Do you want to know an incredible secret? You do not need an easy bake oven to make this easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe.
Easy Oven-Baked Mac And Cheese Recipe Origin
I always had a love for some good old fashion macaroni and cheese. I grew up on box mac and cheese, which is good until you have some macaroni and cheese made from scratch.
That dish right there will change your life. Your whole perspective on life will be different.
I was not even thinking about making this easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe until recently.
Furthermore, some of the most recent macaroni I had was alright. Moreover, alright is cool, but I think I can strive for better than alright.
I wanted the easy oven-baked mac and cheese to be delicious and mouth-watering. Not too soupy, but not too dry either.
Last, but certainly not least, this recipe had to be cheesy.
If you give me some cheesy macaroni and cheese, then your chances of me enjoying the dish are high.
The Cheesiest
I am a fan of any dish with multiple kinds of cheese. In fact, this easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe has four different types of cheese.
Mozzarella, melting cheese, parmesan, and sharp cheese. Truth be told, I can add some more cheese to this recipe, and it would still be incredible.
In addition to being cheesy, if you scoop up the food, and you do not see the cheese string, then your dish is not cheesy enough to be considered a cheesy dish.
I live for that cheese pull, and the trick to achieving that with macaroni and cheese is to layer the dish with your cheese.
Of course, you will need to put cheese at the top of the dish, and when you bake it, make sure to not overcook the dish.
How Long To Bake Mac And Cheese
For this easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe, you will bake it at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Can you cook the dish at a different temperature?
Yes, you can cook macaroni and cheese at a different temperature, however, the time it will take to cook that dish will change based on that temperature.
What Does Putting An Egg In Mac And Cheese Do?
The egg is as a glue to keep the mac and cheese together once baked in the oven. Also, the egg will make the dish smoother and creamier.
Furthermore, the egg will affect the taste as well. Some people prefer the egg, while other people will substitute the egg with flour.
Also, some people will use neither, and the food will come out great regardless. It is a preference at the end of the day.
How Long To Bake Mac And Cheese At 350
At 350, you should be able to have baked macaroni and cheese in 30 minutes.
Can You Use Evaporated Milk For Mac And Cheese?
Yes, you can use evaporated milk for macaroni and cheese. Personally, I prefer heavy whipped cream. Based on my experiences, the results are better when I use heavy whipped cream.
How Long To Bake Mac And Cheese At 400
At 400, you should be able to have baked macaroni and cheese in 25 minutes.
What Seasoning Makes Mac And Cheese Better?
To be clear, the easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe does not have any seasoning in it.
However, with the flavor of all the cheese combined with heavy whipped cream, onions, and mustard, this recipe is phenomenal.
With that being said, if you do decide to use seasoning my suggestion is to use black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, etc.
Salt is good but like with any other dish, do not overuse it. Also, cayenne pepper is good if you want the dish to have some kick to it.
How Do You Keep Mac And Cheese Creamy?
If you want to have creamy macaroni and cheese that will stay creamy, then you will need to cook the cheese sauce with milk instead of water.
I never cook cheese sauce with water as a substitute for milk, but if I have to be honest, that does not sound appetizing at all.
For the easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe, we will use heavy whipped cream, which is also good at keeping the macaroni and cheese creamy.
Also, I have seen on Google that cooking the macaroni noodles in milk instead of water can make the dish creamier as well.
I have never tried this method before, so if you try this method, and it does not work out, do not blame me, blame Google.
Making The Easy Oven-Baked Mac And Cheese Recipe
Serving Size: 10
Macaroni Ingredients:
- 12 oz Elbow Macaroni
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 3/4 cup Water
Cheese Sauce Ingredients:
- 5 oz Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
- 5 oz Melting Cheese, Cubed
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 tsp Mustard
- 5 oz Sharp Cheese, Shredded OR Cubed
- 1 oz Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Onions, Diced
Topping
- 2 oz Sharp Cheese
Layering
- 4 oz Mozzarella cheese
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Pot
- Mixing Spoon
- Pasta Strainer
- Casserole Dish
Instructions
How To Make Baked Mac And Cheese
Preparing Macaroni
- Add water to the pot and heat it up to 400 F.
- After the water reaches a boiling point, add macaroni and salt to the hot water and cook on medium heat for about 25 mins.
- Remove any excess water with a strainer.
Preparing Cheese Sauce
- Slice the onions and cook with unsalted butter at medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a pot.
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Next, add your sharp cheese and melting cheese, then melt on low heat until they are fully melted.
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Now, add the Parmesan cheese, then melt on low heat until the cheese is fully melted.
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Add your cheese sauce to the macaroni and stir, or add macaroni to your cheese sauce and stir.
Bake The Macaroni And Cheese
- Add macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish.
- Layer macaroni and cheese mixture with mozzarella cheese.
- Add two ounces of sharp cheese to the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Put the macaroni and cheese into the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool off.
Enjoy This Macaroni And Cheese Recipe
It is not much else to say, but to enjoy your creation! After all that time in the kitchen, you deserve to enjoy some good macaroni and cheese.
Easy Oven-Baked Mac And Cheese
Supplies and Equipment
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Pot
- 1 Casserole Dish
Ingredients
Macaroni Ingredients
- 12 Oz Elbow Macaroni
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 3/4 Cup Water
Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- 5 Oz Parmesan Shredded
- 5 Oz Melting Cheese Cubed
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard
- 5 Oz Sharp Cheese Shredded Or Cubed
- 1 Oz Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Whole Onion Diced
Toppings
- 2 Oz Sharp Cheese
Layering
- 4 Oz Mozzarella
Instructions
Preparing Macaroni
- Add water to the pot and heat it up to 400 F.
- After the water reaches a boiling point, add macaroni and salt to the hot water and cook on medium heat for about 25 mins.
- Remove any excess water with a strainer.
Preparing Cheese Sauce
- Slice the onions and cook with unsalted butter at medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a pot.
- Next, add your sharp cheese and melting cheese, then melt on low heat until they are fully melted.
- Now, add the Parmesan cheese, then melt on low heat until the cheese is fully melted.
- Add your cheese sauce to the macaroni and stir, or add macaroni to your cheese sauce and stir.
Bake The Macaroni And Cheese
- Add macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish.
- Layer macaroni and cheese mixture with mozzarella cheese.
- Add two ounces of sharp cheese to the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Put the macaroni and cheese into the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool off.
