Best Ways to Reheat Mac and Cheese

If you think how to reheat mac and cheese without losing its freshness and creaminess is a challenge for you, you have the best reason to keep reading this post. It’s common to have leftover mac and cheese, but reheating it the wrong way will dry the dish out, resulting in a not very appealing meal.

Do not worry! In this article, I will suggest the most effective methods and tricks for reviving the original taste of your mac and cheese. After reading, you’ll be able to reheat this delicious comfort food with confidence.

Methods To Reheat Mac And Cheese

To reheat mac and cheese, you can try the following ways:

1. Using Oven: Being versatile for reheating stovetop, baked, and frozen mac and cheese and work well with a large amount of mac and cheese

2. Using Microwave: Fewer reheating time but just reheat a small amount of food

3. Using Crockpot: A good alternative to oven and microwave

4. Using Stovetop: Being convenient. You can either stir mac and cheese easily in a saucepan or reheat it with a double boiler without being afraid the food gets burnt.

Types Of Mac And Cheese To Reheat

Here, I will not direct you on how to cook mac and cheese because you all are masters in cooking this appetizing food. What’s better? Serving some side items along your mac and cheese is also a superb option if you seek other ways to upgrade your cheesy meal.

In this post, I would like to make clear 3 common types of mac and cheese you usually reheat. It is because different kinds of mac and cheese need suitable methods and steps of reheating.

1. Stovetop Mac and Cheese: Having a smooth texture, being cooked on the stovetop, and being stored in cooler of the fridge.

2. Baked Mac and Cheese: Having a golden brown cheese surface, being baked in the oven and preserved in the refrigerator’s cooler.

3. Frozen Mac and Cheese: Either frozen mac and cheese purchased from supermarkets or homemade one is stored in the freezer for future use

Reheating Leftover Stovetop Mac And Cheese

Reheating stovetop mac and cheese requires the right methods, or it can get burnt easily.

How To Reheat It In An Oven?

If you want to reheat a large amount of mac and cheese for your whole family consumption, an oven will be a great option. It is because the hot dry air in the oven moves in a circle direction, so your food is always reheated thoroughly with the oven.

Is it safe to reheat your cheesy dish in a convection microwave oven? Yes, you can use it also because its reheating function is similar to the regular oven. And here are some steps to utilize the correct reheating process.

• Step 1: Preheat the oven to 355 °F
• Step 2: Put mac and cheese in an oven-safe bowl. Next, pour milk into the mac and cheese with a ratio of 1 tablespoon of milk for 1 cup of mac and cheese, and stir it well.
• Step 3: Use aluminum foil to cover the bowl finely without exposing air and then place it in the oven and wait about 20 minutes.
• Step 4: Take the bowl out of the oven and open the foil cover. If you want your dish more tasteful, you can add some bread crumbs, crushed crackers, or cheese to it.
• Step 5: Put your mac and cheese back in the oven and wait for 10 more minutes until you see the cheese turning brown.

Reheating It In A Microwave

When you do not want to spend much time reheating some mac and cheese for your small meals, just reheat the food in a microwave.

Step 1: Put mac and cheese in a microwave-safe bowl

Step 2: Add some milk to it. As usual, the ratio will be 1 tablespoon of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese

Step 3: Use the microwave-safe wrap to cover the bowl and remember to let a small part of the bowl expose the air so that the steam inside can evaporate during the reheating process.

Step 4: Put the bowl in the microwave, set up medium heat, and wait for 1 minute

Step 5: Take it out of the microwave and use a spoon to stir it, which ensures that the mac and cheese can warm evenly.

Step 6: Put it back in the microwave and continue to reheat it for 30 to 60 seconds.

Reheating It In A Crockpot

You might find this option quite strange as you normally cook soups with a crockpot. However, substituting an oven and a microwave with a crockpot to reheat mac and cheese is also a great idea.

It will take you some effort to check out the heat and stir the food, but the creamy mac and cheese will satisfy you a lot. Now, let’s see what you will do to reheat mac and cheese with a crockpot.

