How To Reheat Mac And Cheese
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Reheat Mac & Cheese. Whether you call it macaroni cheese or mac and cheese, it is fantastic for reheating in your kitchen gadgets. Today I will be showing you the best ways to reheat mac and cheese, using either the air fryer or the slow cooker.
Table of Contents
Reheat Mac And Cheese
I was born in 1982 and a 90’s kid. This meant that I was raised on the canned foods that were reheated in the microwave.
There were cans of Campbells meatballs, Heinz spaghetti Bolognese, Heinz spaghetti loops and let’s not forget about Heinz macaroni cheese.
And let’s be honest, they didn’t taste very good and I doubt the cheese was quality that was going into the cans.
But as a kid, you didn’t know any better, and as a parent you never realised how unhealthy there were.
Their best selling point was how quick you could reheat your cans of macaroni cheese in the microwave and that 2-3 minutes later you had macaroni cheese in a bowl and your kid fed.
I was thinking about that, as I am stood over the air fryer reheating mac and cheese. How it takes just as long to reheat mac and cheese in the air fryer as it does the microwave. Or how you can create so many different things from leftover mac and cheese, that you will never need a can again.
Leftover Mac And Cheese
What I did was create a massive bowl of leftover mac and cheese. I wanted to use the leftovers, to show you the best ways to reheat mac and cheese.
Here is our bowl of leftover mac and cheese:
It was from our slow cooker mac and cheese recipe. Which is a great way to make mac and cheese in bulk and ideal for serving over a few days.
How Long Is Leftover Mac And Cheese Good For?
Leftover mac and cheese is good for 2-3 days. Even though it is meatless, mac and cheese carries a lot of dairy which does not have a long shelf life for reheating.
What I recommend is that you plan ahead. Imagine you are making macaroni cheese for dinner on Monday, that you plan into your dinner menu that you are going to serve mac and cheese on the Tuesday or Wednesday.
Best Way To Reheat Mac And Cheese?
If you are wondering what to do with leftover macaroni and cheese, then let me show the best way to reheat your mac and cheese. How us Milner’s turn it into other meals and how excited your kids will be with these ideas.
#1 Air Fryer Mac And Cheese Stuffed Peppers
Perfect for when you have a small portion left of mac and cheese and ideal for brunches.
You chop the peppers in half length ways and then fill with leftover mac and cheese.
Then air fry your stuffed peppers for 12 minutes at 180c/360f.
#2 Air Fryer Mac And Cheese Cups
This is another simple idea that is ideal for when you have a small amount of mac and cheese to reheat.
You can also load them with grated cheese too.
Load leftover mac and cheese into little silicone moulds and then air fry for 8 minutes at 160c/320f.
#3 Air Fryer Mac And Cheese Grilled Cheese
Another option for a double carb hit, is to turn your leftovers into a macaroni cheese version of grilled cheese. Simply follow our air fryer grilled cheese recipe and instead of cheese load it up with leftover mac and cheese.
#4 Slow Cooker Bolognese Mac And Cheese
Last on the list of my favourite macaroni cheese leftover recipes, it to make it into a big family pasta Bolognese recipe. And is the recipe in full that you will see in the recipe card if you scroll down.
But in a nutshell, it is about cooking your Bolognese first, mixing it with leftover mac and cheese and then slow cooking for an hour.
It amazes me how much extra mac and cheese this will make and ideal for saving money on groceries and getting a full meal from it.
I would also name this Bolognese mac and cheese as the best way to reheat mac and cheese if you made me choose.
How To Fix Dry Mac And Cheese?
The secret tip to help your dried mac and cheese creamy again, is to add in loads of milk.
I know it sounds silly, but the reason you have dry mac and cheese is because your cheese has dried out and the macaroni and cheese has been starved of liquid.
The easy way to fix dry mac and cheese is simply to load it up with 240ml (1 cup) of skimmed milk and reheat it on the stovetop.
Then gradually add a bit more milk, then a bit more milk until it is creamy enough.
Or if you feel after this its no longer dry, but not creamy, then add in about two tablespoons of cream cheese.
You can also use this same method to rescue mac and cheese, not just for reheating.
Stir it and you will have perfectly cooked creamy mac and cheese.
How To Reheat Mac & Cheese?
If you want to reheat mac and cheese then this is how it’s done:
- Choose one of our recommended reheat recipes above.
- Reheat your mac and cheese
- Double check that it is piping hot.
- Serve and enjoy.
Can You Freeze Cooked Macaroni And Cheese?
However, if you have other plans and know that you wont be able to consume your mac and cheese in the reheat window, I recommend freezing it instead.
The freezer is fantastic for storing your leftover mac and cheese and we recommend you wait until its 100% cool before reheating to avoid condensation.
To freeze your leftover macaroni cheese, I recommend you load it into either zip loc bags, foil containers of glass bottom storage containers. Then label it up to help you remember what it is, when dumped in the freezer and save it for later.
Your macaroni cheese can then be consumed within 3 months.
How To Reheat Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
Kitchen Gadgets:
Ingredients:
- Leftover Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese
- 300 g Ground Minced Beef
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tsp Garlic Puree
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 200 ml Tinned Tomatoes
- 200 ml Coconut Milk
- 40 g Grated Cheddar Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Start by sauteing your diced onion in the slow cooker with the ground minced beef and extra virgin olive oil.
- One it starts to brown, add in seasonings and tinned tomatoes, and mix well.
- Mix in leftover mac and cheese, coconut milk and stir again. You will now have a creamy Bolognese. Cook on high for an hour.
- When the slow cooker beeps add in grated cheese, stir, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!
Love reheating food in my air fryer and made your slow cooker mac and cheese and had some leftover, so followed your instructions and in my cosori it worked great.
Love the way the food ends up more crispy after reheating in the air fryer there is nothing like it, yummy.
Great stuff, your instructions help so much when people are new to kitchen gadgets, like me and my hubby, you are giving us aot of confidence.