Leftover Mac & Cheese Recipe Your Family Will Eat Up (2024)

FAQs

How do you make leftover mac and cheese taste better? ›

Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream. 3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

Put a portion of the mac and cheese on a microwave-safe dish or plate. Add a tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix well. Reheat the mac and cheese for 15 seconds at a time, making sure to stir it well. Once the mac and cheese is bubbling and heated through, remove the dish from the microwave.

Refrigeration: If cooked macaroni and cheese is properly stored in an airtight container and refrigerated promptly, it can generally be kept for about 3-5 days. It's important to refrigerate it within two hours of cooking to minimize bacterial growth.

Swap out your skim or 2% milk with fuller-fat dairy options like whole milk, half and half, or, if you really mean it, heavy cream. You can even add a little tang to the proceedings, as well as richness, with a dose of sour cream or my personal favorite, cream cheese.

For an individual serving or small amounts, use the microwave or stovetop. For larger amounts of frozen mac and cheese, use the oven or toaster oven. For all methods, to keep the mac and cheese from drying out, stir 1 tablespoon milk into each 1 cup mac and cheese before reheating.

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

If you made a stovetop version of mac and cheese, and you want to reheat it in the oven, it's not ideal, but it will work. To do so, place some mac and cheese in a glass casserole dish, pour a bit of milk over the top, using one tablespoon of milk per cup of pasta, and gently stir it in.

If macaroni and cheese has been left out at room temperature for less than 2 hours, it should be safe to refrigerate and consume later [1]. However, if it has been left out for more than 2 hours, it's best to discard it to avoid the risk of foodborne illness.

Reheating food may not make it safe. If food is left out too long, some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus (staph), can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking can't destroy. One of the most common sources of staph bacteria is the human body.

Tips For Storing And Eating Leftover Macaroni And Cheese

In general, leftovers stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower should be eaten within three to four days, according to the USDA. If you can't eat it within that time frame, transfer it to the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is it OK to freeze mac and cheese? ›

Yes. Mac and cheese can be frozen for up to three months. The creamier the mac and cheese sauce is, the better it will be for freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave before baking.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Both the flour and the cheese help thicken the sauce.

1/2 to 1 cup cooked crumbled sausages, from pork to turkey to chicken (or try a vegetarian “sausage”). 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon, speck, or pancetta (watch the addition of salt if you add one of these salty cured or smoked meats).

For storage in the fridge, place the leftovers in glass or silicone containers that fully seal. Otherwise, tightly wrap the container in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. To freeze mac and cheese, transfer it to a freezer-safe container with a lid that fully seals to present freezer burn.

For a creamier sauce, add an extra tablespoon or two of milk and cheese. Eat immediately. This mac and cheese is best when piping hot from the microwave. If you need to reheat it, add an extra splash of milk.

Not salting the pasta water

And great pasta begins with water that's been heavily salted. We're talking ocean water levels of salt. Not adding salt to your water leads to bland, tasteless noodles. This, in turn, leads to a finished product that is flavorless even after adding the cheese sauce.