Air Fryer Macaroni and Cheese

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword air-fryer-macaroni-and-cheese, macaroni-and-cheese-recipes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Stand time 5

Total Time 30

Servings servings (may vary)

Calories 374kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (parboiled in salted water for 5 minutes)
1 1/2 cups half and half
8 oz block Velveeta cheese small cubes
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided use
3 Tbsp butter melted
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

Preheat a 4-6 quart air fryer at 360°F for 10 minutes.
While the air fryer is heating, parboil macaroni in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain. Add to a bowl with half and half, Velveeta, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, butter, salt, garlic powder, pepper. ground mustard, onion powder and cayenne. Stir to combine.
Spray an oven safe/air fryer safe baking dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the dish. Air fry for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese after the last stir. (Some air fryers may take a little longer for the macaroni to be tender. Test one piece at 15 minutes and add time only, if needed)
Air fry an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese has melted and the top is slightly browned.
Let stand 5-10 minutes, then serve.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the Oven:
Cook the macaroni on the stovetop in salted water until al dente per the package instructions. Drain well, return to pot.
Increase half and half to 2 cups. To the drained macaroni add cubed Velveeta, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, butter and seasonings, mix well.
Simmer over medium just until the Velveeta has melted.
Pour into a buttered 2 quart baking dish and sprinkle the top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. You can also dot the top with butter, if desired.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes just until the cheese has melted and slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.

Notes

Pasta - You can make this with twisted macaroni, medium shells or any similar size pasta.
Cheese - You could use colby jack cheese, medium cheddar cheese or spicy pepper jack cheese.
Pre-Cooking the Macaroni - Some air fryer macaroni and cheese recipes can be made without precooking the macaroni. I have found that taking just a few minutes to begin the cooking process prior to air frying the macaroni and cheese turns out better. If you want to make it without precooking the pasta, you can. Mix everything together per the recipe and adjust the cooking time after testing a piece at 15 minutes for doneness. Adapt the cooking time depending on how your appliance performs.
Air Fryer Basket Technique - Should you choose to cook the macaroni and cheese directly in the basket of the air fryer, remove the rack and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray or brush with oil prior to adding the macaroni and cheese mixture. This will only work if the basket is solid and doesn't have any holes.
Dish Options - You can use any oven-proof dish in the air fryer that fits. There are a variety of silicone inserts to make it easy to clean after cooking, too. Buy the size that fits your appliance and if you have one that has a handle, it can be handy when moving it in and out of the air fryer.
Stir to Combine the Ingredients - It's important to stir this macaroni and cheese periodically since the Velveeta cubes will melt while it's cooking and will need to be stirred to evenly coat the macaroni. If it has melted after the first stir, there's no need to stir again until you're ready to top with shredded cheese in the final stage of cooking.

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