Food Recipes Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese 3.4 (480) 2 Reviews Yes, you can make everyone's favorite comfort food up to 4 days ahead of time. More mac and cheese, please! By Sarah Copeland Updated on August 17, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: Serves 6 (or 4 with leftovers) Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients ¾ pound short pasta (such as cavatappi or cavatelli) 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup flour 4 cups whole milk 8 ounces shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese (about 2 cups) 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon black pepper 5 slices Muenster cheese (about 4 ounces) Directions Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Wipe out the pot and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk while stirring. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce slightly thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the Cheddar-Jack, mustard, and pepper and stir to melt. Stir in the pasta. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch (3-quart) baking dish and cover with the Muenster. Cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake, up to 4 days. Perhaps the best present you can give to yourself, make-ahead mac and cheese is one of our favorite weeknight dinner shortcuts. Make it on Sunday, and relax come Wednesday knowing a warm, comforting dinner is just a short re-heat away. Get the Recipe: Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese. Marcus Nilsson Chef's Notes To cook: Bring to room temperature. Bake at 400° F until golden and warmed through, 25 to 35 minutes. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 550 Calories 24g Fat 56g Carbs 26g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 550 % Daily Value * Total Fat 24g 31% Cholesterol 70mg 23% Sodium 480mg 21% Total Carbohydrate 56g 20% Total Sugars 8g Protein 26g Calcium 321mg 25% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.