5 Scrumptious Ways to Give Your Classic Mac and Cheese Recipe a Mega Makeover

What is Mac and Cheese?

Macaroni and cheese or mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. This dish has two primary ingredients, as is evident from the namemacaroni and cheese. The simplicity of mac and cheese, along with its cheesy taste, makes it one of the most popular and loved comfort foods in the United States.

Mac and cheese is a classic everyone loves. The best part about this dish is that it is incredibly easy to cook. All you need is a box of macaroni, butter, whole milk, and cheese. You can also add in extras like bacon or bread crumbs if you want to dress it up a bit. The possibilities are endless with this dish!

Origins of this Popular Side Dish

While mac and cheese has become a widely popular side dish in the United States today, its origins can be traced to 14th century Italy, where a cookbook featured a recipe with Parmesan cheese and pasta. A similar pasta casserole can also be found in the records of a 14th century English cookbook.

However, the modern macaroni and cheese that we know today can be traced to 1700s France. According to Wikipedia, a cookbook of 1769 features a recipe with macaroni that is sprinkled with Parmesan and baked, much on the lines of the mac and cheese recipe we know.

As for the popularity of mac and cheese in the US, it can be credited to President Thomas Jefferson, who came across the preparation in Paris and was enamored by the taste (he was already an admirer of Italian cuisine). In 1802, Jefferson served a similar dish at a state dinner. Soon, macaroni and cheese found its way into a 1824 American cookbook. Over time, the popularity of mac and cheese led to the mass production of its ingredients, as well as to the manufacture of ready-to-eat packets of the dish, making it one of the success stories of the Food Industry.

The Classic Mac and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients-

• 2 cups cooked macaroni
  
• 3 tbsp butter
  
• 2 tbsp flour
  
• 8 oz cheddar cheese
  
• 2 cups milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and keep it ready while you complete the Food Prep.
   
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on low heat.
   
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. The butter and flour mixture will start bubbling.
   
4. Now add the milk gradually and bring it to a boil while stirring continuously.
   
5. Simmer this on low heat for 5 minutes as the sauce thickens. Add 3/4th portion of the cheese and cook till the cheese melts.
   
6. Now add the macaroni to the mixture.
   
7. Pour the mixture into a casserole and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes and serve hot.
   

Mac and Cheese with Bacon & Beer

Ingredients-

• 10 oz macaroni
  
• 8 oz smoked bacon (chopped)
  
• 12.5 oz lager beer
  
• 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
  
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
  
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 cups milk
  
• 1.5 oz flour
  
• 5 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar)
• Parsley for dressing
  

1. Preheat the oven to a high temperature. Get a skillet and add the bacon to the pan and cook till the bacon sizzles and becomes crisp.
   
2. Drain the fat and put it on a pan. Add the garlic, thyme, mustard, and pepper and prepare the seasoning. Cook till fragrant.
   
3. Now add the beer to the pan and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add the macaroni, milk and 12 oz water to the pan.
   
5. As the sauce simmers, gradually pour the flour and stir. Let it cook while you keep stirring for 6-8 minutes.
   
6. Now add half a portion of the cheese and top it with the remaining portion.
   
7. Grill the mac and cheese for 3-4 minutes and add parsley as dressing. Serve hot.
   

Mac and Cheese Muffins

Ingredients-

• 16 oz elbow macaroni
  
• 1 tbsp butter
  
• 8 oz milk
  
• 12 oz cheddar cheese
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tsp olive oil
  
• 4 oz dry bread crumbs
  
• 12 oz mozzarella cheese and salt
  

1. Preheat the oven to 347 F. Take a muffin tin and grease it to keep ready.
2. Take a small bowl and stir the bread crumbs in olive oil and add salt. Keep this aside.
   
3. Cook the elbow macaroni in lightly salted water for about 8 minutes in a large pot. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the water.
   
4. When done, bring the pot back on the stovetop and add the beaten egg and butter. Stir well to mix these with the macaroni.
   
5. Keep aside a cup of cheddar and empty the rest into the pot, along with the milk and mozzarella.
   
6. Once done, remove from the heat and scoop out spoonfuls of this mac and cheese into the muffin tin.
   
7. Top with bread crumbs and cheese.
   
8. Bake the the muffins for 30 minutes. Make sure the top turns brown before you remove it. Let the muffin tin rest once baked.
   

Smoked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients-
2 cups cooked macaroni
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups smoked Gouda (grated)
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper

Instructions-

• Preheat the oven to 347 F.
  
• Take a pan and melt the butter and add flour to it. Keep stirring for a minute till the two mix evenly.
  
• Now add milk to the pan and keep stirring. Let it simmer as the sauce thickens.
  
• Take the pan off the heat, add cheese and stir till the sauce is smooth.
• Add salt and pepper.
  
• Add the macaroni to the sauce, mix well and pour this into a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
  
• Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and bake till the top turns slightly brown. Your smoked mac and cheese is done.
  

Creamy Mac and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients-
8 oz pasta shells (cooked)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion (minced)
2 tbsp flour
10 oz milk
25 oz broccoli (chopped)
6 oz cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Instructions-

• Take a large pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the garlic and onion, keep stirring for 2 minutes.
  
• Add the flour and stir for a minute. You'll see the sauce turning brown.
  
• Add the milk and Dijon mustard and keep stirring while the sauce thickens further. Stir for 4 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Add the pasta, broccoli florets, cheese and stir lightly for 3 minutes. Serve hot.
  

What's the Best Way to Cook Mac and Cheese?

There are a number of ways to cook mac and cheese. Depending on how you like it, you can either bake it, cook it on a stovetop, or microwave it. If you like your mac and cheese crispy, baked macaroni is probably your best bet. Stovetop mac and cheese is usually creamier than baked mac and cheese, so that's the way to go if you like it moist and mushy. And if you're strapped for time and need a quick and easy way to whip up this dish, simply microwave it!