We’ve all been there: we spent the day dreaming about that silky, smooth leftover mac and cheese in fridge only to later be disappointed by overheated, crunchy pasta. It might be easy to throw your bowl into the microwave, press some buttons, and hope for the best, but there’s a missing step thats causing you to lose all that creamy goodness when you reheat mac and cheese.
How to Reheat Mac and Cheese
The essential step to remember when reheating mac and cheese is to add a splash of milk (or alternative milk) before heating it. Because pasta can continue absorbing liquid after its been cooked, the milk will get the pasta back to its bouncy texture.
#SpoonTip: Pictured above is my mac and cheese before I heated it in the microwave.
Although there are countless ways to reheat mac and cheese, my favorite (and the easiest) method is the microwave method. The microwave method calls for just 2 added tablespoons of milk per serving size. I prepare this reheated dish by adding the recommended tablespoons of milk and then stopping the microwave every 30 seconds to stir. Stirring will help the pasta get an even coating of milk, which prevents it from drying out. As you can see in the photo below, the microwave method of reheating and cheese makes the pasta springy again and the sauce nice and gooey.
As a college student, I’m lucky to have a stove in my dorm, but most homework-plagued nights call for a simple solution. The microwave method helps me avoid the use of multiple pans/pots. But to be honest, less cleaning = more time to get your work done (or procrastinate, it’s everyone’s reality).
As a parting note, remember to store your freshly cooked pasta in sealed containers. This will help lock in moisture and make the reheating process smoother.