Step 1: Spray some nonstick cooking oil on the interior side of the crockpot to avoid the cheese sticking to it during the reheating process.

Step 2: Put the mac and cheese in the crockpot and add some milk to it. The milk ratio in a crockpot is the same as that of the oven and microwave.

Step 3: Close the crockpot’s lid and cook your mac and cheese on low for 30 minutes. You might need to add 10 or 20 minutes of cook time for a larger batch.

Step 4: Stir and enjoy.

How To Reheat It With A Stovetop?

A stovetop is a convenient cooking appliance for both cooking mac and cheese and reheating it.

Using A Saucepan/ Pot

When you do not want to spend much time reheating mac and cheese in an oven or undergoing many steps of reheating mac and cheese in a microwave, you can apply simple steps to reheat your meal with a saucepan.

Step 1: Put mac and cheese in a saucepan, or you can use a pot for the larger amount of food.

Step 2: Add some milk to it and stir it well

Step 3: Reheat the mac and cheese over medium heat from 3 to 10 minutes.

During the reheating time, if you find the food dry, you can add some more milk to it but just little by little to avoid too mushy mac and cheese. Remember to stir it regularly, or your mac and cheese will thicken more than it should be and even get burnt.

Using A Double Boiler

One of the key features of a saute pan is that it’s a great double boiler replacement. However, in comparison to reheating mac and cheese with a saucepan, it will take you more time and preparation to reheat mac and cheese in a double boiler.

But the good side is this method is quite effective to heat up your food gradually and evenly by steam. So you don’t need to be afraid that your mac and cheese may be burnt if you do not stir it regularly like what you have to do when reheating mac and cheese with a saucepan.

Step 1: Fill the water into the base pan from 1 to 2 inches of depth. Put the pan over medium heat on the stovetop.

Next, place the upper skillet on the base pan and make sure that the water below does not contact the base of the upper skillet.

Step 2: Put the mac and cheese in the top skillet

Step 3: Add some milk to it and stir it finely, but it is optional. Because reheating mac and cheese with this method will not take much moisture out of the food.

Step 4: Cover the upper skillet with a lid and reheat it from 3 to 10 minutes. After about 5 minutes, check out the mac and cheese and stir it up. Let it be reheated until the food reaches the desired temperature.

Steps Of Reheating Baked Mac And Cheese

When you have some leftover baked mac and cheese, you can follow these simple steps to revive its original taste and creaminess with an oven.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 °F

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of butter on the interior of a baking dish, then place the mac and cheese into the dish, and as usual just add some milk and stir it up. After that, cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Step 3: Reheat the mac and cheese in 20 minutes.

How To Reheat Frozen Mac And Cheese?

Whether you buy frozen mac and cheese boxes from supermarkets or some leftovers in your home freezer, you can reheat them well with the oven.

In this method, the frozen mac and cheese is not required to be thawed before being reheated

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 °F

Step 2: Put the frozen mac and cheese in a baking dish

Step 3: Reheat it in 45 minutes

Step 4: Take the dish out, add some milk to mac and cheese and stir it up

Step 5: Put the dish back to the oven and leave it reheated for 20 minutes more

FAQs

I also provide you with some common questions related to reheating and storing mac and cheese along with specific explanations from me.

Reheating Mac And Cheese Is Not A Tricky Business!

It is so marvelous if you can enjoy savory mac and cheese that is just taken off from the oven or stovetop.

However, if you have leftover mac and cheese, you can implement different methods for reheating it. You can reheat it in the oven or microwave for great results, or if you want something more convenient, just heat up your food in a saucepan on a stovetop.

Have you had success in reheating your mac and cheese? I highly appreciate your experiences shared in the comment section, so please feel free to do that. If you find my post useful, you can share it with everyone!

Reference:

1. “Food Safety and Storage.” Better Health Channel.
   www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/food-safety-and-storage.