Quick Crunchy Mac Cheese Recipes

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.

SIMPLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.

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.

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.

3-INGREDIENT MAC & CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil.
• Add the pasta and stir constantly until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, then add the cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and the pasta is evenly coated.
• Enjoy!

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.

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.

QUICK MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven broiler. Grease a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Microwave frozen mac and cheese according to package directions.
• Stir together macaroni, mac and cheese, milk and pepper in prepared dish. Mix well. Microwave on high 2 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with Cheddar and Parmesan and place under oven broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.

BEST EVER MACARONI CHEESE WITH CRUNCH CRUMB

Steps:

• Put the bay leaves, leek and milk in a pan, and gently heat until steaming but just below boiling point. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 1 hr.
• Drain the milk and discard the leek and bay. Wipe out the pan, then add the butter, flour and mustard powder. Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted, then cook to a paste for 1 min. Splash in some milk gradually and stir until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, a little at a time at first, then gradually add more as the mixture gets saucy. (If you get any lumps, give it a vigorous whisk to remove them.) Heat, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom of the pan so it doesn't catch, until the sauce is bubbling and nicely thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g of the cheddar and 25g of the parmesan. Season really well - keep tasting, as it will need a generous amount of salt.
• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions, until it is almost tender but still has a bit of chew to it. Drain well, then stir into the cheese sauce with three-quarters of the spring onions. Scrape into a large ovenproof dish or several individual ones.
• Scatter the remaining cheddar over the macaroni, then alternate between draping over pancetta slices (bunching them up a bit) and scattering with the bread cubes and remaining spring onions. (If you keep swapping between ingredients you'll get a nice mix of everything on the top.) Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and add a very little drizzle of oil - holding your thumb over the bottle so just a trickle comes out. Can now be cooled, covered and chilled for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 40 mins until bubbling, and crunchy and golden on top (if using individual dishes, check after 30 mins).

CHEDDAR MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2-quart casserole. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package.
• Melt margarine in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in macaroni until well coated. Spoon into casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until hot in center.