To all the friends who loved my mac and cheese and who have been asking me for the recipe.. here it goes 🙂 I got used to making mac and cheese for food donations and community fundraisers, pretty much every other week and seem to have my quantities for 2-3 lbs of mac and cheese. For parties, this would be perfect!
Mac and Cheese can be made in a crock pot and served or can be layered and baked before serving. Both are kid favorites. Baked versions typically are good for fundraisers and concession stands. Typically, one serving can be sold at $4 – $5 during fundraisers.
Ingredients
| Ingredient name | Quantity 2 servings | Quantity 1 full tray or 2 half trays |
| Macaroni (Elbow pasta) | 1/2 cup | 2 lbs |
| Milk (Whole milk preferably) | 3 cups | 1 gallon |
| Extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated) | 1/4 cup | 1 lb |
| Mozzarella cheese (grated) | 1/4 cup | 1 lb |
| Parmesan cheese (powdered version) | 2 tbsp | 1/4 cup |
| Butter | 1/2 stick | 2 sticks |
| Cinnamon powder | 1/2 tsp | 4 tsp |
| Nutmeg powder | 1/4 tsp | 6 tsp |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | 1/2 tbsp |
| Salt | 1 tsp (add to taste) | 2-3 tbsp (add to taste) |
| Black pepper ground | 1/2 tsp | 1 tbsp |
| Oil (Vegetable / Canola oil) | 1 tsp | 1 tbsp |
| All purpose flour | 2 tsp | 1/2 cup |
Use a 6-7 liter crockpot for the 1 tray mac and cheese and any boiling pan for the smaller quantity
- Fill the pan/crockpot with water and bring it to boil.
- Add the oil in the boiling water
- Then, add the macaroni pasta and boil it for about 5 minutes
- Switch off the stove
- Some drain the pasta and mix oil. I do not do that. I let the pasta remain in the hot water for about 5-10 minutes, and then directly use it when ready. So, let the pasta remain in the hot water
- Take another pan / crockpot
- Switch on the stove in low-medium heat and add the butter
- Wait till it melts and then add the all purpose flour
- Let it cook for a few minutes
- If you added lesser butter, ensure there are no lumps and flour is not damp and cooked well
- If you add the above mentioned amount of butter, let it cook for 3-4 minutes. The melted butter will still be in liquid form
- Add the milk and the seasonings (garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, black pepper) and bring it to a boil. Would take about 5-6 minutes.
- Now, drain the macaroni pasta from the hot water and add it to the boiling mixture
- Add the parmesan cheese
- Add half of the grated cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)
- Leave it to boil for another 5-10 minutes
- Mac and Cheese is ready to serve. Scoop it in a serving bowl and sprinkle some cheddar and mozzarella cheese on it and serve.
- For Baked Mac and Cheese
- Layer the tray with pasta, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on it, add a layer of grated mozzarella cheese
- Repeat the layers with pasta, cheddar and mozzarella cheese
- Cover the tray with aluminium foil and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350o F
Hope you enjoy the recipe with your friends as much as we do 🙂
Some variations that my family loves
- Use coconut milk or evaporated milk instead of whole milk (usually works for small quantities).
- On days we do not want to go grocery shopping for cheese and yet want to have mac and cheese, we cheat by adding an extra stick of butter instead of adding any cheese 🙂 Still tastes yum! Seasoning is the key for this!