Sheet pan meals were all the rage last year. And I have to admit, I liked a lot of what I saw come down the Recipewire. The fad hasn’t tapered off… And I recently saw a couple I felt needed sharing – just for the fun of it! Today: Sheet Pan CRUNCHY Mac and Cheese…
Thin and crispy – sort of in the same way as New York Style Pizza is
thin and crispy compared to Chicago Deep Dish style…
I have to say, I might prefer this ‘thin and crispy’ version of Mac and Cheese to the traditional cas-serole. I’ve always preferred the thick and ‘cuttable’ style of this classic dish to the recently-in-vogue creamy (and often crustless) style…
How it differs…
The main difference in this sheet pan version of the Great American Classic is the crust. That’s the crispy part. The filling – as such – is so thin, you hardly notice its texture. But because of the way the dish bakes, it’s on the thick and cheesy side, rather than ‘creamy’ and almost pourable, the way some contemporary Mac and Cheese recipes are formulated.
The crust’s the thing
There’s much debate among commenters to the recipe post abut what kind of bread crumbs to use for the topping. The recipe officially calls for Panko. It is, after all, the ‘ace’ crispy coating, made fam-ous by Japanese deep-fried nibbles. Some insist homemade, coarse bread crumbs are best. I say, use what works best for you. The featured ingredient in the crust is the Parmesan cheese!
Hot? Or not?
The official recipe calls for Hot Sauce. It’s never been on any Mac and Cheese ingredient list I ever made. But you could add it if you are a fan. For me, it just wouldn’t be ‘Mac and Cheese’ anymore.
Flour power?
The filling calls for a basic Béchamel base – flour, butter and milk. But the real star is the cheese – and lots of it! The specified 6 cups total of shredded cheese (half Mozz, half Cheddar) will make the filling thick and cheesy. And it will set up nicely during baking.
Pasta particulars
DO use only classic elbow macaroni for this dish. For a start, it’s one way for diners to tell its actually macaroni and cheese, not just a thick, crunchy topping on cheese sauce. More importantly, it’s crucial to use the tubular pasta to ensure the filling bakes up properly, and doesn’t get too dry or chewy.
My take
This dish – aside from its simple demeanour – is equally easy to make. And it’s hard to ruin it if you just follow the simple 4-step instructions. There’s even a video you can view to pick up some of the finer points recipe contributor Lena Abraham offers.
This is also a great dish to experiment with. You could customize it with almost anything you fancy which goes with cheese. And that’s almost anything…
Let your imagination run wild!
~ Maggie J.