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Today I baked us another sheet pan recipe for our tea. Sheet Pan Macaroni and Cheese. It was a recipe that I had saved by Amanda Hesser on Food52. If you have never perused that site, I highly recommend you join it. It is a veritable cornucopia of delicious recipes and meal ideas.
As soon as I saw this recipe for Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese I bookmarked it as something I wanted to make. I love mac and cheese and I love sheet pan suppers. The idea that you could combine those two ideas was really appealing to me.
Macaroni and Cheese is one of my absolute favorite things to eat. I try not to have it very often because really, its quite high in fat and not that good for you, but every now and then I cannot help myself.
It is not something that my mother ever made for us when I was growing up. I am not sure why.
We did have macaroni, on occasion, but it was always served plain, mixed with tomatoes and ground beef as a sort of goulash. Never with cheese. The closest we ever came to mac and cheese was the occasional treat of the blue boxed mac and cheese. That was a very rare treat.
To be honest, I was rather fussy when it came to cheese when I was growing up. I didn't mind processed cheese, but I was too afraid to get stuck into "real" cheese. Mom would buy some cracker barrel at Christmas, but I could never be tempted to eat it.
It wasn't until I got married that I started to sometimes cook with "real" cheese and came to enjoy it. And, of course, when I moved over to the UK and got to taste really GOOD cheese, I fell in love with it.
I remember when I first moved to the UK, I would go to the Chester City Market to shop. They had all sorts of stalls in there. Meat/butchers, fish mongers, green grocers, bakers, and a beautiful cheese shop. They would sell sandwich sized bags of crumbled cheese ends for 50 pence. You never really knew what kind of cheese it was. It was just marked cheese.
It was a really good price really and I always picked up a few bags that I would then bring home and make us some mac and cheese, or cheese on toast or cheese filled omelets with. So good.
You can't live in a country that produces the best cheddar in the world and not fall in love with it! Then when I cooked at the Manor, I used to be responsible for putting together cheese trays to close their Dinner Parties with. You had to know what you were eating in order to put together a tasty tray.
I got to try and taste an abundance of different cheeses and really good cheeses to be honest. I really did fall in love with all sorts of cheese and have quite an experienced palate now. I love cheese.
One of the nicest ones I got to try was this one that their daughter's In-Laws had brought over from Germany. I think it was called Tete de Moine. It was a semi hard washed rind cheese and was secured on a board with a metal pole running up the centre of the cheese round which was attached to a cheese cutter handle. This tool was called a Girolle. It scraped around the surface of the cheese, paring it into thin rosettes, which greatly resembled carnation flowers. Very yummy.
That is not the cheese used for this very delicious Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese. For this you will want two strengths of a good cheddar cheese. And quite a lot of it. (Yes, it is very naughty!)
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHEET PAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
Other than a good sturdy sheet pan, basically only a very few ingredients.
- 1 TBS butter
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 4 cups (454g) elbow macaroni (or other small shape)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to garnish
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
Do try to get the best cheddar possible for this, both a strong and an extra strong (Old and Extra Old). You won't regret it. Also don't be tempted to use anything less than a whole milk for this recipe.
Whole milk will give you the rich result that you want. In for a penny in for a pound. You've got all that cheese, why quibble over full fat milk. This is not a recipe you want to be figuring out the calories and fat content of!
It is important that you use the right sized sheet pan for this. You want one where you can spread everything out in a nice thinnish layer so that you can get optimum surface crunch, with more of the macaroni and cheese being exposed to both the hot sheet pan and the hot oven.
If your pan is too small, your macaroni cheese won't get as crunchy. I don't know about you, but cheese crunch is one of my favorite things!
HOW TO MAKE SHEET PAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
I was amazed at how very easy this was to make. The hardest part is grating all the cheese!
Preheat the oven to 475*F/246*C/ gas mark 4. Using the TBS of butter, generously grease a rimmed sheet pan that measures 11-inches (28cm) by 17-inches (44 cm). Set aside.
Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, knocking 2 minutes off the cook time. Drain well, rinse, drain again. Pour the macaroni into a bowl.
Grate your cheeses and combine. Remove 2 heaped cups (2 1/4 cups/260g) and reserve. Toss the remainder into the bowl with the macaroni. Add salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper, again tossing to combine.
Spread the macaroni mixture into the baking sheet, spreading it out evenly. Pour the milk evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over top.
Sprinkle on some additional cayenne pepper if desired.
Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp in areas. Serve hot.
If you are looking for crisp, cheesy decadence, you really can't go wrong with this recipe. Its deliciously indulgent, with a lovely amount of crunchy bits, both on the bottom and the top.
Rich. Rich. Rich.
You probably don't want to know the fat and calorie content. I sent a goodly part of this home with my sister. It was really delicious and I didn't think I could be trusted not to do myself some serious harm with it in the house!
This makes a wonderful, once in a blue moon treat!
If you are looking for something not quite so indulgent, might I suggest the following:
SKINNY MAC & CHEESE - Lower in fat and calories, high in fiber and protein, but not compromised in flavor in any way. If you are wanting to indulge in Mac and Cheese without going over the top, this could be your Mac and Cheese. Its really very good.
BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE - This is a delicious way to indulge your need for mac and cheese and at the same time get in two of your five a day. There is roughly half as much vegetables in this as there is macaroni, which helps to cut back on the carbs. This really is delicious and is one of my favorites!
Yield: 6
Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
All I can say is oh my goodness! This is the cheesiest. Decadent.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS butter
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 4 cups (454g) elbow macaroni (or other small shape)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to garnish
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475*F/246*C/ gas mark 4. Using the TBS of butter, generously grease a rimmed sheet pan that measures 11-inches (28cm) by 17-inches (44 cm). Set aside.
- Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, knocking 2 minutes off the cook time. Drain well, rinse, drain again. Pour the macaroni into a bowl.
- Grate your cheeses and combine. Remove 2 heaped cups (2 1/4 cups/260g) and reserve. Toss the remainder into the bowl with the macaroni. Add salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper, again tossing to combine.
- Spread the macaroni mixture into the baking sheet, spreading it out evenly. Pour the milk evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over top.
- Sprinkle on some additional cayenne pepper if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp in areas. Serve hot.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I have a bread machine and I have to say I make good use of it. I bake myself one or two loaves of bread in my machine just about every week. Sometimes if I am invited out for supper I will bake a loaf of bread to take with me as a Hostess gift. I can assure you it is always very welcome!
For years and years I struggled with baking a decent loaf of bread from scratch. My ex husband used to make beautiful bread for the family when my children were growing up. With five children we went through a LOT of bread!
He used to make the kitchen table dance across the floor when he was kneading it. Bread making day was always a really popular day in our home. I think the first loaf always got inhaled as soon as it came out of the oven. He would make at least a dozen loaves every week and they all got eaten.
Nobody minded taking homemade bread sandwiches to school either. Yes. It was that good. It was his mother's recipe and a bread he had grown up with. Good. Good. Good.
I was only ever very good at producing door stops. Heavy leaden door stops. It was not until I purchased a bread machine that I started producing really good bread.
My friend Jo inspired me to get one when I was in the UK. I bought for myself a Panasonic bread machine, which is what she had. I can tell you I wore the first one out and had to buy a new one after 18 years of almost daily use. And then I had to leave that one behind when I moved back to Canada in 2020.
I hadn't been going to get another one when I moved back to Canada, but after having to eat the bread available in the shops here for about six months, I decided I couldn't stand it any longer. I just had to buy myself a bread machine and I have baking my own bread ever since.
Once again I purchased myself a Panasonic Bread machine. Model # SD-RD 250. It has been serving me well for over 20 years and I expect that this newer one will also serve me very well. I have had no problems with it thus far. It bakes great bread!
