Best Creamy Macaroni And Cheese For Six Recipes

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.

6-CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil elbow macaroni in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain.
• Grease a 9 X 13-inch pyrex baking dish. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, in a small processor, combine milk, cream cheese, mustard, garlic, hot sauce and salt.
• Pour drained pasta and milk/cream cheese mixture back into pot pasta was cooked in . Allow to 'sit' in pot for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is an important step and must not be left out as it allows the sauce to start thickening and be absorbed by the pasta and not just settle in the bottom of the baking dish. After 15 minutes, add various cheeses and beaten eggs and mix well altogether.
• Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake until golden-brown and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
• Note: This recipe can be made even more decadent by browning 1/2 cup of dry breadcrumbs in 1 tblsp melted butter in a small skillet. Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese at the end and sprinkle over mac and cheese for final 10 minutes of baking.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE FOR SIX

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of melted butter with breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• In a large stockpot, cook macaroni till al dente (about 5 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water till pasta has cooled. Drain well, cover and set aside. (I leave it in the strainer with the stockpot lid on top.).
• Put stockpot back on the stove. Melt remaining butter at medium heat.
• Add flour and whisk until smooth, reducing heat if necessary to avoid burning.
• Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Cook for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Lower heat and (with a large wooden spoon) add mustard, Worcestershire, onions, and cheese. Stir until cheese has melted. Taste and season with salt, pepper, Tabasco, etc. to your taste. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease one 9x13" baking dish.
• Pour cooked macaroni back into stockpot and stir well to coat in sauce.
• Pour macaroni mixture into your greased baking dish. Use a wooden spoon to level out the mixture.
• Top with buttered breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes until topping is golden brown and crispy.
• Serve and enjoy!

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:

• Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• 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 3/4 cups 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 and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs with the butter and a sprinkle of salt in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.