Best Baked Monterey Jack Macaroni Recipes

OVER-THE-TOP MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine Muenster, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses; set aside. , In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, eggs, process cheese, seasonings and 1-1/2 cups of cheese mixture. Drain pasta; add to cheese mixture and stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture and dot with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 40-45 minutes.

SMOKY FOUR CHEESE MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes more. Slowly stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the half-and-half and milk, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in mustard powder and liquid smoke; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, along with the cream cheese, Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheeses; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the drained macaroni noodles. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs over the macaroni
• Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED MACARONI WITH THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to broil.
• Use 1 T of butter to generously coat a 3-quart casserole dish.
• Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in large stockpot.
• Add 2 T of salt, stir briefly, then add the pasta.
• Cook until tender and just past al dente, about 10-13 minutes, or slightly longer than package directions.
• Drain the pasta, then transfer it to a large bowl.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the pasta, then toss to coat; set aside.
• To make the sauce, in a small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk to a simmer.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup of the remaining butter, using a whisk to swirl it to ensure the butter melts completely and does not turn brown.
• If the butter begins to brown, lower the heat.
• While whisking, sprinkle in the flour.
• Continue to whisk until the mixture just bubbles, about 2 minutes.
• Do not let the mixture brown.
• While whisking, slowly pour the milk in the saucepan.
• Continue whisking until there are no lumps.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and season with salt and pepper.
• Continue whisking until the sauce reaches the consistency of heavy cream and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat.
• Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, all of the Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
• Whisk until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and gently toss to coat.
• Transfer the pasta and sauce, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl, to the prepared casserole dish.
• Set aside.
• In small microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 1 T of butter by microwaving on high for about 20 seconds.
• Add the breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar and parmesan cheeses; toss well.
• Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly over the pasta.
• Place the dish on the oven's middle rack and broil for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly, and a crunchy crust forms on top.
• Cool briefly before serving.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• NOTE: on the shredded cheeses - each 8 ounces of shredded cheese is equal to 2 cups. So you will have 2 cups EACH of sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and colby - 6 cups total.
• Set aside 1/2 to 1 cup of the sharp cheddar cheese - you will use this to top the macaroni and cheese. If you like a lot of cheese on top, set aside a cup. If you just want a sprinkle of cheese on top, set aside half a cup.
• Preheat the oven to 350º F.
• Cook the macaroni to the "al dente" stage, according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs together with the milk and the evaporated milk. Add the dried mustard, hot sauce, and salt and mix well.
• Add the cooked, drained macaroni to the milk mixture. Add the melted butter and the sour cream and mix well.
• Add the shredded sharp cheddar, monterey jack, colby, and the velveeta to the macaroni and mix well, stirring for a minute or two to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
• Pour the macaroni mixture into a greased 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish, and top with the reserved shredded sharp cheddar.
• Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED MONTEREY JACK MACARONI

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
• Rinse cooked pasta with cold water; drain and set aside.
• Melt butter in a Dutch oven; add onion and sweet red pepper.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
• Stir cheese, soup, and sour cream into Dutch oven.
• Stir in macaroni; spoon into a lightly greased 2 quart shallow baking dish.
• Sprinkle with chili powder.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

MONTEREY CHICKEN PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 6 min. or until crisp-tender. Blend in flour; cook and stir 1 min. Gradually stir in broth; cook 3 to 4 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup shredded cheese; cook and stir 1 min. or until melted.
• Drain pasta. Add to ingredients in skillet along with the chicken and bacon; mix well. Transfer to 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover.
• Bake 40 min., uncovering and topping with Parmesan for the last 10 min. Top with tomatoes and cilantro.

ELSIE'S BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine Cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk and half & half. Stir constantly, until mixture boils and thickens (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add cayenne and black peppers, and 2 cups of the reserved cheese mixture; stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
• Stir cooked macaroni into the sauce and season to taste. Place in the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with additional butter, if desired. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

MONTEREY JACK CORN BAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine eggs and sour cream. Add the corn, Monterey Jack cheese, bread crumbs and pepper; mix well. , Pour into a greased shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.