Macaroni and Cheese Waffles Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Aug. 29, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Waffled macaroni and cheese might not rank quite as high on the list of "things you must try before you die" as, say, a fresh-from-the-water oyster, or a sliver of Parmesan sliced off of a wheel that has just been opened in front of your eyes, or a bit of playful light bondage, but it's certainly good enough that it should immediately make your list of second-tier priorities.

That is, if you do it right, of course.

Why this recipe works:

  • Waffling macaroni and cheese creates crispy, crusty edges of cheese with a gooey, soft core.
  • By spreading the macaroni and cheese out into a cut-able sheet, you eliminate the need for breading of any kind when waffling it.

Recipe Details

Macaroni and Cheese Waffles Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried macaroni

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing baking sheet

  • 1 tablespoon flour

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • Dash hot sauce, plus more for serving

  • 1 teaspoon mustard

  • 1 1/4 pounds grated cheddar cheese

  • Maple syrup for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Place pasta in a large pot and cover with lukewarm water by 2 inches. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until pasta is tender, about 6 minutes after coming to a boil. Drain pasta.

  2. While pasta cooks, heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring, until pale golden blond. Slowly whisk in whole milk. Whisk in hot sauce and mustard. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in 3/4 pounds grated cheese. Stir until melted. If smoother texture is desired, transfer to a blender and blend on high speed until glossy and smooth.

  3. When pasta is cooked, add cheese sauce and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a greased rimmed baking sheet and flatten with a spatula. Refrigerate until completely set, about 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat a waffle iron. Carefully cut macaroni and cheese into 8 even squares.

  5. Using a wide spatula, carefully lift one square and plate it on a cutting board. Cover top with 1/4 of remaining cheese. Place another square of macaroni on top of cheese, creating a sandwich.

  6. Place sandwich in waffle maker. Close and cook until golden brown on both sides and cheese has crisped up, about 6 minutes. Remove from waffle iron and serve with syrup and hot sauce. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for remaining waffles.

Special equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, waffle iron

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
452 Calories
29g Fat
27g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 452
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 16g 81%
Cholesterol 82mg 27%
Sodium 785mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 544mg 42%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 129mg 3%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)