Macaroni and cheese piping hot from the oven is quintessential comfort food. Digging into a steaming hot gooey, bowl of creamy goodness is the perfect way to start or end the day. It's impossible to make only one serving of macaroni and cheese, which inevitably leaves you with leftover mac the next day. If you've ever tried to reheat macaroni and cheese leftovers, you know it leaves much to be desired. It's often dry or mushy, and not appetizing.
Many people don't know there is a proper way to reheat mac that returns it to its creamy and delicious glory. Reheating methods vary slightly depending on how you cooked the mac & cheese in the first place.
We've got you covered with the best methods for reheating leftover macaroni so you can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Reheating Mac and Cheese in the Oven
The oven method is perfect if you have a large number of leftovers from a mac and cheese casserole. Using the oven allows for more even heating and prevents the mac from burning.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, pour your mac and cheese into a large glass casserole dish.
Now, the key to reheating the cheese without drying it out is to add in milk before baking. Mac and cheese easily dries out in the fridge, so adding the milk helps restore the creaminess. Add one tablespoon of milk for every cup of mac and cheese.
If your mac has a breadcrumb topping, you would skip the above step.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy your creamy mac. While it does take a little longer, its well worth the wait.
Reheating Macaroni and Cheese in The Microwave
If you're short on time, this is a great option. Simply add your mac and cheese to a microwave-safe bowl or microwave-safe dish, and stir in milk. Cover the bowl, leaving one corner open to steam.
Set the microwave to medium power and cook for 1 minute. The key is the lower power, which makes it easier to heat without breaking the sauce. Remove and stir. Keep microwaving in 30-second intervals until it has reached your desired temperature.
Reheat Macaroni and Cheese on the Stove
Many people cook their mac and cheese on the stovetop, making it very easy to reheat. Simply add your mac to a skillet on medium-low heat. Add milk to the cheese sauce, stirring gently. If the cheese looks dry, add another splash of milk until you reach desired consistency.
Reheat Baked Mac and Cheese
Place your baked mac on a buttered baking dish, cover with foil, and pop into a 375-degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes and serve.
If you want a crispy topping, we suggest adding breadcrumbs at the end and broiling for a few minutes.
If you want to reheat frozen mac, follow this same method, except cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the oven.
Our Favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe
To ensure you wind up with good leftovers, you must start with a great mac and cheese. You can buy blue box mac on Amazon and add extra cheese or cream cheese to amp up the cheese taste.
Check out this amped up mac and cheese recipe here
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