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It is a pleasure to have Patti from Comfy Cuisine, do a guest post at Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms! I was blown away when I saw her photo of this Mac & Cheese! Isn’t it mouth-watering? Oh my goodness! This recipe is going on my “Make-Ahead To Do List” before I go back to school in late August! Then I’ll have some quick and delicious side dishes waiting for me in the freezer when I’m too tired to cook.
Homemade macaroni & cheese is a comfort food favorite. After preparing and freezing, it’s almost as easy as the store bought microwave version or boxed brand. Give it a try!
Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese from Comfy Cuisine
By Patti at Comfy Cuisine
You will need:
- 2 microwave-safe 8-inch square baking dishes for this recipe
- 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
- 6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups shredded colby cheese
- 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Process topping: Pulse bread, Parmesan, garlic and 2 Tbsp. butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Divide crumb mixture between 2 zip-lock freezer bags and freeze.
Cook pasta: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. salt and macaroni and cook until barely softened, about 3 minutes (important to avoid mushy blown-out macaroni). Drain pasta, then spread out on rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
Make sauce: Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard and cayenne (if using) in empty pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant; about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in colby, cheddar, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. 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. Wrap dishes tightly with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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. Discard plastic and cover pan with reserved foil. Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle with 1 bag frozen bread crumbs. Continue to bake until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes longer. Let cool 10 minutes.
Thanks for sharing one of your make-ahead meals with us, Patti! Visit Comfy Cuisine for more delicious recipes and follow her on Facebook and Twitter!
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WOW, I am for sure going to try this! And she just added one new “follower”
Thank you so much for sharing this mouth watering recipe!
OMG! That looks absolutely amazing!! I am definitely going to have to make that soon!!
Patti, that looks soooo good! Thanks for sharing :)
This sounds so good Patti. I absolutely love mac-n-cheese and it so nice to make a bunch of it so that is ready when we want some! Love this!
Nice to know this freezes and reheats well. My normal recipe (Muellers old fashioned) separates and is not attractive after freezing/heating. I will give this one a definite try soon! Thanks.
Absolutely mouth-watering picture! OH MY! Thanks to both of you for sharing this awesome recipe that I will be making soon.
Um…yes…this is completely and totally drool-inducing. Looks and sounds fantastic!
What a great weeknight dinner for a busy work night.
I know it’s supposed to be a make ahead recipe, but if mine looked anything like your photo does I don’t think it would even GET to the freezer!
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