Make Ahead Mac and Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good mac and cheese?! It’s the ultimate comfort food. But sometimes after a hard day when the craving hits, I don’t have it in me to actually cook. That’s what’s so awesome about this Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese! It’s ready to go whenever you need it.

I suggest making several of these recipes at once. That way, it’s the same amount of work, but you’ll have several in the freezer ready for whenever that mac and cheese craving hits. All of my kids love macaroni and cheese which is another reason that I like having some of these in the freezer ready to go.

Around here, we eat mac and cheese as a meal (with loads of hot sauce!), but you can also serve this as a side dish.

Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 
• 1 1/2 cups macaroni noodles, cooked
• 5 Tbsp. butter 
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Assembly instructions:

1. In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.
2. Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned.
3. Pour in the milk and whisk.
4. Add the salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble.
5. Slowly stir in both types of cheese (saving a little bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top later) and the last 2 Tablespoons of butter, then whisk until smooth and melted.
6. Add the noodles once the cheeses have melted and mixed well. 
7. Pour into a foil baking dish or a large resealable freezer bag. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. If using a foil dish, top with two layers of aluminum foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal.
8. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Take tray or bag out of the freezer. Thaw.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Bake in an oven-safe baking dish for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Serve and enjoy! 

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese Recipe Suggestions

Switch up the cheeses – use mozzarella in place of the cheddar or Gruyere in place of the Monterey Jack.

To give this a bit of a kick, use Jalapeno Jack cheese or add some red pepper flakes.

Add even more shredded cheese to the top before baking.

To give it some crunch, mix together some Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter and sprinkle on top of the pasta before baking.

Check out some of our other make-ahead pasta dishes:

• Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake
• Irresistible Chicken Pasta Bake
• Instant Pot Pizza Casserole
• Sloppy Joes Casserole
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta