Ingredients
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2 cups Macaroni Pasta
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½ cup Onionchopped
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½ cup fat-free Evaporated Milk
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1.5 small Eggslightly beaten
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¼ teaspoon Pepper
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4 oz low-fat sharp Cheddar Cheesefinely shredded
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Cooking spray
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Add also if you like
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few slices Bacon
Steps for Classic Macaroni and Cheese
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1
Done
10 Minutes
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Cook macaroniCook macaroni according to package directions—but do not add salt to the cooking water. Meanwhile, proceed to the next step. |
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2
Done
2 Minutes
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Prepare the ingredientsPreheat oven to 350 °F. Chop the onion, lightly beat the eggs, and finely shred the cheese. |
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3
Done
3 Minutes
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Prepare the onionSpray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly spray a saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion to it and sauté for about 3 minutes over medium heat. |
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4
Done
2 Minutes
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Mix them allIn a bowl, combine macaroni, onion, the remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Transfer mixture into casserole dish. |
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5
Done
25 Minutes
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BakeBake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! |
Additional Info for Classic Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese are some of the best and easiest meals you can do. This type of food can be prepared for absolutely any occasion. There are a lot of variations out there, but this is the classic recipe.
Content on this recipe…
About Classic Macaroni and Cheese
Everyone needs a simple and reliable mac and cheese recipe in their back pocket — one that can be pulled out the instant that craving hits for cheesy pasta, or when a birthday needs celebrating, or when a friend needs comforting. Macaroni and cheese is all-purpose comfort food, ready and able to assist you with any life event.
For this recipe, which is a take on the classic one, will be using fat-free evaporated milk. The evaporated milk makes a very delicious sauce that stays creamy and won’t break into gritty curds or separate into greasy pools later on. That’s important with this macaroni and cheese since we’re baking it in the oven, something that can cause most common cheese and milk-based sauces to separate and do weird things.
What do I serve with macaroni and cheese?
Avoid the temptation to make more starchy foods (like potatoes) with your mac and cheese. Instead, try crispy fried chicken tenders, classic stuffed peppers, southern cornbread, or homestyle meatloaf with a brown sugar glaze. Also adding in a fresh vegetable or two can make a great mac and cheese meal plan.
Can I make this macaroni and cheese ahead and bake it when I’m ready?
Yes, you sure can. Just let it cool down, put some plastic wrap right on the surface of the mac and cheese (to keep it from forming a “skin”) and stick it in the fridge. If you have a few minutes to bring it out and let it warm slightly before you bake it, do that. But if you can’t, just bake it till the center is hot and the edges are bubbling.
Can I freeze or refrigerate it?
I get asked that a lot and my answer is always no. As the pasta and cheese sauce sit, it will thicken and when you thaw and bake it, the creamy consistency is just gone. It’s thick and gloppy. Plus if you freeze it and it’s still a bit warm, water crystals will form, then thaw into your dish and could make them separate when you bake it. Besides, it’s so fast to make, there’s not really a reason to freeze your macaroni and cheese unless you re stocking up feed a huge group of people all at once.
What is evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk is a canned liquid and not a powder like dehydrated milk. The milk product is extremely shelf-stable and, in many cases, can be used in place of regular milk or cream. Some recipes specifically call for evaporated milk.
Evaporated milk is a product usually sold in cans, that is made by removing about 60 percent of the water from ordinary milk. Evaporated milk can be made from whole milk or skim milk. In either case, the milk is homogenized and then the water is removed with gentle heat. The product is sealed in cans which are then heated to kill any bacteria in it.
Do I have to bake my macaroni and cheese?
Not if you don’t want to. You can actually eat it right from the pan or just stick it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top if you’d rather. It works just as well and is a great shortcut when you are running low on time.
Notes and Tips
- Baking is fun, but not crucial! You can serve this macaroni and cheese straight from the bowl once you’ve mixed the pasta into the cheese sauce.
- You can play with this cheese sauce to match your personal tastes — some people like it a bit thinner, some like it thick enough to stand a spoon up straight. By cooking the sauce a little longer in Step 6, you can make a thicker sauce. You can also keep it thinner by cooking for less time or adding an extra splash or two of milk.
- Never stop stirring your milk once it hits the pan. If your skillet is too hot or you walk away for a minute, you could scorch the white sauce and it will curdle. It doesn’t really hurt the taste, but it will look sort of clumpy and some people have called it “grainy”.
- It only takes 5 minutes to make the sauce. So just hang in there and stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- Use good cheese in your baked macaroni and cheese. That means avoiding bagged, pre-shredded cheeses because they contain cellulose (an anti-caking agent) that can in some cases cause your cheese not to melt as it should. And speaking of cheese, you have so many options! My favorite is sharp cheddar and Swiss, but you definitely have room to play around with options.
