Because my youngest daughter has been practicing her recorder flute for 72 hours straight and because we have to make a Pilgrim and an Indian out of clothespins for homework this weekend, I need comfort food. Baked Macaroni and Cheese ranks high on my list of top comfort foods. For me, those are foods that bring feelings of coziness and a sense of nostalgia. They help me feel better no matter what is going on around me (like helping me tune out some of the high-pitched screeches coming from Juliette’s recorder). Here’s what my top 5 list looks like:
- Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies (with a glass of milk)
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Saucy stews served over rice
Clearly, my list deviates to carbs, which I suppose is not a surprising component in comfort food. What would your list look like? Leave me your top five in the comments section and I will try to feature a few of those recipes here.
For Thanksgiving, we typically either visit my husband’s family in New Orleans, or have a “Friendsgiving” in South Florida where we live. My usual contribution to Friendsgiving is this Baked Macaroni and Cheese and a super popular Sweet Potato Casserole (which I will feature next week). This recipe started off as a side dish for the kids in our get-togethers, but over the years, I began to notice that the adults were always just as interested in it as the kids and I could see them trying to sneak spoonfuls onto their plates “just to taste it”. Let’s face it, many of us are mac and cheese lovers and should not feel shame in that, so I began doubling the recipe for our holiday gatherings to make all kids (young and old) happy. No more closet mac and cheese eaters at our Friendsgiving.
I have made many macaroni and cheese recipes over the years. This is by far my favorite for 2 reasons. First, it is creamy and doesn’t clump and curdle. This is because it is made extra “soupy” initially. It’s the key to ensuring a smooth end result. Second, it is a make-ahead recipe, which means you can make this for Thanksgiving or even Christmas today and it will taste perfect when it comes out of the oven on the day you bake it. I promise. It can be frozen for up to 2 months and just cooked the day of, but I have also made it a couple of days ahead and just kept in the fridge until cooking time. Making side dishes ahead is a great time-saver and stress reliever, so you can focus on other aspects of your celebration and actually enjoy the preparation instead of running around with your stress levels through the roof at holiday time. Let’s simplify and enjoy the holidays. Here’s how it’s made…
The ingredients are basic mac and cheese ones – macaroni, butter, chicken broth (or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian), heavy cream (or half and half), and lots of shredded cheese. Here, I use Extra Sharp Cheddar and Colby, which melt really nicely, but you can try substituting some of your favorite cheeses too as long as they melt smoothly. This recipe includes a nice crunchy topping made with bread, grated parmesan, garlic, and a bit of butter. This is personal preference. In my experience, people are often split right down the middle as to whether they prefer a crunchy topping or not with their mac and cheese. This one is SO good.
The macaroni is boiled for just a few minutes (about 3-4) since it will be later baked in the oven. This is key in order to avoid mushy pasta. It is then cooled down on a large baking sheet while the cheese mixture is made. The cheese sauce is then mixed with the macaroni and placed in a freezer-safe and microwave-safe glass or ceramic baking dish.
Once it cools down, it is covered in plastic wrap and foil and frozen until cooking day. If your microwave doesn’t accommodate a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, you can divide it into two smaller dishes. The microwave is used for just a few minutes to begin defrosting the casserole before it goes in the oven. It reduces the cooking time. If you want to skip this step, try leaving the frozen macaroni and cheese at room temperature for a couple of hours prior to placing in the oven. It bakes in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
I highly recommend this amazing make-ahead Baked Macaroni and Cheese. It will make your life easier and make everyone very happy.
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Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This macaroni and cheese is absolutely delicious and can be made up to 2 months ahead. Cheesy and creamy with a crunchy breaded topping.
Bread Crumb Topping
- 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Macaroni and Cheese
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt, plus additional 1 teaspoon for cheese sauce
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups Colby cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Extra-Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Bread Crumb Topping
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In a food processor, pulse bread pieces, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and garlic until coarsely ground, about 5 pulses. If not using immediately, place in freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months
Macaroni and Cheese
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In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and macaroni. Cook for only 4 minutes, until barely softened. Drain and spread out on large baking sheet to cool while cheese sauce is made.
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Using the same empty pot, cook butter, flour, mustard, and cayenne over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Whisk in broth and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and add all shredded cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until smooth.
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Add macaroni to cheese sauce and stir gently to combine. Place in 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Let cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours if making ahead and storing.
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If freezing, cover with plastic plastic and then with foil tightly. Freeze up to 2 months. If refrigerating, cover with foil and store for up to 3 days.
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When ready to cook, remove from freezer/refrigerator. Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
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(Skip this step if you did not freeze macaroni & cheese) If frozen, remove foil (save for later) and plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes or until bubbling around edges (this will reduce oven cooking time). If not microwaving frozen macaroni prior to baking, increase oven cooking time by about 15-20 minutes).
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Replace foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, add bread crumb mixture and continue baking for 20 minutes more or until macaroni is well heated in the center and topping is golden brown.
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Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
If making only 2-3 days ahead, cover with foil and place macaroni and topping (stored separately) in refrigerator until ready to cook. Cook as described above.
Recipe adapted and slightly modified from America’s Test Kitchen
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