Air fryer mac and cheese for two
A small, creamy mac and cheese finished in the air fryer until the top is golden and crunchy, a small-batch baked mac without heating the oven.
- 25 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $1.22 a serving
- 590 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 4 oz elbow macaroni, about 1 cup
- 2 oz cream cheese
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar, divided
- 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
From your pantry
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch paprika
Each serving has about 590 calories, 24 g protein, 50 g carbs and 33 g fat, and costs about $1.22 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No elbow macaroni? Penne works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring a medium pot of water over high heat with the salt. Cook the macaroni 1 minute less than the package says, then .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
High heatTimer: 6 min
Put the cream cheese and milk in the empty pot over low heat and stir until smooth.
Low heat
Stir in ¾ cup cheddar and the garlic powder until , then stir in the macaroni.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Low heat
Heat the air fryer to 375°F. Spoon the mac into a small baking dish that fits in the basket.
Dolly’s tip: A 6-inch cake pan or any small oven-safe dish works. Check it fits with room for air around it.Scatter the rest of the cheddar over the top, the panko with the oil, sprinkle it on, and dust with paprika.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Air fry 6 to 8 minutes, until bubbling and on top. Let it cool 2 minutes before digging in.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 7 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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