Make-Ahead Mac & Cheese

 

If you need a make-ahead macaroni - or if you’ve got the time for a make-ahead macaroni, even - this is the simplest homemade macaroni and and cheese ever, truly. You don’t even make a sauce! 

Gluten folks - the Barefoot Contessa takes the credit for yours. Overnight Mac &Cheese I adapted it for Tinkyada pasta and those of us who can’t do breadcrumbs! If you want to follow my easier instructions below? Cook your regular elbow noodles for four minutes exactly. Drain them right at four minutes, and go on with my instructions!

My gluten-free folks - make a note that this was made using Tinkyada elbow macaroni. Different GF pastas with different ‘al dente’ cooking times are probably going to require some adaptation, here. 

A full day before you are serving this, cook your Tinkyada elbows for seven minutes exactly. Drain them right at seven minutes!

Meanwhile, shred your cheeses if you need to. I bought mine shredded, a mixture of cheddars. 

Mix the 6 cups half and half with three cups of the cheese, and stir in the pasta. Stir well, and then cover by pressing plastic wrap down on top of the noodles. Does that make sense? You don’t want any air between the pasta and the plastic wrap. Press it right down on top, tightly. 

Then you just - put it in the fridge. That’s it. 

Cook the pasta; toss it with the half and half and part of the cheese; cover, and refrigerate overnight. Boom. Done!

______________________________

When you come back the next day to cook it, bring the bowl back to room temp. I just let mine sit out on the counter for about an hour; you could microwave it a few minutes, too. Whatever. Pull off the plastic wrap and stir it well. 

Preheat your oven to 400. Put it in a greased casserole dish; top with the remaining cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through if your oven needs it, or until the cheese are melted and bubbly.

It’s seriously so simple I can’t believe it. Love. It. 

MAKE-AHEAD MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

16oz Tinkyada elbows

6C fat free half and half

16oz cheeses, shredded (4 cups roughly)

A day before serving, cook the Tinkyada elbows for seven minutes exactly. Drain. 

Stir together drained elbows, half and half, and roughly three-quarters (three cups) of the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Cover by pressing plastic wrap down on the top.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bring pasta mixture back to room temperature (an hour on the counter or four minutes in the microwave, roughly). Preheat oven to 400. Cover casserole dish or 9x13 well with pan spray. Pour noodle mixture in; top with remaining cheese.

Back at 400 for 20-25 minutes, rotating once if needed, or until cheese are melted and bubbly,