Don't wait for your next family dinner to have mac and cheese. Serve yourself up a hearty serving of this classic vegetarian comfort food today. This baked version is perfect for one hungry person—dig in!
It's here, it's here: my first ever macaroni and cheese of the month! AKA: Mac of the month!
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Each month, I'll be bringing you a new mac and cheese to try out. For this first installment on the first month of a new year, I thought I'd stick with a classic baked mac and cheese for one.
This recipe is for one serving. But it's super easy to duplicate if you're extra hungry or serving a bigger crowd.
This is my go-to recipe when I'm craving mac and cheese (which is always, if I'm being honest) and it's one I know by heart!
Baked mac and cheese for one...or more!
Many nights, I'm eating dinner alone. (Update: It's 2020, and a LOT of us are eating along now aren't we?) That's why I wanted to make a mac and cheese for one recipe for you guys, in case you're an honorary member of the solo dinner club too.
But hey, if you've got people around you gotta feed, go ahead and double, triple, quadruple this recipe until you get as much as you need!
I always get frustrated with recipes for one person that leave me feeling hungry. So I always try to keep my serving sizes on the more generous side. And that includes this easy mac and cheese recipe!
(See this mac and cheese recipe in action on my TikTok!)
I want to emphasize that you can get creative with this recipe if you'd like. (Check out the recipes notes where I talk about this more!)
I recommend trying it just this way first. Then the next time if you think you want to experiment with different cheese, more spices, less spices, adding breadcrumbs...or whatever it may be, you should totally go for it!
And report back to me with the results.
Recipes for one
Even those this is a mac and cheese recipe for one, you can easily douple, triple, quadruple it (and so on) if you're serving more peopke of if you want to make leftovers for the week! Some people don't mind mac and cheese reheated in the oven but I always prefer to re-heat it on the stove-top and add a bit of milk or cream to soften it up more. You can also reheat this baked mac and cheese in the oven where you cooked it in the first place!
Milk vs. cream
For the nutrition facts, I calculated the dish using half a cup of cream.This gives you a SUPER rich, tasty result. But I also often use ¼ cup milk and ¼ cream instead and it still turns out great.
The cheese!
One of the most glorious things about mac and cheese is there's no hard and fast rule about exactly what kind of cheese that needs to be! I used a mix of white and orange cheddar for the version you see in these pictures. But you can experiment! I talk more about some of the other delicious cheeses to use in mac n cheese in the recipe notes!
Options
Feel free to play around with what you add into this recipe for one. If you want some greens, for example, add some finely chopped broccoli. For my meat eaters, you might also add shredded chicken or even ground beef.
Baked Mac and Cheese for One
📖 Recipe
Baked Mac and Cheese for One
This recipe results in the perfect classic baked macaroni and cheese for one! If you're cooking for a group or you want to have extra on hand, this recipe is easily multiplied. This mac and cheese recipe is ooey, gooey, rich, and oh-so satisfying: all of the things you want in a mac and cheese, right?
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tbsp butter For the noodles
- 1 tablespoon butter For the sauce
- ½ cup cream You can also use milk and it will be a slightly less rich but still delicious option.
- ½ cup shredded cheese For the sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded cheese For the topping
- ⅛ teaspoon powdered mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder Or more, to taste
- A pinch salt To taste
- A pinch pepper To taste
- ¾ cup uncooked macaroni noodles
- A pinch dried parsley For the topping.
Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package directions, but subtract one minute off of the cooking time since the noodles will cook more in the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
When your noodles are done cooking, drain them and add a tablespoon of butter to them and mix. Set aside. (It's okay if your noodles cool off. In fact, this stops them from soaking in too much liquid while they cook in the oven.)
On medium heat, melt the other one tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan.
When the butter is totally melted, add the flour, whisking constantly.
Once a paste forms, slowly add the milk or cream, stirring constantly.
When your sauce has thickened up but the chunks of flour are mostly mixed in, add your salt, pepper, powdered mustard, and onion powder.
Turn off the heat and add ½ a cup of the cheese, reserving the other ⅓ cup of cheese for the topping. There will still be enough heat in the sauce to melt the cheese.
Once the cheese has melted and the sauce is a good consistency, add your cooked noodles to the sauce pan. Stir until the noodles are coated in the sauce.
Grease an oven-safe dish with butter. Pour your noodles and sauce into the dish. Add the remaining cheese on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is nice and bubbly and just how you like it.
Let sit for a few minutes before you serve it. Top with some dried parsley if you'd like and ENJOY!
Notes
I usually use cheddar cheese, but you can use a combination of cheeses or just stick with your favorite. Combing a bit of gruyere or mozzarella with your cheddar is always a good idea! The only thing I ask is that you shred the cheese on your own - DON'T use those bags of shredded cheese. It's just not the same.
Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese, as well as how much mustard and onion powder you use! Some people like their mac and cheese with more seasoning, while others like it slightly more simple.
This recipe is a crowd-pleasing option that will please any palate and it's easy to customize!
Nutrition
Calories: 1215kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 34gFat: 89gSaturated Fat: 55gCholesterol: 298mgSodium: 639mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3090IUCalcium: 565mgIron: 2mg
Keyword mac and cheese, mac of the month
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Check out all of my Mac of the Month recipes right here.
Or if you're looking for other tasty vegetarian comfort food options, click here for the grilled cheese recipes of the month.
That's it for now! Hope you love it! Let me know what other kinds of macaroni and cheese recipes you'd like to see!
xo - C
