Baked Mac and Cheese Freezer Meal Recipe
Baked to perfection, this Mac and Cheese Freezer Meal Recipe is just....that...good! With the ease of being a make-ahead recipe, there isn't anything much better than this!
Equipment
- 1 9x13 Pan/Dish with lid
- 1 Large Deep Skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 4 cups Milk
- 4 cups Sharp cheddar cheese Shredded
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese Shredded
Instructions
Prep | Directions
- Prepare a 9x13 Pan/Dish, labeling according to your preferred label method.
- Cook elbow macaroni to al dente according to package. Shred cheese and set aside.
- While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a large deep skillet on stovetop over medium-low heat, whisking in the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika once butter has melted. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until mixture starts to bubble, then remove from heat.
- Stir in 4 cups of milk, whisking constantly while adding the milk, and then place back over medium-low heat. Heat milk to boil stirring constantly (this process may take longer than expected depending on stove heat and kind of milk but will be so worth it in the end, even if you think the mixture won't thicken it will.)
- Once boiling, stir for one minute then stir in shredded cheese, until all cheese is melted.
- Drain macaroni, and gently stir into cheese sauce. Pour everything into an aluminum tray and let it cool.
- Once cool, cover with lid and freeze for up to 3 months.
Oven | Cooking Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Remove mac and cheese from freezer and place in preheated oven* covered with aluminum foil. Cook for 40 minutes. (If you labeled the casserole freezer meal ensure label aluminum foil placed in oven does not have a label attached)
- Uncover and cook an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
*If using a glass casserole dish, either allow the meal to thaw on the counter for one hour before cooking or put the meal in the oven when you turn it on to preheat. Putting a cold glass casserole dish into a hot oven will result in broken glass. Also, be sure to cover the casserole dish (foil or glass) with foil before cooking
Nutrition
Calories: 992.3kcalCarbohydrates: 74.8gProtein: 43.9gFat: 58.8g
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