The best way to reheat chilled mac and cheese is in the oven, as it helps to keep the pasta from becoming too soft and the cheese sauce from separating, which can happen with microwave reheating. Here's how:
Preheat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit (175º Celsius).
Place the mac and cheese in an oven-safe dish. If it's in a large block, consider breaking it up into smaller pieces so it heats more evenly.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil to keep the mac and cheese from drying out.
Bake for about 20 minutes, then check the temperature. If it's not hot enough, continue baking and check every 5 minutes.
Once it's heated through, you can remove the foil and bake for another few minutes if you want to brown the top.
Reheating or cooking frozen mac and cheese
If your mac and cheese is frozen, you have a couple of options. If it was frozen before baking, you can bake it straight from the freezer following these steps:
Preheat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit (175º Celsius).
Remove any plastic wrap from the dish, but keep it covered with aluminum foil.
Bake for about 30-60 minutes, depending on the number of portions you are cooking, then check the temperature. If it's not hot enough, continue baking and check every 10 minutes.
Once it's heated through, you can remove the foil and bake for another few minutes if you want to brown the top.
If your mac and cheese was already baked and then frozen, it's best to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven following the steps for reheating chilled mac and cheese. If you need to reheat it straight from the freezer, you can use the microwave, but do so in short intervals, stirring in between, to prevent the pasta from becoming too soft.
You could use the air fryer
The air fryer is more of an oven than a frying pan, so you could use it to reheat mac and cheese. Reheating mac and cheese in an air fryer could be a great option as it can make the top crispy while keeping the inside creamy. Here's how you can do it:
Preheat your air fryer to 350º Fahrenheit (175º Celsius).
If your mac and cheese is in a large block, consider breaking it up into smaller pieces so it heats more evenly.
Place the mac and cheese in an air fryer-safe dish or directly into the basket if it's small pieces. Make sure not to overcrowd the basket or dish.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes, then check the temperature. If it's not hot enough, continue cooking and check every 2-3 minutes.
Once it's heated through, you can increase the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and cook for another 2-3 minutes if you want to make the top extra crispy.
Remember, times can vary based on the quantity of mac and cheese and the specific model of your air fryer, so always check the temperature before consuming.
Reheating mac and cheese from chilled or from frozen
Reheating chilled mac and cheese
The best way to reheat chilled mac and cheese is in the oven, as it helps to keep the pasta from becoming too soft and the cheese sauce from separating, which can happen with microwave reheating. Here's how:
Reheating or cooking frozen mac and cheese
If your mac and cheese is frozen, you have a couple of options. If it was frozen before baking, you can bake it straight from the freezer following these steps:
If your mac and cheese was already baked and then frozen, it's best to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven following the steps for reheating chilled mac and cheese. If you need to reheat it straight from the freezer, you can use the microwave, but do so in short intervals, stirring in between, to prevent the pasta from becoming too soft.
You could use the air fryer
The air fryer is more of an oven than a frying pan, so you could use it to reheat mac and cheese. Reheating mac and cheese in an air fryer could be a great option as it can make the top crispy while keeping the inside creamy. Here's how you can do it:
Remember, times can vary based on the quantity of mac and cheese and the specific model of your air fryer, so always check the temperature before consuming.