As a Canadian I love Maple Syrup. When I first moved over to the UK I brought a 4-liter can of Maple Syrup with me. This was pre 9/11 and I was able to bring it right onto the aircraft. I was not going to live without my Maple Syrup!
Of course it is widely available there now, but when I first got to the UK it was a very rare find indeed. Hence the 4-liter can! My fingers were quite sore from carrying it through three airports, but it was worth all the effort.
This Maple Buttermilk Bread is a truly beautiful loaf of bread. It is slightly sweet from the use of Maple Syrup and has a beautiful tang from the buttermilk. It has a lovely tight crumb as you can see, and a beautiful crisp crust.
I adapted the recipe from a cookbook I have entitled, The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. If you have a bread machine and you don't have this book, I highly recommend it. Every recipe I have baked from it is exceptional!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MAPLE BUTTERMILK BREAD
There is nothing complicated here.
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 3/4 tsp SAF yeast)
- 3 cups (420g) strong bread flour
- 1/3 cup (82g) buttermilk powder
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 1 cup plus 1 TBS cold water (240ml plus 1 TBS)
I am not sure what SAF yeast is. I just always use bread machine yeast. It serves me quite well.
If you cannot find buttermilk powder (I buy mine on Amazon) feel free to replace the water and dry buttermilk powder in the recipe with regular liquid buttermilk. In this case you will need 1 cup plus 1 TBS of buttermilk (240ml plus 1 TBS).
Vital Wheat Gluten is a product that helps to boost the protein content of the bread. It is not absolutely essential, but it does make a much nicer loaf. I buy mine again on Amazon. I store it in the freezer so it will last longer.
Simply follow the instructions for a basic loaf of bread as per your particular model of bread machine.
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to your bread machine's manufacturers instructions. (Mine puts the dry first and wet last.)
- Set the crust on medium and the program to basic. Press start.
- As soon as the bake cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and place onto a rack to cool to room temperature prior to slicing.
- Store in an airtight bag or container. You can also freeze it.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BREAD IN THE BREAD MACHINE
Really if you follow the directions on your particular bread machine your bread should work out perfectly, but there are a few things you can do that will give you an even better loaf of bread.
1. Measure by weight and not volume. Weight is a much more precise way to measure. You can't go wrong. I have a set of digital scales that I use. I just pop the bread pan onto them and measure away. My scales measure in grams, Kg, pounds and ounces, milliliters, etc. I started baking by weight when I lived in the UK and I would now never bake any other way.
2. Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour. Bread flour can also be labeled "Best for Bread" or "High Gluten flour."
3. You can use regular flour, but if you do I recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten to the recipe. This helps to boost the protein content of the bread.
4. Measure very carefully. If you don't add enough flour, no matter the type of flour you use, the bread will collapse and is often uncooked in the center. If you add too much flour, you will end up with a dense, hard heavy ball.
5. I add Vital Wheat Gluten to all of my recipes for bread making in a bread machine. You can purchase it online. It helps to yield a much better loaf, helping the loaf to rise higher with a nicer texture than without.
Vital wheat gluten is best stored in the refrigerator (for up to one year), but you can store it on the counter if you think you will use it up within two months (highly unlikely for the home baker.)
This truly is a beautiful loaf of bread. A new favorite here. I used some today to make my favorite grilled cheese sandwich to serve with a cup of hot tomato soup. Is there anything more comforting than tomato soup and a grilled cheese? I think not!! This is the ultimate comfort food meal!!
This bread made an excellent grilled cheese. Yes, I am a total glutton. I like to melt a pat of butter on the top of my tomato soup. It has been ever so!
BREAD MACHINE PARKER HOUSE ROLLS - These are beautiful rolls and well deserving of being served at your holiday meal, or at any meal for that matter. Using the Bread Machine makes them quick and very simple to make.
