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in a macaroni and cheese recipe that calls for mixing cheese, milk, etc with uncooked pasta, is it okay to prepare it in advance and then bake it when i'm ready? Or will soaking the pasta in the milk/cheese mixture make my mac & cheese soggy mush?

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Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.

added over 2 years ago

How far in advance? I think you could prepare the cheese mixture ahead and refrigerate it, but I wouldn't mix it all together or I think it would turn to mush.

Desert
anyone added over 2 years ago

I can't see it being a problem. For the pasta to start to get mushy it seems that it would need heat. A couple of days or even several hours might be a problem. But an hour or so shouldn't be problem. Are we talking casserole? I would do it because it's all going to be mushy anyway. I have never had a mac and cheese caserole that was the perfect "al dente". Its a casserole: )

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added over 2 years ago

I agree with DonnytG on this. Just undercook the mac. Look at it this way, Stauffer's has made fortunes selling frozen mac and cheese.

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Madame Sel added over 2 years ago

I've made it in advance a ton and it's never been too mushy. I always under cook the mac.

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Sasha (Global Table Adventure) added over 2 years ago

I agree - you can undercook the macaroni just by a minute or two... and that way you can hold the casserole in the fridge until ready to bake.

Dscn0826
thirschfeld added over 2 years ago

I make it in advance all the time and it never gets mushy. Who here hasn't eaten a bowl of it cold for breakfast, even it you warm it up it doesn't get mushy. I would be more worried about the pasta soaking up the liquid and making it dry.

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