# Mac and Cheese

This is a freezer-friendly mac and cheese recipe, perfect for meal prepping individual portions to bake off from frozen.

- Cuisine: American
- Category: Dinner
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 lb Cavatappi pasta
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Mustard powder
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 12 oz Evaporated milk
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- 16 oz Colby Jack cheese
- 8 oz Sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Smoked Gruyère cheese
- 8 oz Cooper sharp American cheese

## Instructions

1. Cook cavatappi pasta in boiling water, undercooking by 2 minutes (7 minutes total).
2. Melt butter in a saucepan.
3. Add half of the seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, smoked paprika) to the melted butter to bloom them.
4. Add flour to the saucepan and whisk to make a roux.
5. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk until it thickens.
6. Add heavy cream and whisk to incorporate.
7. Add the rest of the seasonings to the sauce.
8. Turn heat to low and slowly add half of the shredded cheese, letting each handful fully melt before adding more.
9. Add the cooked and drained noodles to the cheese sauce and stir together.
10. Layer freezer containers (such as Souper Cubes trays) halfway with noodles and sauce.
11. Add a layer of shredded cheese over the noodles and sauce.
12. Add more noodles and sauce on top.
13. Finally, top with the remaining shredded cheese.
14. Freeze the containers solid.

## Equipment

- Pot
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Souper Cubes trays

## Tips

- The ideal stage for freezing this baked mac and cheese recipe is before baking.
- You can bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes or until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT6A5nC5E/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/5089b9d6-4f91-4709-8c56-33e8254e88be
- Extracted: 2025-07-31

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt