Make-Ahead Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 7, 2011
Time
2¼ hours, plus up to 2 months freezing
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove, minced8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, meltedSalt and pepper 1 pound elbow macaroni 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 ½ cups heavy cream 4 cups shredded colby cheese 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Before You Begin
You will need two microwave-safe 8-inch square baking dishes for this recipe.
Instructions
- PROCESS TOPPING Pulse bread, Parmesan, garlic, and 2 tablespoons butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Divid crumb mixture between 2 zipper-lock freezer bags and freeze.
- COOK PASTA Bring 4 quarts water to boil in dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, then spread out on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
- MAKE SAUCE Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard, and cayenne in empty pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in colby, cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth.
- FREEZE Stir cooled pasta into sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined. Divide pasta mixture between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Wrap dishes tightly with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- BAKE Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove foil from casserole and reserve. Microwave casserole until mixture is thawed and beginning to bubble around edges, 7 to 12 minutes, stirring and replacing plastic halfway through cooking. (If preparing both dishes, microwave one at a time.) Discard plastic and cover pan with reserved foil. Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle with 1 bag frozen bread crumbs. (If preparing both dishes, sprinkle second bag of crumbs over second dish.) Continue to bake until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.
Time
2¼ hours, plus up to 2 months freezingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
4 cups shredded colby cheese
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
4 cups shredded colby cheese
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
4 cups shredded colby cheese
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To keep the pasta in our Make-Ahead Creamy Macaroni and Cheese from drying out in the freezer, we increased the ratio of sauce to macaroni. Because the proteins in milk were causing the sauce to curdle, we used heavy cream, which has more fat and therefore less protein than milk, in the sauce. However, the heavy cream produced a sauce that was too rich, so we cut it with some low-sodium chicken broth. For the cheese, we chose mild colby, which melted nicely, and extra-sharp cheddar for flavor. Because we made the sauce soupy to ensure creaminess after freezing, the pasta became bloated and mushy. To solve this, we undercooked the pasta and spread it on a baking sheet to cool before adding the sauce.
Before You Begin
You will need two microwave-safe 8-inch square baking dishes for this recipe.
Instructions
- PROCESS TOPPING Pulse bread, Parmesan, garlic, and 2 tablespoons butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Divid crumb mixture between 2 zipper-lock freezer bags and freeze.
- COOK PASTA Bring 4 quarts water to boil in dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, then spread out on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
- MAKE SAUCE Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard, and cayenne in empty pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in colby, cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth.
- FREEZE Stir cooled pasta into sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined. Divide pasta mixture between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Wrap dishes tightly with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- BAKE Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove foil from casserole and reserve. Microwave casserole until mixture is thawed and beginning to bubble around edges, 7 to 12 minutes, stirring and replacing plastic halfway through cooking. (If preparing both dishes, microwave one at a time.) Discard plastic and cover pan with reserved foil. Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle with 1 bag frozen bread crumbs. (If preparing both dishes, sprinkle second bag of crumbs over second dish.) Continue to bake until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.
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