Two Options for Cooking Baked Mac and Cheese
|
This dish takes macaroni and cheese to the next level by baking it as a casserole. This dish is especially beloved by Greek cooks. Prep these ingredients:
- macaroni or long ziti pasta (1 pound) - butter (1/3 cup, melted) - 3 eggs, separated - regato cheese, pecorino cheese, or kefalotyri cheese (1.25 cups, grated) - toasted breadcrumbs (quarter cup), for the topping sauce ingredients: - flour (7 to 8 tablespoons) - whole milk (3.5 cups) - 1 egg yolk - butter (6 tablespoons) - salt, pepper, and seasonings First, we'll make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 385 degrees. Get a saucepan out and melt your butter on low heat. When the butter starts melting, you're going to add the flour little by little. Use a large spoon or whisk to stir until the mixture is smooth, then remove from the stovetop. |
|
In a separate saucepan, add the milk and warm until it is warm (don't let it boil). Slowly add this into the mixture while you stir constantly. Put this mixture back on the stove and heat while stirring. Let it get to a smooth, thick and creamy consistency.
Take the mixture off the heat and add your salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you want. Let the mixture cool, then beat your egg yolks and stir those into the mixture.
Now that that's done we'll move on to the macaroni. Start by boiling water, adding the macaroni, and cooking it, but only for half the time recommended on the macaroni package. When this is done, drain the macaroni, then add half the melted butter.
Take the egg whites and beat them until they are nice and fluffy, then stir the beaten egg whites into the cooked macaroni. Add half the grated cheese and mix into the macaroni.
Get your casserole dish and butter it. Add enough sauce to the bottom to coat it in a thin layer. Sprinkle some cheese onto the sauce at the bottom, then add enough macaroni for one layer. Now sprinkle more cheese onto this and then some more sauce. Repeat this process until all the macaroni is used up. Pour any remaining sauce over everything.
Sprinkle on top any remaining cheese, then add the breadcrumbs on top of this, and add the rest of the butter on top of that.
Place in the oven and bake for half an hour and enjoy.
If you want to kick things up a notch, try this baked mac and cheese recipe with chicken, hot sauce, and pepper jack cheese. The ingredients you'll need are:
pasta:
- macaroni or ziti (8 ounces)
- kosher salt
cheese:
- cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- pepper jack cheese (1 cup)
- flour (3 tablespoons)
- milk (half cup)
- half and half (2 cups)
- unsalted butter (3 tablespoons)
- sour cream (half cup)
- dry mustard powder (1 teaspoon)
- hot sauce (quarter cup)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
chicken:
- cooked and shredded chicken (2 or 3 cups)
- unsalted butter, melted (3 tablespoons)
- chopped onion (1 cup)
- chopped celery (1 cup)
- minced garlic (2 cloves)
- hot sauce (third of a cup)
breadcrumb topping:
- panko
- unsalted butter, melted (2 tablespoons)
- crumbled blue cheese (quarter cup)
- chopped parsley (1 tablespoon)
Start by greasing a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish and preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
For the topping, start with a small bowl and mix in the panko breadcrumbs, blue cheese, parsley, and melted butter. Mix and set aside.
Boil a large saucepan of water and add the salt and pasta. Cook the pasta, following package directions. Drain and put in a large bowl, set aside.
In a skillet on medium heat, melt the butter for the chicken. Add the celery and onion and let it cook while stirring, about 5 minutes. Add your minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Now add the chicken and hot sauce and cook for another minute. Add to the macaroni in the large bowl, set aside.
Now on to the cheese sauce. Use the rest of the butter, melting it in your saucepan over medium. Add in the mustard and flour and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Now whisk the milk and half-and-half in with the butter, flour, and the rest of the hot sauce. Cook, stir, and let the sauce thicken. Stir in the sour cream, cheddar, and pepper jack so that it is totally mixed and smooth. Season to taste.
Pour the cheese sauce into the bowl with the cooked macaroni/chicken. Stir to combine. Pour into your casserole dish.
Now you're going to bake for 20-30 minutes. You want the breadcrumbs on top to be nicely browned.
Take the mixture off the heat and add your salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you want. Let the mixture cool, then beat your egg yolks and stir those into the mixture.
Now that that's done we'll move on to the macaroni. Start by boiling water, adding the macaroni, and cooking it, but only for half the time recommended on the macaroni package. When this is done, drain the macaroni, then add half the melted butter.
Take the egg whites and beat them until they are nice and fluffy, then stir the beaten egg whites into the cooked macaroni. Add half the grated cheese and mix into the macaroni.
Get your casserole dish and butter it. Add enough sauce to the bottom to coat it in a thin layer. Sprinkle some cheese onto the sauce at the bottom, then add enough macaroni for one layer. Now sprinkle more cheese onto this and then some more sauce. Repeat this process until all the macaroni is used up. Pour any remaining sauce over everything.
Sprinkle on top any remaining cheese, then add the breadcrumbs on top of this, and add the rest of the butter on top of that.
Place in the oven and bake for half an hour and enjoy.
If you want to kick things up a notch, try this baked mac and cheese recipe with chicken, hot sauce, and pepper jack cheese. The ingredients you'll need are:
pasta:
- macaroni or ziti (8 ounces)
- kosher salt
cheese:
- cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- pepper jack cheese (1 cup)
- flour (3 tablespoons)
- milk (half cup)
- half and half (2 cups)
- unsalted butter (3 tablespoons)
- sour cream (half cup)
- dry mustard powder (1 teaspoon)
- hot sauce (quarter cup)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
chicken:
- cooked and shredded chicken (2 or 3 cups)
- unsalted butter, melted (3 tablespoons)
- chopped onion (1 cup)
- chopped celery (1 cup)
- minced garlic (2 cloves)
- hot sauce (third of a cup)
breadcrumb topping:
- panko
- unsalted butter, melted (2 tablespoons)
- crumbled blue cheese (quarter cup)
- chopped parsley (1 tablespoon)
Start by greasing a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish and preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
For the topping, start with a small bowl and mix in the panko breadcrumbs, blue cheese, parsley, and melted butter. Mix and set aside.
Boil a large saucepan of water and add the salt and pasta. Cook the pasta, following package directions. Drain and put in a large bowl, set aside.
In a skillet on medium heat, melt the butter for the chicken. Add the celery and onion and let it cook while stirring, about 5 minutes. Add your minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Now add the chicken and hot sauce and cook for another minute. Add to the macaroni in the large bowl, set aside.
Now on to the cheese sauce. Use the rest of the butter, melting it in your saucepan over medium. Add in the mustard and flour and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Now whisk the milk and half-and-half in with the butter, flour, and the rest of the hot sauce. Cook, stir, and let the sauce thicken. Stir in the sour cream, cheddar, and pepper jack so that it is totally mixed and smooth. Season to taste.
Pour the cheese sauce into the bowl with the cooked macaroni/chicken. Stir to combine. Pour into your casserole dish.
Now you're going to bake for 20-30 minutes. You want the breadcrumbs on top to be nicely browned.