National Macaroni and Cheese Day is July 14th and we are going to celebrate and dive into a bowl (or three) of cheesy goodness! Everyone loves a good ole' mac and cheese and there are so many different variations out there. We've put together three different versions for you: An easy 5 ingredient macaroni and cheese; a Keto friendly macaroni and cheese; and of course we had to throw in a macaroni and cheese in your instant pot. Hey, we might be a little biased, but anything with macaroni is "Gucci" in our books!
5 Ingredient Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of milk
- 1 pound dry elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir constantly until the pasta is cooked about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly, as you can burn the milk easily.
- Turn off the heat, then add in the cheddar, butter, and mustard.
- Stir until the cheese is melted, the other ingredients are blended well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of dry elbow macaroni (or your favorite pasta)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup of whole milk or half and half
Instructions:
- Add the uncooked macaroni, chicken broth, butter, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper, and nutmeg into the pressure cooker.
- Place the lid on the pot and set to sealing.
- Cook on manual function, high pressure for 5 minutes. Then, do a quick release.
- Stir in the cheeses and milk until smooth. Add more milk if needed.
Keto-Friendly Faux Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
- 2 large heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (Reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Fill a pot with water, boil, and add cauliflower. Boil until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes or just until soft (al dente). Turn off heat, drain, and return to pot.
- In a small bowl, mix all of the seasonings together to combine.
- Add cream, butter, cream cheese, 2 cups of the shredded cheese and mixed seasonings to the pot and stir well. Taste for salt and pepper seasoning and add a dash more heavy cream if needed.
- Pour into a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.
Optional: Garnish with paprika and/or parsley.
This article originally appeared in Macaroni Kid EATS! Want to be part of our foodie family? Sign up to get EATS in your inbox on the third Tuesday of the month for free!
Here are a few places to get free Macaroni and Cheese
Noodles & Company Celebrates National Mac & Cheese Day with Free Small Mac Exclusively for Rewards Members on July 14 Only
Rewards members get a free small Wisconsin Mac & Cheese with the order of any regular entrée Wednesday. The offer is in the “Rewards” section of your account and new members can sign up on the company’s website.
Panera Bread: The restaurant is giving away a year of free Mac & Cheese to 15 winners who are members of the chain’s loyalty program. Ten winners will be from Instagram and Twitter and five from TikTok. To enter on Twitter and Instagram, say how you’re the biggest Mac & Cheese fan “without telling us you're our biggest mac and cheese fan.
To find out what other companies that may be giving away free food. Click here for our list.
Lapretta Jackson is the publisher for Macaroni Kid Gurnee-Vernon Hills, IL Click here and Sign up! Get a FREE weekly Kid/Family friendly events calendar for Gurnee-Vernon Hills full of Events, Fairs, Activities, Contests, Giveaways, Free stuff, and more! Click here to Like us on Facebook.
