cheeses in a bowl. Set aside.
- Melt some butter in a pan and add some flour to make a roux. Whisk until smooth. Cook for a few minutes using low heat while until it turns pale yellow. Stir continuously.
- Add the milk little by little while stirring continuously. Add the all purpose cream and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika powder (optional). Cook the sauce using low heat until it starts to thicken.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the grated cheese mixture. Reserve ½ cup of the grated cheese mixture for toppings. Stir gently until all the cheese melts.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and mix well until every piece is coated.
- If you have no oven, you can cook it at this point.
- If you have oven, grease a baking dish with butter and add the mac and cheese. Add the reserved grated cheese mixture. Add more mozzarella cheese. Make another set of this layer. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes using 180C or 350F.
- Remove the mac and cheese from the oven and scoop a big portion for yourself. Enjoy!
Mac and Cheese Recipe (TAGALOG)
MGA SANGKAP:
- 400 grams elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ tasa ng sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ tasa ng Monterey jack cheese (pwedeng gumamit ng gruyere, velveeta, quickmelt o any cheese)
- ½ tasa ng mozzarella cheese
- 4 kutsara ng harina
- 4 kutsara ng butter
- 3 tasa ng gatas (o fresh milk)
- 1 tasa ng all purpose cream (o half and half milk)
- asin at paminta
- ½ kutsarita ng smoked paprika powder
PAANO LUTUIN:
- Magpakulo ng tubig at lagyan ng asin. Ilagay ang elbow macaroni at lutuin hanggang malapit nang maging al dente. Kapag luto na, idrain ang tubig at palamigin ang pasta.
- I-grate ang mga cheese (mas magandang gumamit ng block). Paghaluin ang mga cheese sa isang bowl. Isantabi.
- Tunawin ang butter sa isang kawali at lagyan ng harina para makagawa ng roux. Haluin hanggang maging smooth. Lutuin ito ng ilang minuto gamit ang mababang apoy hanggang maging pale yellow. Haluin ng tuloy-tuloy.
- Ilagay ang gatas ng paunti-unti habang hinahalo. Ilagay ang all purpose cream at haluin ng mabuti. Budburan ng asin, paminta at smoked paprika powder (optional). Lutuin ang sauce gamit ang mababang apoy hanggang lumapot.
- Alisin ang sauce sa apoy at ilagay ang grated cheese mixture. Magtabi ng ½ cup ng cheese para sa toppings. Haluin ito hanggang matunaw ang mga cheese.
- Ilagay ang macaroni pasta sa sauce at haluin ng mabuti.
- Kung walang oven, pwede na itong kainin.
- Kung may oven, i-grease ang baking dish gamit ang butter at ilagay ang mac and cheese. Ilagay ang isinantabing grated cheese mixture. Lagyan pa ng mozzarella cheese. Gumawa ng isa pang set ng ganitong layers. I-bake ang mac and cheese sa preheated oven ng 20 – 25 minuto gamit ang 180C o 350F.
- Alisin ang mac and cheese sa oven at kumuha ng malaking portion para sayo. Enjoy!
