Yes, I just woke up and thought…. what if I make Mac n’ Cheese with spaghetti and then bake it in a pie dish? Did you every wake up with a crazy simple idea to add a fun twist to a classic favorite or is it just me?
Designed to slice and serve like pie, now your favorite side is officially elevated enough to serve at “grown up” dinner parties. That’s what I was going for, because what’s fancier than a wedge of Mac n’ Cheese? Ps If you want a more classic mac n’ cheese pie, you can use elbow shaped pasta. I tried it in a pie dish and used about 2/3 of the cooked pasta. (I boiled the whole 16 oz. box)
(Note: this needs to cool down after baking for a bit so the cheese firms up enough to hold a wedge shape. Fresh out of the oven it will be hot & gooey, so if you don’t care about the wedge- dig in and go for it!)
Dear Thanksgiving, I’m unbuttoning my pants…
Mac n' Cheese Spaghetti Pie
Print RecipeIngredients
- 8 oz Spaghetti (1/2 box)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter (if you have salted, then use less salt below)
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Dry Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Milk
- 16 Oz Shredded Cheese (I used Extra Sharp Cheddar & American. Monterey Jack & Cheddar work well too- see notes below for more cheese options)
- 1 pie dish, greased or sprayed with cooking spray. I use a glass 9.5" dish.
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil, cook Spaghetti until "al dente", about 1 minute less than al dente time noted on box. Drain and set aside.
Make a roux*, combining butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking or stirring with a metal fork until a rough paste forms. This should take a couple of minutes.
Add salt and dry mustard and stir to combine, letting roux bubble and cook while continuously whisking/stirring so it doesn't burn.
Slowly add in milk, continuously whisking/stirring, until all the milk is added. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture thickens. This will take 10-15 minutes.
Once thickened, reduce to low heat and stir in shredded cheese, stirring continuously until all cheese is fully melted and cheese sauce is complete.
Turn burner off, add cooked spaghetti into saucepan and stir to combine. Pour into greased pie/baking dish.**
Bake until golden brown on top, as pictured, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and set, about 45 minutes, before slicing to serve.
Notes
**At this point, you can allow to cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. This can be baked the next day if preparing in advance. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. The bake time would increase slightly if using this method since it will be cold.** Alternate Ingredients: For cheese great options would be Fontina, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella or Gruyere. These cheeses melt really well. If you want a more classic mac, use elbow shaped pasta. You can easily double or triple this recipe and bake it in a large tray for bigger occasions.
2 Comments
Crystal Schwartz (Chrones)
September 2, 2016 at 2:27 pmOk, found your site after looks of fb searching…. I’m trying this receive ASAP, which actually means, give me a few weeks. But, #1 question, how are you to properly reheat leftover Mac n cheese ?
Jena
September 6, 2016 at 9:12 pmI slice it into a few small pieces & microwave it in a dish or bowl. I do 20-30 second intervals and checking in between and moving the pieces around so it does not overheat. It comes out nice and gooey. Let me know how it turns out!