Freezing Mac and cheese

17 years ago

This seems like a silly question, but can home made mac and cheese be frozen? I know you can buy frozen mac and cheese at the grocery store, but they put all kinds of alien stuff in their products to make it do unnatural things. We are traveling this weekend to dh's cousin's house, and I wanted to bring some food along, and thought mac and cheese would be good and could defrost in the ice chest on the way. (around a 5 to 6 hour drive) Think that might work?

Sally

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

lindac
17 years ago
I am sure it will freeze....but why not just pack a cooler and keep it in that for the drive?
Linda C
annie1992
17 years ago
I agree, it'll freeze fine and upon thawing and heating it shouldn't suffer much in texture.

I'm going to have to give this a shot, the grandkids just LOVE mac and cheese.

Annie
Related Discussions
What to make with Mac & Cheese?
Q
Comments (29)
I'm glad you liked it, Alexa. A few years ago, I put about 200 of our family favorite recipes onto a CD for our girls. Every one had the story of the recipe that often prompted memories of more than just that one dish. Here's the rambling one for the tomato pudding: THE STORY: Sometimes we forget that in previous generations, not many fresh vegetables were available in the winter. Since she was a little girl, one of NanaÂs favorite foods was tomatoes. Her birthday was in winter so your great-grandmother would always keep a jar or two of home canned tomatoes set aside for her birthday. SheÂd make what they called tomato pudding for dinner that night. She used her own stale bread crumbs instead of the Pepperidge Farm but that most closely resembles the flavor my mom remembered. That's why we still have this dish at Thanksgiving Dinner - to remember to be thankful for canned tomatoes. LOL Every summer, Aunt Bertie would host two or three canning weeks. We'd stay there, along with Nana, Aunts Betty, Evelyn, Margie and their kids. We'd have assembly lines to can and freeze all sorts of fruits and vegetables but tomatoes, peaches, raspberries, corn and green beans were the ones I remember most vividly. With the tomatoes, we'd can them plain, stewed, as ketchup, spaghetti sauce, straight tomato juice, and a variation of V-8 that my dad really liked. No salsa in those days. For years, Jodi and I were the tomato (and peach) peelers. Greg and Linda were the boilers and would dip the tomatoes in boiling water for just a few seconds and then put them into a cake pan to cool a bit before we slipped the skins off and passed them along. Along the same lines, people would add small chunks of bread to thicken and "stretch" stewed tomatoes, even in restaurants. I hadnÂt thought of that until now because you rarely see the bread added anymore and I haven't make them that way since the 1960's.
...See More
ISO...mac and cheese
Q
Comments (16)
Susie, I made this recipe last month for the first time, though I cut it out of the paper about two years ago. It's now my very favorite macaroni & cheese. It's very rich & feeds a lot. I gave some to two others, who are still talking about it. It keeps well - doesn't break down & get watery. It is SO good! Joan's on Third is a popular restaurant in Los Angeles. Joan's on Third Macaroni and Cheese 10 - 12 servings 1 pound pasta (elbow macaroni, fusilli, or any shape desired) 2 ounces butter 3 3/4 cups whole milk 6 ounces ricotta or small curd cottage cheese 3 ounces cream cheese 12 ounces Monterey jack, shredded 12 ounces Gouda, shredded, plus 8 ounces Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain well. Add butter, milk, ricotta, cream cheese, Monterey jack, and 12 ounces of the Gouda to the warm pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Gently mix everything together, leaving some chunks of cheese visible. Pour the mixture into 9 by 11-inch baking pan. Top with the remaining 8 ounces of Gouda. Bake until beautifully golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.
...See More
Need T&T Mac and Cheese Recipe
Q
Comments (17)
Our favorite comes from The Splended Table. We use Manchego, Gruyere and a bit of Asiago 21st-Century Mac 'n' Cheese Excerpted from The Splendid Table'sÂ® How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift Serves 4, and doubles easily 8 to 10 minutes prep time; 30 minutes oven time You could assemble the dish a day ahead to bake when you walk in the door Never underestimate the healing power of macaroni and cheese at the end of a day from hell. Make this as rich as you'd like by selecting milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. 3 quarts salted water in a 4-quart pot 1/2 pound (2 cups) imported elbow macaroni or penne pasta 1 large egg 1 cup milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream 1 small garlic clove 3/4 medium onion, coarse chopped 1 generous cup (5 ounces) shredded good-quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese 5 ounces cream cheese, crumbled 2/3 cup (3 ounces) shredded GruyÃ¨re, Appenzeller, or Manchego cheese Generous 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes Generous 1/8 teaspoon salt Generous 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper Generous 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika, Hungarian or Spanish 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 saltines, coarse crumbled 1. Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop in the macaroni or penne. Boil, stirring often, until the pasta is tender but still with a little firmness. Drain in a colander. 2. Preheat the oven to 350ÂºF. Butter a shallow 1-1/2-quart baking dish, and add the cooked macaroni. 3. In a blender or food processor, combine the egg, milk, and garlic. Process for 3 seconds. Add the onion, cheeses, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and paprika, and blend for 10 seconds, or until the onion is cut down to small pieces and the ingredients are blended. Turn the mixture into the dish, folding it into the macaroni. (The casserole could be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours at this point.) 4. To bake, bring the casserole close to room temperature if it has been refrigerated. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the saltine crumbles, and coat them with the butter. Spread them over the top of the casserole. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until thick yet creamy. If the top is not golden brown, slip the casserole under the broiler for a minute. Remove it from the oven, let it stand for 5 minutes, and serve. LYNNE'S TIPS An egg and cream cheese are the secret ingredients here. They give creaminess and body to the dish so you can sidestep the time-consuming white sauce often called for in macaroni and cheese recipes. The GruyÃ¨re, Appenzeller, or Manchego cheese gives a nuttiness and another layer of flavor beyond cheddar cheese alone.
...See More
Homemade mac and cheese?
Q
Comments (31)
I make a combination of Alton Brown's & the Cook's Illustated versions. They're both made on top of the stove, no oven baking. Here's my combined recipe with notes about differing quantities. I use a lot less cheese because of my husband's low sodium diet. And I often use just one egg and a combination of sharp cheddar & Swiss (Swiss is naturally lower in sodium content). But, all in all, the recipe satisfies our mac & cheese hankerings and is quite easy. CookÃ¢ÂÂs Illustrated & Alton Brown Serves 4 as a main course or 6-8 as a side dish Toasted Bread Crumbs (Cook's Illustrated): 1cup fresh breadcrumbs from French or Italian bread Pinch table salt 1 ÃÂ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Creamy Macaroni and Cheese: 2 large eggs 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk (AltonÃ¢ÂÂs recipe calls for only 6 oz. milk) ÃÂ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce 2 teaspoons table salt, divided use (I omit) ÃÂ¼ teaspoon ground black/white pepper 1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water (or prepared mustard) ÃÂ½ pound elbow macaroni 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 ounces (about 3 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, grated (AltonÃ¢ÂÂs recipe calls for 10 oz. of cheese; I use only 8 oz.) Instructions: Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and mustard mixture in small bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite (I cook the macaroni a bit more). Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter; toss to melt. Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining milk (DonÃ¢ÂÂt let it get too soupy) and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately topped with toasted bread crumbs.
...See More
User
17 years ago
I freeze the cheese sauce all the time but cook the pasta fresh and then bake. I'm sure it would OK frozen together but just be sure it is very creamy and the pasta is very al dente. The suace will absorb into the pasta some what just like it does with frozen lasagna....at leats that is my experience.
junelynn
17 years ago
Hi everyone. I've been lurking here and loving every minutes of it. I've been doing a lot of canning this year and recognize some names. I've been a member of the Garden Web since 2002. I was raised on home-made cooking and enjoy gardening, composting, cooking, baking and canning. Nothin' beats home made! The photos you guys display are just beautiful!

