Freezer Mac and Cheese

Why You’ll Love This Freezer Mac and Cheese

• Creamy after freezing. A looser sauce and evaporated milk mean no dry, grainy leftovers.
• Bakes from frozen. No thawing required: it goes from freezer to oven in under 2 hours.
• Crisp top every time. The panko topping is frozen separately, so it stays crunchy instead of soggy.
• Two dinners from one pot. Bake one pan now and freeze the other, or split it into small pans for one or two.
• Kid-friendly and vegetarian. Mild, cheesy and easy to dress up with add-ins.

Save

What’s the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese You Plan to Freeze?

Use a sharp cheddar for flavour and a good melting cheese for creaminess. We use 3 cups of sharp cheddar and 2 cups of Monterey Jack. Sharp cheddar brings the classic tangy taste, and Jack melts silky smooth and stays that way after freezing. Colby Jack, mild cheddar or Gouda also work as the melting cheese. Hard, dry cheeses like Parmesan add flavour but can make the sauce grainy, so keep them to a small handful.

Most importantly, grate the cheese yourself from the block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and that coating is what turns a reheated cheese sauce gritty. Grating 5 cups by hand takes about 5 minutes, or seconds with a food processor. If you follow a halal diet, check the label for microbial or vegetable rennet; many supermarket cheddars use it.

Save

Key Ingredients for Creamy Freezer Mac and Cheese

A few small choices make the difference between freezer mac and cheese that reheats creamy and one that dries out. Here is what each ingredient does:

• Elbow macaroni: Short, sturdy pasta that holds sauce inside and out. Cavatappi or shells work too. Boil it 3 minutes less than the package says.
• Butter and flour: Cooked together into a roux, they thicken the milk into a sauce that coats every noodle. Spoon and level the flour, or weigh it, so the sauce is not too thick.
• Whole milk: The body of the sauce. Lower-fat milk makes a thinner sauce that is more likely to split after freezing.
• Evaporated milk: Our freezer secret. Its concentrated milk proteins keep the cheese sauce smooth and stable through freezing and reheating.
• Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack: Flavour plus melt. Grate both from the block.
• Dry mustard, garlic powder and paprika: Small amounts that make the cheese taste cheesier without tasting of mustard.
• Panko and butter: The crunchy topping. It is frozen in a separate bag and added just before baking.

Save

How to Make Freezer Mac and Cheese

The full recipe with exact amounts is in the card below. Here is the method at a glance:

1. Undercook the pasta. Boil the macaroni in well-salted water for 3 minutes less than the package time, then drain. It will finish cooking in the oven.
   Save
2. Make the cheese sauce. Cook the butter and flour for 1 minute, whisk in the milks and simmer until thickened, then take it off the heat and stir in the seasonings and cheese.
   Save
3. Combine and pan it. Stir the pasta into the sauce and spread it in a 9x13 foil pan. It should look saucier than you expect.
   Save
4. Wrap and freeze. Cool for 30 minutes, press plastic wrap onto the surface, add the lid, tape the bag of buttered panko on top, label and freeze.
   Save

In Short: The Secrets to Creamy Freezer Mac and Cheese

• Undercook the pasta by 3 minutes so it does not turn soft.
• Make the sauce looser than for a mac and cheese you would bake right away.
• Add evaporated milk so the sauce stays smooth after freezing.
• Grate your own cheese from the block.
• Freeze it unbaked, with the topping in a separate bag.
• Bake covered first, then uncovered with the topping, to 165°F (74°C).

Once your freezer mac and cheese is stocked, browse more freezer casseroles and pasta, every freezer dinner we have tested, or more ideas for cooking with cheddar.

Save