BUTTERMILK WHOLEWHEAT BREAD - With a mixture of both whole wheat and white bread flours, and sweetened with maple syrup. Then there is the addition of buttermilk. Together these things make for a really delicious wholesome loaf of bread.
Yield: 1 medium loaf
Maple Buttermilk Bread
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 10 M
This is a basic white bread recipe that is a delicious combination of the sweetness of Maple syrup and tangy buttermilk. It makes for lovely sandwiches and toast.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 3/4 tsp SAF yeast)
- 3 cups (420g) strong bread flour
- 1/3 cup (82g) buttermilk powder
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 1 cup plus 1 TBS cold water (240ml plus 1 TBS)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to your bread machine's manufacturers instructions. (Mine puts the dry first and wet last.)
- Set the crust on medium and the program to basic. Press start.
- As soon as the bake cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and place onto a rack to cool to room temperature prior to slicing.
- Store in an airtight bag or container.
Thank you so much for visiting! Do come again!
I am a sandwich lover. I am with the Brits on this one. I have never met a sandwich I didn't like and enjoy. Over in the U.K. they have whole shops dedicated to sandwiches. The British love their sandwiches.
They are also huge fans of the burger. I am not so fussed over regular burgers, but if its a turkey burger or a chicken burger, I am all in!
I am really fond of a good BLT (Bacon Lettuce and Tomato) sandwich. Today I decided to take that idea and combine it with a grilled chicken burger, not a ground chicken burger, but a grilled chicken breast burger.
So what you have here is a toasted brioche bun topped with a BBQ spice grilled chicken breast, crispy bacon, sliced tomato and an arugula baby spinach leaf topping.
I also created a lush garlic and chive aioli mayo dressing, and I cooked some tasty sweet potato wedges on the side for a complete meal.
I like to make my own spices and rubs if I can. This is one that I found here and adapted for use in my own kitchen. One of the reasons I like to make my own rather than buy already made blends is that I can control what goes into them. No msg or preservatives.
HOMEMADE BBQ SEASONING
1/4 cup (48g) maple sugar or (50g) granulated sugar
(I don't recommend using brown sugar as the moisture in it
will cause the mixture to clump)
2 TBS smoked paprika
1 TBS garlic powder (not salt)
1 TBS onion powder (not salt)
1 TBS dry ground mustard powder
2 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp thyme dried
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 TBS Kosher salt (optional)
HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN BLT'S
I used some of this tasty rub on my sweet potato wedges as well. I find that sweet potato wedges and fries can get a bit soggy for some reason, so today I tried adding some fine dry bread crumbs to the spice mixture I coated them in prior to roasting.
It helped to keep them somewhat crisp, but I am not sure if there is any way that you are every going to get them totally crisp in the home. In any case they were delicious, especially dipped in some of that aioli mayo!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN BLT'S
It does look like a long list of ingredients, and it is, but these go together very quickly and are fabulously tasty. There is more than one component to the recipe. You have the fries, the burgers and the garlic mayo. You can be enjoying them in about half an hour's time. You, of course, don't need to do the wedges or the garlic mayo if you don't want to.
For the sweet potato fries:
- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup (30g) Italian dry bread crumbs
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS BBQ spice
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the chicken:
- 2 small chicken breast fillets (about 5 ounces/145g each)
- 1 TBS BBQ spice
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS BBQ sauce
You will also need:
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, halved
- handful of fresh baby spinach and baby arugula (rocket)
- 1 beefsteak tomato
- 2 brioche buns, buttered and toasted on the cut sides
- 1/2 cup (110g) mayonnaise
- 1 TBS finely chopped chives
- 1 small clove chicken, peeled and grated
Use the smoothest sweet potatoes that you can. I try to buy medium sized potatoes with an almost egg shape. These make wedges that are all basically the same size.
I used dry Italian bread crumbs, but you can use any fine dry bread crumbs, or leave them out altogether if you wish. I do recommend that you use them however!
