Crouton Topped Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook elbow macaroni for 9 minutes.
• Drain, cover and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• In medium saucepan, melt margarine or butter; blend in flour, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly; gradually add milk.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Gradually mix in cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted.
• Add pasta; mix together lightly. Pour into 2-quart casserole.
• Top with croutons. Bake 25 minutes.

BETTER THAN MOM'S MAC 'N CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. (NOTE:) Recipe may be doubled for 9"x13" or 4 qt. casserole.
• 2. Lightly grease a 2 or 2 1/2 quart casserole dish; set aside.
• 3. (This step is the most time consuming, so you may want to shred the cheeses ahead of time. Please don't use the pre-shredded cheeses as it will negatively affect your results.) Gather and prep all ingredients except macaroni (shred cheeses, crush croutons etc...).
• 4. Add water and 1 teaspoon salt to large pot (5 qt. or larger;) over high heat, bring water to boil.
• 5. Add macaroni; stir. When water returns to boil, reduce heat to medium-high; set timer and cook for 8 minutes.
• 6. Drain macaroni, but do NOT rinse.
• 7. Return macaroni to the hot pot.
• 8. Immediately add butter and cream cheese; stir gently until melted.
• 9. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a plastic food bag or bowl combine cheeses.
• 10. Add combined cheeses to macaroni. Stir to mix well.
• 11. Into the half & half, add egg, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Whisk or beat well with a fork until very well combined.
• 12. Pour over macaroni and cheese mixture in pan; stir to mix well.
• 13. Pour macaroni mixture evenly into prepared dish. (If you have a little shredded cheese leftover, you may sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture, up to 1/2 cup.)
• 14. Make the topping by combining crushed croutons with melted butter.
• 15. Stir to coat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
• 16. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni.
• 17. Bake at 350ºF for approximately 50 to 60 minutes (place a sheet of aluminum foil over it, towards the end of cooking time, if it is beginning to become too browned).
• 18. Serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. If reheating, add a tablespoon of milk or half & half to the bottom of the dish.

BEYOND MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine macaroni, butter, and egg in a large mixing bowl.
• Dissolve salt and mustard in hot water; stir into macaroni.
• Mix in cheese, reserving enough for topping.
• Lightly spray a 2-qt casserole dish with no-stick cooking spray; pour in macaroni; pour milk evenly over macaroni; top with croutons and remaining cheese.
• Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty.
• This macaroni and cheese is best baked for about 25 minutes, removed from the oven, topped with croutons and cheese, then returned to the oven to finish baking. Doing this keeps the topping a nice (not overdone) golden-brown.
• NOTE: 8 ounces elbow macaroni equals 2 cups before cooking. I often use rounded cups of dry macaroni when making this recipe.