If you’ve never prepared homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch and not from a box, you’re in for a treat. Making comfort food is quicker and easier than you might think, and your family will love the delicious aromas coming out of the oven.
Basic Baked Mac ‘n Cheese
Every great mac and cheese meal starts with a cream sauce. So let’s get going on how that’s done, and the rest is easy peasy, mac ‘n cheesey!
Ingredients
1 lb. elbow macaroni
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup butter
2 cups milk
6 cups shredded cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste
To Make
- Place a medium sauce pan on the stove. Add the flour and butter. Turn to medium heat and begin moving the flour and butter around the pan until a doughy clump forms.
- As soon as kitchen starts to smell like butter cookies, pour in the milk. Set the stove on medium-high to get the mixture boiling.
- Use a whisk to stir the milk, flour and butter mixture. This is called a rhoux in French cooking.
- When the milk reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir constantly. The liquid will thicken as you stir.
- Once the cream sauce is thick enough to stick to the spoon, shut off the heat.
- Stir in 3 cups of cheese until well incorporated.
- Next, cook the elbow macaroni on the stove top until just al dente. You want the noodles to stay firm for baking in the oven later.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 Pyrex baking dish.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle 2 more cups of shredded cheddar over the top and gently mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the last cup of shredded cheese over the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and crisped on top to your liking.
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Creamy Broccoli Penne with Parmesan
Broccoli does a great, healthy riff on classic mac and cheese… and why stop at elbow macaroni when there are so many other fun shapes of pasta? Top this comforting casserole with a sprinkle of Parmesan, and dig in for healthy, hearty goodness.
Ingredients
1 medium bag of frozen broccoli florets
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tb butter
1 lb penne pasta
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup butter
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups shredded Provolone
2 cups Parmesan
Salt and pepper
To Make
- Add the frozen broccoli to a medium sauce pan with a small amount of water in the bottom.
- Cook on medium-high to boil, then lower heat to medium-low. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
- Make a cream sauce. Add the flour, butter and milk to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil on medium high. Then lower to medium-low, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens to a sauce.
- When it’s thick enough to coat the spoon, stir in 3 cups of the cheese.
- Remove from heat and let sit. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grease a 9x13inch Pyrex dish.
- Pour in the penne noodles.
- Top with the cheese sauce.
- Shake Parmesan all over the top, add in parsley and diced onion, and stir.
- Poke the broccoli florets into the creamy pasta so they’re mostly covered.
- Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and crisped at the edges.
Serve hot, with a fresh salad.
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Meat Lovers’ Mac ‘n Cheese
The heartiest of hearty, meat lovers’ mac and cheese makes the perfect, belly-filling supper for a day of snow shoveling, working outside in the cold… or just because! Three kinds of meat take this comforting classic dinner to the next level of yum.
Ingredients
½ package crumbled sausage, cooked
2 cups diced, cooked ham
½ package bacon, cooked to crispy
1 small onion, chopped
½ bell pepper, chopped
1 pound elbow macaroni or small shells
2 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheese – can be mixed, like cheddar, provolone and Swiss
Black pepper to taste
To Make
- Cook and drain the meats on a paper towel, then set aside.
- Prepare the pasta according to package instructions and cook to just al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease a 9×13 Pyrex pan.
- Pour the cooked pasta into the pan.
- Add most of the shredded cheese and toss to combine.
- Mix in the onion and pepper bits. Break up or cut up the meat into crumbles as needed.
- Pour in the milk and mix gently to incorporate.
- Top with one final layer of cheese.
- Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until done to your liking.
Serve hot, with a tomato salad.
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Creamy Pasta with Spinach and Artichoke Hearts
Creamy meets tangy in this Italian-inspired spin on macaroni and cheese that will have your family members asking you to make it again and again. A delicious way to get your kids to eat their veggies, and you can’t beat a nearly one-pot comfort-food meal.
Ingredients
1 lb ziti
2 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed.
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
6 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups grated Parmesan
1 cup sour cream
To Make
- Drain the thawed spinach by pressing it into a strainer over the sink. When as much of the liquid is removed as possible, set aside.
- Grease a 9×13 inch Pyrex baking dish and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the ziti according to package directions, cooking to just al dente.
- Add the pasta to the baking dish.
- Fold in the sour cream.
- Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and season with pepper, then mix gently.
- Spoon in the spinach and artichoke hearts, tossing carefully so as not to break up the ziti.
- Sprinkle Parmesan over the top.
- Shake a final layer of shredded mozzarella over all.
- Bake at 350 degrees until done to your liking.
Serve with crusty bread and a cucumber salad.
