It’s very rare to find a kid (or adult) who isn’t in love with mac and cheese. It’s a quick meal that’s always there to save dinner after a long day. But if you and the kids are officially over box macaroni, here are 11 fancy mac and cheese recipes that’ll take this classic gooey dish to a gourmet level.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbow noodles, 1 c tomato juice, 2/5 c mayonnaise, 1 c grated cheese, 1 tsp seasoning, 1 tsp salt
Directions: Boil macaroni in salted water until cooked. Place in a baking pan and add cheese, mayonnaise, tomato juice, and spices. Let bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and put in the oven until it melts, then serve.
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Ingredients: spaghetti noodles of choice, 1/2 stick butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 c shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
Directions: Boil noodles until firm but soft. Mix butter and flour in a saucepan until it cooks. Add milk, cheddar, salt, and pepper until it’s smooth. Pour over your noodles. Let bake for 15 minutes; serve.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 c all-purpose flour, 4 c milk, 2 c shredded yellow cheddar, 2 c shredded white cheddar, 8 oz diced ham, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/3 c breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp melted butter
Directions: Melt butter in saucepan with flour, milk; whisk smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add cheese and stir until melted. Mix cooked pasta with ham and add cheese. Combine everything in baking pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheese on top, and bake for 30 minutes.
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Ingredients: 2 large heads cauliflower, 1 lb noodles, 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 c milk, 4 oz sharp white cheddar, 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
Directions: Saute cauliflower. Melt butter in pan, whisk in flour, and slowly pour in milk. When warm, add cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Combine cheese sauce and cauliflower, spread in baking dish, top with mozzarella. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 1/2 stick butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1 c milk, 1 c grated cheese (mild/medium cheddar), 1 c gorgonzola or other blue cheese, 1 c mushrooms, 1 c breadcrumbs, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 c walnuts
Directions: Mix butter and flour in saucepan until it browns. Add milk last, along with cheddar. Stir until thick and smooth, then pour over cooked noodles. Add parmesan, gorgonzola, mushrooms, and walnuts. Then pour into baking pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, and bake for 15 minutes.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 c milk, 2 c shredded sharp cheddar, 2 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 egg (beaten)
Directions: Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix butter and flour in saucepan until smooth. Add cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper until uniform. Combine pasta, cheese sauce, and egg in large mixing bowl. Put spoonful of mixture in each muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 c milk, 1 c white cheeder cheese, 1 tbsp of onion powder and garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp truffle oil, 1 c breadcrumbs
Directions: Heat butter and flour in a saucepan until brown. Add milk and onion powder, garlic powder, and stir. Mix cheese into the pan until it’s melted completely. Then stir in the truffle oil. Mix the cheese sauce with your cooked noodles and transfer to a baking pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top and put in the oven for 2 minutes at 400 degrees.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 1 tsp salt, 1 bunch seedless grapes, 1 c milk, 1/2 stick white grapebutter, 1/2 c blue cheese, 1/2 c Emmentaler cheese, 1/2 cup whipped cream, 1 tbsp pepper
Directions: Cut grapes into halves; add them to baking dish. Chop up blue cheese, and bring milk to a boil. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Add salt and pepper. Mix pasta and cheese sauce together, pour into baking pan, and cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
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Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough, 8 slices American or cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp butter, 2 c leftover mac and cheese
Directions: Warm leftover mac and cheese in skillet. While it heats, shape into a square the size of bread slices. Put two slices of cheese on it. Then, butter two slices of bread and add slice of cheese. Slide the mac and cheese onto bread and cover with another bread. Grill the sandwich in the skillet and serve.
Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 1 qt milk, 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 c flour, 2 c grated gruyere cheese, 2 c extra-sharp cheddar, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 2 lb cooked lobster, 2 c breadcrumbs
Directions: Cook milk, butter, and flour in saucepan until smooth. Add gruyere, cheddar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg into mixture. Stir cooked elbows and lobster together, add cheese sauce, and stir. Pour into baking pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, bake for 30 minutes, and serve.
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Ingredients: 1 lb elbows, 1 qt milk, 1 stick unsalted butter, 2 c grated sharp cheese, 1 c ground beef, 1 tbsp taco seasoning, mozzarella cheese, jalapenos
Directions: Cook milk, butter, and cheese in a saucepan until smooth. Boil ground beef until cooked, and then mix in taco seasoning. Stir mac and cheese and ground beef together until even. Top with mozzarella cheese and sliced jalapenos.
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