Kjs Bomb Baked Macaroni Cheese Recipes

THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Meanwhile, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pulse in the food processor until the bread breaks into bean-sized pieces.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the fontina, Gruyere and all but 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the melted butter. Spread the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar evenly over the pasta, then scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

KJ'S BOMB BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Bowl the water in a large pot. Add a splash of olive oil and salt to the water. Preheat oven to 375.
• While waiting for water to boil, shred cheese and crush up crackers in separate bowls.
• Once water is boiling, add pasta shells. Cook according to package (al dente).
• Strain cooked pasta. Run cool water over cooked shells. Drizzle a little olive oil over cooked pasta.
• Add cooked pasta to 13x9 baking dish.
• Add 2-3 tbsp butter, stir around to coat all shells.
• Add crushed cheese crackers, mix.
• Add 1 cup milk, mix.
• Add most--not all of each type of cheese, mix.
• Add 4 eggs, mix.
• Add garlic salt, season salt and pepper to taste, mix.
• Add more milk as needed. You want it to be the consistency of a thick soup.
• Cover with foil and bake in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, check to see that the cheese is melting nicely. Bake 15 min longer if necessary.
• Remove foil, coat mixture with remaining cheese--try to cover all exposed pasta--and bake uncovered for another 15 min or until the cheese on top is golden.
• Let cool a little before eating.

OLD-FASHIONED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni in boiling water until almost tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, mustard, pepper and pepper sauce until smooth. Cook for 1 minute or until bubbly. Stir in the macaroni, milk and 4 cups cheese. , Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.