Description
Creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese made slightly loose so it remains warm, tender, and spoonable inside an insulated food jar.
Ingredients
8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¾ cups whole milk
2 cups freshly shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt, plus additional salt for the pasta water
Pinch of black pepper
2–4 tablespoons additional warm milk, as needed
Boiling water, for preheating the thermos
Instructions
1. Fill a clean 12- to 16-ounce insulated food jar with boiling water, close it, and let it preheat for 5 minutes.
2. Cook the elbow macaroni in salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain thoroughly without rinsing.
3. Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute without letting it brown.
4. Gradually whisk in 1¾ cups whole milk. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
5. Reduce the heat to low or remove the saucepan from the burner. Add the shredded cheddar, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth.
6. Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce. Add 2–4 tablespoons warm milk until the sauce is slightly looser than normally served.
7. Empty the boiling water from the preheated thermos and carefully dry the rim.
8. Immediately spoon the piping-hot macaroni and cheese into the thermos, filling it close to the top. Seal tightly and keep closed until lunchtime.
Notes
Shred the cheddar from a block for smoother melting.
Do not overcook the pasta because it will continue to soften slightly inside the thermos.
The sauce should look slightly looser than ordinary stovetop macaroni and cheese before packing.
Any vegetable or protein additions must be fully cooked and heated before they are added.
Use a clean vacuum-insulated food jar designed for hot food.
Keep the thermos closed until lunchtime to reduce heat loss.
Reheat refrigerated macaroni and cheese to 165°F before packing it in the preheated thermos.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1¼ cups
- Calories: 560 kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 610mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 75mg