Reheating frozen baked mac and cheese

Follow the instructions below to get a creamy, revived dish, and add some flair at the end to make it extra special.

Microwave

1. Place the macaroni & cheese into a microwave safe bowl. Make sure to only take out what you're going to use.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream.

3. Cover with an inverted plate, making sure to use oven mitts when removing from the microwave to avoid burning yourself.

4. Place the dish in the microwave and heat it up slowly: start with one minute, stir the mac and cheese, then continue to heat at 30 second intervals until you reach a desired temperature.

Tip: For extra flavor, mix in some grated cheese, broccoli, or other tasty tidbits before placing in the microwave. 

Oven

1. Place the macaroni & cheese into an oven-safe dish. Make sure to only take out what you're going to use.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

Tip: For extra flavor or chrunch, add some grated cheese, jalapenos, bread crumbs, or bacon pieces on top and return to the oven uncovered until cheese is melted or bread crumbs are browned.

baked mac and cheese

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Is there anyone who doesn't love mac and cheese? Rich, comforting, and full of creamy dairy, the classic side dish makes an ideal accompaniment to barbecue, meatloaf, fried chicken, and well, pretty much anything else. Whether you prefer the stovetop version or the oven-baked casserole version, mac and cheese is a delightful dish to have on hand — but it's tricky as a leftover.

According to Serious Eats, these cheesy noodles are notoriously problematic to reheat. When making a cheese sauce, it's important to get the right balance of liquid and fat to get a smooth, emulsified result; but when you store leftover mac and cheese, the pasta will continue to suck up water, throwing off the balance of the sauce and leaving a grainy mess. Plus, the pasta you cooked to al dente before mixing it through the cheese will become overcooked when you reheat it. Still, leftover mac and cheese is better than none at all in our book. Here are some of the best techniques to reheat this tasty dish, with a minimum of mushiness and graininess.

In the oven

baked mac and cheese

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As noted by Bon Appétit, the best way to reheat mac and cheese is the way you cooked it initially. If you made the oven-baked type of mac and cheese, then reheating it in the oven is the way to go.

You probably stored your mac and cheese leftovers in the baking dish they were made in, covered tightly with a layer of tinfoil. If so, all you need to do is preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, put the dish in, and reheat until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Then, take off the foil and allow the dish to heat for another 10 minutes (via Insanely Good Recipes). Be careful not to overheat the mac and cheese, which will cause the proteins and fat in the cheese to separate, and which will also turn the pasta mushy.

If you made a stovetop version of mac and cheese, and you want to reheat it in the oven, it's not ideal, but it will work. To do so, place some mac and cheese in a glass casserole dish, pour a bit of milk over the top, using one tablespoon of milk per cup of pasta, and gently stir it in. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

In the toaster oven

toaster oven

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If you have a smaller portion of mac and cheese to reheat, you can use the toaster oven. Since a toaster oven is just a small version of an oven, the method here is exactly the same as reheating in a large oven. For baked mac and cheese leftovers, preheat your toaster oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a portion of mac and cheese in an oven safe dish, cover it tightly with tin foil, slip the dish into the toaster oven, and reheat until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Then, take off the foil and allow the dish to heat for another 10 minutes (via Insanely Good Recipes).

To reheat stovetop mac and cheese in your toaster oven, place some mac and cheese in an oven safe dish, pour a bit of whatever kind of milk you used to make it over the top, using one tablespoon of milk per cup of pasta, and gently stir it in. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350-degree toaster oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

On the stovetop

stovetop mac and cheese

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If you originally made a stovetop version of mac and cheese, you'll want to go ahead and reheat it on the stovetop, too (via Bon Appétit). To do so, place a portion of mac and cheese in a saucepan or skillet, then pour over a bit of the milk you used to make it, using one tablespoon of milk per cup of pasta (via Southern Living). 

Using low to medium heat, reheat the pasta slowly, stirring to incorporate the milk and adding more as necessary if the mac and cheese seems dry. Heat until completely warmed through, about 10 minutes, being careful not to overheat the pasta, which will make it soggy. You can use this method to reheat oven-baked mac and cheese, if you're in a pinch, but be warned that it will destroy any crispiness you achieved with your breadcrumb or grated cheese topping.

In the microwave

mac and cheese

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While the microwave can be a tricky way to reheat mac and cheese, as it's more difficult to moderate the temperature and prevent the cheese from separating and getting oily, it's a fine option if you're super hungry and want to heat some mac and cheese, stat. 

To microwave leftover mac and cheese, place a portion into a microwave-safe dish, then pour over a bit of the milk you used to make it, using one tablespoon of milk per cup of pasta (via First For Women). Mix to combine, then cover the dish with a lid or with some plastic wrap, leaving it slightly open to allow the release of steam. Heat the mac and cheese on medium for one minute, remove it, stir to distribute the heat, and check to see if it's hot enough. If not, continue to heat for 30-second intervals until it is warmed through.

Do you thaw frozen mac and cheese before baking?

The best way to heat up frozen mac and cheese is to allow it to thaw out first. Then, you can heat up previously frozen, now thawed out, mac and cheese in the microwave, the stove-top, and in the oven.

How do you defrost frozen mac and cheese?

Defrosting almost any food is best done overnight in the refrigerator, and that's true for mac and cheese. But if you haven't planned that far ahead, no problem. You can reheat in the microwave on low power, cutting the portion in half after a while to expose the center.

Can you cook frozen mac and cheese from frozen?

Let it stand on the counter until cooled, the wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer. When you're ready to eat it, it can go straight from the freezer into in a 400°F oven. Cook for 1 hour, covered with foil, the take the foil off and bake for another 15-20 minutes to brown the top.

How do you reheat macaroni and cheese without drying it out?

Reheat in the Microwave.
Store leftovers right. ... .
Add one tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese..
Reheat at 50 percent power, stirring every minute or so..
When the mac and cheese has reached its desired temperature, add a touch of butter to bring it back to life..