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Mac & Cheese

post #1 of 5
12/2/08 at 7:25am
Thread Starter 
Okay, so I'm going to be making mac and cheese for a Christmas party in a couple weeks. Basically the recipe is a white sauce with cheese, add to pasta and bake. However, I will be making the mac and cheese in the morning and won't be serving until late afternoon. Which option is best? Make, bake, reheat, serve or make, wait, bake, serve? I realize that making, baking and serving is my best option, but that won't work in this situation. Please advise. If you have another suggestion, I'm open!

Thanks...
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post #2 of 5
12/2/08 at 7:36am
Make, wait, bake, serve. If you bake and then reheat, you chance overcooking the macaroni, AND drying out the whole dish.

A few tips:
  1. Use more sauce than you usually might; the macaroni will absorb more as it sits.
  2. After you make it and pour it into the baking dish, top it with crumbs mixed with extra grated/shredded cheese. This will protect it when you finally bake it, and make a lovely crunchy crust that contrasts the gooey mac 'n' sauce.
  3. Cover and refrigerate after making/topping. I like to use nonstick foil -- I don't lose a bit of topping (or macaroni, if I haven't put on crumbs).
  4. Remember that if you've refrigerated the dish, you'll need to give it a little longer in the oven when you heat before serving. Bake it with the foil on most of the time, then remove the foil during the last few minutes for the topping to brown.
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post #3 of 5
12/2/08 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 

Thank You!

Just wanted to say thank you for the tips and recommendations! It's much appreciated and was very needed.

Thanks!
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post #4 of 5
12/2/08 at 9:30am
The only thing I can offer to Suzanne's excellent advice is this:

I always butter the baking dish and dust it generously with bread crumbs before putting in the mac & cheese mixture. As the mac bakes, this forms a very nice "crust" in the bottom and sides of the dish. My family says it's their favorite part of the dish. Another plus is that it prevents the cheese from cooking to the pan, so cleanup is so much easier.
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post #5 of 5
12/2/08 at 10:51am
I would make, but not assemble, wait, assemble. bake and serve. If you assemble, you run a risk of having mushy pasty pasta by letting it sit in the sauce uncooked all day. If you can bring everything with you and take the 5 minutes it will take to put all the PRECOOKED ingredients together you will have a much better product.
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