Mac and Cheese

Overnight Mac and cheese recipe, that basically makes itself!

Let’s end 2018 on a high (calorie) note 😛 !!

One of the highlights of my stay in Plymouth Indiana, while in the US, were these potluck lunches that we organized in my office! Being in the food industry, most of us were extremely passionate about food and picky eaters with great taste, so you can imagine the kind of feast, that a bunch of food scientists, are capable of putting together!

One particular dish that always stood out, despite its simplicity, was Steve’s Mac and Cheese. Steve is a dear friend and my ex-coworker, who is in general a great cook, however my favorite of his is this mac and cheese. I had to bribe him to get this recipe, so its a very valuable addition to my collection!! Just kidding.. 😉

So here’s the recipe of this simple to make and delicious than ever mac and cheese. If you ever worry and panic about not cooking the pasta right, this is the recipe for you – as there is no cooking involved! Yes, you read that right, no cooking only overnight soaking and baking – I couldn’t believe it myself! So when I got the recipe from Steve, I did a small test batch before making a big batch for my Christmas party! So now I can guarantee it works 🙂

You will need:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni or conchigle (my other favorite pasta to use for mac and cheeses)
4 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

4 cups/ 400 g of cheese, shredded – I used a mix of Gruyere, white and orange cheddar (wisconsin cheddar) for color and flavor. 100 g of shredded cheese is about a cup of shredded cheese. You can also try Monterey Jack, muenster, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, smoked cheddar, blue cheese, etc. in combination with mild cheddar. Pepper jack is also one of my favorite cheeses to add to mac and cheese.

• It is best not to use processed cheeses for this recipe, as they do not melt as nicely.

Salt

You can add other seasonings such as garlic powder, paprika, pepper powder, oregano, chilli flakes, etc. – optional

Procedure:

• Grease a 10 inch square baking dish with butter.
• Mix the grated cheese together, if you’re using different kinds, like I did.
• Spread half of pasta in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with half of the mixed grated cheese, dot with half of the butter, and sprinkle with salt and other seasonings.

• Repeat layers using the remaining pasta, remaining cheese, remaining butter, and seasonings.
• Pour milk evenly over pasta, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for approximately 24 hours.

• This step is optional – when you remove the past from the fridge after 24 hours of soaking, you can layer the top with bread crumbs. I like to season my breadcrumbs with crushed garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, a dash of butter and Parmesan cheese. you can also add bacon bits to this.

• Bake, covered with foil, at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil during the final 10 minutes to allow top to brown.
• Instead of the breadcrumbs, you can be creative and add meat, sausage bits, pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.

Serve warm as a side or a main dish by itself with a side of veggies. I love to add some habanero or tobacco sauce to my mac and cheese! How do you like yours?!

And this was my last post for 2018! It has been a wonderful year, I hope 2019 is even better for you all!!