Easy Peasy Mac and Cheese

Quit those microwave packets and make your own Easy Peasy Mac and Cheese already.

Step 1, cook up some macaroni
Step 2, make some béchamel sauce in the microwave (click on the link to find the recipe) and add cheese singles to it
Step 3, then melt some extra cheese on top to really make the dish pop.

I’ll get straight into the full recipe below after the brief introduction, so that you don’t have to scroll down to get the details.

However, after the recipe there are tips and variations that are worth reading, so make sure to check them out.

Continue to Content

Easy Peasy Mac and Cheese

Yield: 8 servings as a side dish

Print

Ingredients

• one recipe of the microwave béchamel sauce
• 10 cheese singles slices
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 500g uncooked macaroni

Instructions

1. Make the béchamel sauce in a large microwave safe bowl according to these instructions.
2. Stir in the cheese singles. They should melt in, as the sauce will be hot, however you can put back in the microwave for an extra minute to help the cheese melt. Stir well so that the cheese incorporates well into the sauce.
3. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling water according to packet instructions and drain.
4. Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni.
5. Optional but awesome: Place the mac and cheese into a baking dish and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Grill under the broiler for 5 mins until the cheese is melted and golden. Keep an eye on it as it can burn easily.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 308Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 51mgSodium 329mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 15g

What to Serve With Macaroni and Cheese

Do you ever wonder what to serve with macaroni and cheese? You can use either as a main meal with a side of steamed broccoli, or use the mac cheese as a side for any meal you like.

A side of mac and cheese does well with American BBQ, chicken schnitzel, pulled pork, fried mushrooms, corned beef, tofu, meatballs…the world is your oyster here.

You can also make mac and cheese croquettes by letting the mac and cheese cool down (don’t bother with the broiling step), getting a handful, shaping it into a patty, and rolling it in breadcrumbs then panfrying them.

Variations

Here are some variations on easy peasy mac and cheese:

No Bake Mac and Cheese

Sometimes I don’t bother to add the extra cheese at the end and broil it, sometimes I just serve it right away after mixing the sauce with the macaroni. Then it looks like this:

Gluten-Free Mac and cheese

Make your gluten-free mac and cheese by using gluten free macaroni, or if you can’t find the macaroni shape, get something similar like gluten-free penne.

Also in the bechamel sauce, use gluten free flour, it will work just as well as plain flour. Follow the above Easy Peasy Mac and Cheese recipe with those two changes.

Veggie Mac and Cheese

Make a veggie mac and cheese to add some extra nutritional value to your meal. Adding veggies to your standard easy peasy mac and cheese recipe is easy. In the last 5mins of the pasta cooking, add in 1 cup chopped carrot and 1 cup chopped broccoli. You may need to add more water as well.

And in the last 1 min of cooking, add in 1 cup peas as well. Stir through and cook the extra minute, then drain. Now you’ve got the veggies and pasta mixed through, you can continue with the recipe above by stirring in the cheese sauce, then putting in a baking dish, topping with grated cheese and grilling for 5 mins to melt the cheese on top.

A Note on processed cheese

A note on processed cheese: I know cheese singles have a bit of a bad reputation, however they are my cheese of choice for easy peasy Mac and Cheese.

The reason is, processed cheese has emulsifiers in it, which is what makes the cheese melt really well into a sauce without turning lumpy. It’s not that processed cheese is bad, it’s that there’s a time and place for fresh, crafted cheese from your local dairy, and there’s a time and place for processed cheese, and the place for processed cheese is right here, right now in easy peasy mac and cheese.

Processed cheese is real cheese plus other stuff. Check the ingredients on the back and buy one that has the highest percentage of cheese, and the least preservatives.

If you use normal cheese like tasty in this sauce, it will still be nice, but won’t have that dreamy melty texture. But have a go if you like! It will still be super yummy.