Crunchy Mac Cheese Recipes

CRISPY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a baking sheet.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain well. Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl, add the butter and toss to coat.
• Whisk together the milk, eggs and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Add the milk-egg mixture to the macaroni; add the Cheddar and stir until evenly distributed.
• Pour the macaroni onto the prepared baking sheet and spread flat. Bake until the top is brown and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

EXTRA-CRUNCHY SHEET-PAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the macaroni, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the half-and-half, cream cheese, and reserved pasta water in a large pot over medium heat, stirring until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce, whisking until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni to the pot and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if desired. Spread the macaroni mixture on an 18-by-13-inch sheet pan.
• Toss the panko, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are brown and crisp, rotating halfway through, 20 to 25 minutes.

CRUNCH-TOPPED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the paprika, turmeric and panko and cook, stirring, until the panko is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes; transfer to a small bowl and set aside for topping.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until tender, 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender.
• Add the macaroni to the pot and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add half of the reserved cooking water to the blender with the carrots and puree until smooth.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour and mustard powder and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in the evaporated milk and carrot puree; simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses until melted. Add the pasta and stir to coat, adding the remaining cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with the panko mixture.

'GOT SOME CRUST' MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and mix with half of the butter.
• While the macaroni is boiling, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook 5 minutes longer. Add the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook and stir until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes. Once thick and smooth, stir in the salt, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, mustard, 2 cups of Cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheeses have melted, then stir in the macaroni until evenly coated. Scrape into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top. Toss the remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese with the dry bread crumbs in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the macaroni is hot and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

CRUNCHY-TOP MAC-AND-CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large saucepan of salted water to boil.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 4 minutes; set aside.
• Add squash to boiling water; cover and return to boil. Cook, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine broth, Cheddar, Pecorino, cream cheese, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper in blender. With slotted spoon, transfer cooked squash to blender and puree. (Leave water in pan.).
• Bring water back to boil. Cook pasta half the directed time on package; add cauliflower during last minute of cooking time. Drain; return to pot. Stir in puree and toss to coat. Spread pasta mixture in prepared baking dish; top with crumb mixture and spray with nonstick spray. Bake until top is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 25 minutes.

HOT CHEESE CRUNCHY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than the box instructions (it will finish in the oven). Drain and set aside.
• Add the milk and annatto to a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a low simmer. Place 1 cup cheese snacks in the center of a double-layered square of cheesecloth. Gather the sides together to form a pouch and secure with kitchen twine. Put the pouch in the warm milk and steep for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, then remove the pouch and discard.
• Add the butter to a 6-quart Dutch oven and let melt, then add the flour to make a roux. Whisk until smooth, then cook until blonde in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, then cook, whisking occasionally, about 2 minutes more. Add the cheeses and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the pasta until fully coated. Transfer the mac and cheese to the buttered baking dish.
• Crush the remaining cup cheese snacks in a resealable bag using a rolling pin. Top the mac and cheese in an even layer with the crumbled hot cheese snacks and bake until bubbly and gooey, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

CRISPY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and whisk in the monterey jack, gruyere and cheddar one cheese at a time, allowing each cheese to melt before adding more. Add the pasta and stir until coated, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen (the sauce will thicken as it bakes).
• Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the panko, parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir to combine. Scatter over the pasta and bake until the crumbs are browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.
• In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

CRUNCHY WHITE BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. , In same saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, whole milk, deli cheese and cheddar cheese. Cook and stir until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in macaroni; heat through. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes; sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10-15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED, CRUNCHY-TOPPING, MAC N CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Grease a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
• Bring a pot of salted water (Who wants bland pasta?) to boil for the macaroni.
• The yummy topping: Melt 2 T unsalted butter
• In a bowl stir melted butter together with crushed Ritz and 1 cup cheddar until well combined. This can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• The yummy sauce: In a 5-quart heavy saucepan melt 3 T butter over med low heat.
• Stir in flour and red pepper flakes.
• Stir about 3 minutes and whisk in milk.
• Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.
• Simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 3 minutes or so.
• Stir in the cream, the 4 cups of cheddar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.
• Cook macaroni in boiling water, al dente. (per package instructions)
• Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Drain macaroni.
• Return the macaroni to the pot (off the burner) and mix together the macaroni, reserved cooking water, and the sauce. (The sauce does stick a bit to the wax paper when removed)
• Transfer macaroni mixture to baking dish.
• Sprinkle topping evenly over the macaroni and bake on middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown and bubbling.