Creamy Weeknight Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a big skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• Whisk the flour in gradually until the mixture is smooth.
• Cook and whisk continually for 2 minutes.
• Add in salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic; stir to combine.
• Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk.
• Cook and whisk continually for 8-10 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
• Add in half of the sharp cheddar cheese; stir.
• Add in all of the extra-sharp cheddar cheese; stir until smooth.
• Take skillet off stove burner.
• Mix together the cooked macaroni and cheese mixture; transfer to a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sharp cheddar cheese.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes (may need to bake longer for a crispy top).

EASY WEEKNIGHT MAC AND CHEESE 4 WAYS

Steps:

• Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, about 8 minutes.
• While macaroni is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in Almond Breeze almondmilk and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Stir in mustard, onion powder, and garlic salt.
• Add cheese a little at a time, cooking and stirring until melted before adding more. Season with pepper. Drain macaroni well and stir in. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• For Sausage and Pepper topping: Cook sausage and onion in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and thyme; cook and stir for 2 minutes more to soften peppers. Serve over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.
• For Riced Veggie and Bacon topping: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in riced veggies; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Season with garlic salt. Serve over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.
• For Pepperoni and Veggie Pizza topping: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepperoni and cook until both are lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes to soften. Stir in olives, if desired. Spoon over hot Weeknight Mac and Cheese.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in sour cream, Velveeta, Parmesan cheese, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth and cheese is melted. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. , Drain macaroni; toss with cheddar cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in cream sauce. , Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

CREAMY WEEKNIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until just barely al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, bring milk up to a simmer in a large pot. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese, and whisk until it's completely blended and no lumps remain. Add Cheddar cheese and butter, whisking until everything is completely melted. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
• Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened and is coating each piece of pasta nicely, 2 to 3 minutes; sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Season again with more salt and pepper before serving.

CREAMY STOVETOP MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the half-and-half and cayenne in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until the half-and-half is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni to the saucepan and stir to combine. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Season to taste with salt if needed. Serve hot.

EXTRA RICH-AND-CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Combine the evaporated milk, eggs, havarti, Colby jack, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add the pasta and sour cream to the sauce; toss to coat, then let sit 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly. Add the reserved cooking water to loosen, if desired.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
• Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
• Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see notes) to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just past al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Return the empty pot to the stove (no need to clean it) and set over medium heat. Melt the butter and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the butter stops spurting and quiets down, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth like gravy, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the milk. Raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, then immediately reduce the heat to low and continue simmering until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, 2 to 5 minutes. At this stage, the sauce should be smooth but relatively loose. Take the pot off the heat.
• To the pot, add the Cheddar, Velveeta, Pecorino Romano, mustard powder, onion powder and cayenne, and season generously with salt and black pepper. Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth like nacho cheese. Add the drained pasta, breaking up any clumps, and stir until evenly coated in the cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or dish and bake until bubbling at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

CREAMY MACARONI 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave onion on high for 1 minute or until tender; drain. Add the macaroni, cheddar cheese and parsley; set aside., In a blender, combine the milk, cottage cheese, mustard, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Stir into macaroni mixture., Pour into a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.