While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.ģ. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13").
If you want to make boxed mac and cheese and freeze it, great! No judgment.1.
You wan the liquid to heat and steam the pasta to prevent it from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap for the microwave, or foil for the oven method.Add some liquid (preferably milk) to the baked mac and cheese, about 1 tablespoon per serving.I highly suggest you reheat the baked mac and cheese either in the microwave or in the oven. Remember I mentioned that baked mac and cheese has a slightly different texture than creamy, stove-top mac and cheese? Heating it up will make a bit of a difference. Preheat oven to 350F and then bake it for 15-20 minutes, depending on the amount of mac and cheese you have this will vary. In the oven: place thawed mac and cheese in an oven-safe dish. In the stove-top: placed thawed mac and cheese in a pot that’s size appropriate for the serving, add a few tablespoons of milk or water, and heat on medium-low heat stirring constantly. In the microwave: place thawed mac and cheese in the microwave, on high, and heat for 1 to 2-minute increments, stopping to stir the mixture until it’s heated through. Then, you can heat up previously frozen, now thawed out, mac and cheese in the microwave, the stove-top, and in the oven. The best way to heat up frozen mac and cheese is to allow it to thaw out first. Best way to heat up thawed mac and cheese
If the mac and cheese is still frozen, simply run water on the outside of the zip bag to separate the mac and cheese from the bag and then place it in a microwave-safe bowl.ĭuring the heating process, make sure to stop it from time to time and stir the mac and cheese mixture for even heating. You can heat up frozen mac and cheese directly in the microwave, out of it’s zip bag or plastic wrap. And at the last resort, directly in the microwave but this tends to dry it out often, will vary by recipe. Otherwise, on the counter for a couple of hours. The best way to thaw frozen mac and cheese is always overnight, in the fridge. Place the mac and cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in there. Important note about heating plastic-wrapped mac and cheese: you must remove the foil when heating up in the microwave and remove the plastic wrap.
Spread plastic wrap on your counter and cut to size, enough to wrap around mac and cheese a couple of times.Freeze flat if using a zip bag or place container in the freezer.Divide cooked mac and cheese into an airtight container or zip bag, in the serving size you want to serve it in.Make sure the mac and cheese has fully cooled off to room temperature.