I like to use a bun that is not totally fresh. That way they don't fall apart as easily when you are eating your burger. Toasting the cut sides briefly in the oven does freshen them up.
I like the baby arugula (rocket) and spinach mix. It is fresh and crisp and green. The arugula adds a nice hint of heat.
These really go together very quickly and are very simple and easy to make. Why pay a fortune for a sandwich like this in a restaurant when you can make a much tastier one at home yourself!
Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some baking parchment.
Wash the sweet potatoes and dry well. Cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Place into a bowl and toss together with the oil, bread crumbs, spice, some salt and some pepper. Coat them well and then spread out on the baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with some paper towels and then season generously on both sides with the BBQ spice and some salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet and then brown the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven, brush with the BBQ sauce and roast for a further 8 to 10 minutes.
Cut the rashers of bacon in half crosswise. Wipe out the skillet and then add the bacon. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until the bacon is crispy. Remove and keep warm.
Whisk together the mayonnaise with the garlic and the chopped chives. Set aside. Slice the tomato into four thick slices. Toast your buns.
Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to make two thinner pieces. Spread some of the garlic mayonnaise onto the bottom half of each bun and top each with the chicken slices. Top the chicken with the bacon, tomatoes and then the greens. Place the top bun on top.
Serve hot with the sweet potato wedges alongside. If you have any garlic mayo left, it makes a great dip for the fries.
This was a really delicious and satisfying sandwich. The addition of the sweet potato wedges turned it into a full meal. You can of course not bother with them, or use a ready made frozen variety.
If you are not overly fond of the flavor of garlic, then use only half a clove in the garlic mayo, or leave it out altogether!
If you are looking for something simple to cook for your honey for supper tonight, you can't really go wrong with one of these!
If you are fond of the burger or the hot sandwich, you might also enjoy these!
HERBED TURKEY BURGERS - Ground turkey flavored with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Two thin patties sandwiched together with a pat of butter in the middle to keep them nice and moist. Grilled to perfection, topped with cheese and served with all of your favorite burger toppings!
HONEY HOT CHICKEN BURGERS - Pounded chicken breasts with a buttermilk coating, baked until crispy. A mix of honey, spice and buttery is brushed on the finished pieces of chicken as a lovely finishing touch. Served in toasted buns with shredded lettuce and crisp bacon! So delicious!
Yield: 2
BBQ Chicken BLT's
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
A beautiful sandwich, simple to make with all the elements of a BLT. Spicy sweet potatoes are served on the side. A complete meal for two!
Ingredients
For the sweet potato fries:
- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup (30g) Italian dry bread crumbs
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS BBQ spice
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the chicken:
- 2 small chicken breast fillets (about 5 ounces/145g each)
- 1 TBS BBQ spice
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS BBQ sauce
You will also need:
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, halved
- handful of fresh baby spinach and baby arugula (rocket)
- 1 beefsteak tomato
- 2 brioche buns, buttered and toasted on the cut sides
- 1/2 cup (110g) mayonnaise
- 1 TBS finely chopped chives
- 1 small clove chicken, peeled and grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some baking parchment.
- Wash the sweet potatoes and dry well. Cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Place into a bowl and toss together with the oil, bread crumbs, spice, some salt and some pepper. Coat them well and then spread out on the baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with some paper towels and then season generously on both sides with the BBQ spice and some salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and then brown the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven, brush with the BBQ sauce and roast for a further 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cut the rashers of bacon in half crosswise. Wipe out the skillet and then add the bacon. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until the bacon is crispy. Remove and keep warm.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise with the garlic and the chopped chives. Set aside.
- Slice the tomato into four thick slices.
- Toast your buns.
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Spread some of the garlic mayonnaise onto the bottom half of each bun and top each with the chicken slices. Top the chicken with the bacon, tomatoes and then the greens. Place the top bun on top.
- Serve hot with the sweet potato wedges alongside. If you have any garlic mayo left, it makes a great dip for the fries.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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