Sally, I know it will freeze then thaw with no problems. I just made a batch of M&C and I freeze it all the time. What I do is remove a portion and freeze it in plastic ziploc containers (smaller servings than a whole casserole dish), then I take that out and then vacuum seal it for longer freezer storage. You can seal the casserole in a large bag and get as much air out of it that you can (suck air out w. a straw). Depending on how long it will be in the freezer I don't think it would get much freezer burn. You may want to seal it well first with plastic wrap or aluminum foil the bag it.

I have no problem with the texture after it's been frozen. And of course, when it's home made, it taste a lot better than store bought. I do the same with much of my food, freeze it freshly made then seal it. I just finished some mini chicken pot pies and mini apple pies. I kept trying to find a really good chicken pot pie and just couldn't find anything I liked, so I started making my own pie crust (King Arthur recipe) and making my own pies.

Good luck with that and I'm sure it will be a hit!

June Lynn
sally2_gw
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, everybody. I was planning on making it and freezing it ahead of time so I wouldn't have to deal with it as we were trying to leave. However, I just spoke with DH's cousin, (which I should have done before posting this question and getting all hungry for mac and cheese) and she says she's got dinner covered. I'm just to bring brownies, which I will be more than happy to do.

I'm sure this information will come in handy, though, as we travel back and forth between OK and TX quite a bit, and I like having food ready to heat and eat when we get there. I kind of like the idea of a frozen meal helping to keep things cool in the ice chest, while at the same time defrosting for dinner once we arrive. So I'll try it sometime.

Thanks again.

Sally

Freezing Mac and cheese

Comments (5)

lindac

annie1992

Related Discussions

User

junelynn

sally2_gw
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Freezing Mac and cheese

Comments (5)

lindac

annie1992

Related Discussions

User

junelynn

sally2_gwOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

sally2_gw
Original Author