Loaded Macaroni and Cheese

Quick Reference

Product	Receiving	Storage	Quality Serving	Hold Time	Portioning Size
Macaroni	Cooler	Cooler	150°F-160°F	portioned – 4 days hot held – 2 hours	5 ounces
Chicken Tenders	Cooler	Cooler	150°F-160°F	30 minutes	4-5 pieces 1/2″ cut
Bacon	Cooler	Cooler	50°F – 70°F	2 days	level teaspoon
Shredded Cheese	Cooler	Cooler

Cooking Time

All microwaves – 1 side portion – 40 seconds

Q.A. Standard: Ensure Cheddar Cheese is portioned evenly across Macaroni & Cheese. Cheese should be melted when heated properly.

Tools Needed

• #8 Disher
• Sharpie
• 1- 1/3 size pan 6” deep
• Serrated knife
• Dissolvable labels
• 13 1/2” rubber spatula
• White Lug
• Mesh safety glove
• Long handle teaspoon

Worksafe

• Store Macaroni and Cheese and Cheddar Cheese away from meat and egg products in the cooler
• Always wear mesh safety glove for all steps requiring use of a knife, tomato shark, or slicer
• Mesh safety glove should be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use

PREPARING MACARONI AND CHEESE SIDE PORTIONS (Individual)

• Pre-portioned macaroni holds for 4 days (including date prepped)
• Prior to portioning, mark the day of expiration for the individual servings of macaroni & cheese on the bottom of container with a sharpie marker

EXAMPLE:  Day prepared + 3 additional days = Discard Date

Prepared on 30^th   +     31^st, 1^st, 2nd     =       Discard on the 2^nd (EOD)

• Ensure you are wearing single-use gloves under the mesh safety glove
• Put on the mesh safety glove for all steps requiring the use of a knife or slicer
• Place a single-use glove over the mesh safety glove
• Using a knife, cut the bag open completely across the top
• Pour one bag of macaroni & cheese into a 1/3 size 6” deep pan. Scrape any remaining macaroni & cheese from the bag.
• Use a #8 disher to portion out sides of macaroni & cheese and scoop the macaroni & cheese mixture into the bowl. (1 scoop per side portion)
• Use 1 oz spoodle to apply ½ ounce of shredded cheese evenly over the macaroni and cheese (1/2 scoop)
• Cover with a lid
• Pre-portioned sides of macaroni & cheese will be held in a white lug in the reach-in or walk-in cooler set to maintain a temperature of 34°F – 41°F
• Place a dissolvable label on the outside of the white lug. Transfer product name, prep date & discard date
• ENSURE ALL INDIVIDUAL CUPS IN A WHITE LUG HAVE THE SAME EXPIRATION DATE
• ROTATE WHITE LUGS TO USE THE CUPS WITH THE CLOSEST EXPIRATION DATE FIRST
• NEVER PUT CUPS WITH DIFFERENT EXPIRATION DATES IN THE SAME WHITE LUG

Individual Serving

• Only microwave 1 cup of macaroni at a time- DO NOT MICROWAVE MORE THAN 1 CUP AT TIME
• Place cup into the microwave
• Vent (open) the lid on one side of the container
• Close the microwave door
• Press the appropriate timer button
• Remove from the microwave. BE CAREFUL. HOT.
• Close the lid by pressing down the side that was vented
• Place into a 6 lb. bag. Serve with 1 fork and 1 napkin

Serving Loaded Macaroni

• Loaded macaroni is prepared to order
• Hold crumbled bacon in 1/6 size 4” deep pan on the makeup table at room temp
• Only microwave 1 cup of macaroni at a time- DO NOT MICROWAVE MORE THAN 1 CUP AT TIME
• Place macaroni cup into microwave
• Vent (open) the lid on one side of the container
• Close the microwave door. Press timer button.
• While the macaroni and cheese is heating, use yellow tongs to remove 1 tender from the MPHC
• Using the yellow cutting board and a biscuit cutter, cut the tender in half and immediately place the remaining half back into the MPHC so it doesn’t lose temp. (if 2 orders, use both halves)
• Cut the half tender into ½ “squares (should yield 4-5 pieces)
• Remove the macaroni from the microwave and place the cut chicken on top
• Using a long-handled teaspoon, portion a level scoop of chopped bacon on top of chicken
• Place lid back on and serve
• Place into a 6 lb. bag. Serve with 1 fork and 1 napkin

HOT HOLDING (Individual Servings)

• Place 2 – ½ size pans in the large section of the holding bin
• Up to 5 containers of macaroni and cheese can be held in one ½ size pan 1 layer high.
• DO NOT stack the containers on top of each other.
• Cook individual portions using procedures above
• Ensure lid is fully closed and place into a ½ size pan in the holding bin set to maintain a temperature of 150°F – 160°F
• Use a sharpie, write the 2-hour hold time on a dissolvable label
• Place the dissolvable label onto the corner of the ½-size pan
• Do not place containers of macaroni and cheese with a different hold time in the same pan.
• Place another ½ size pan directly behind the first pan to place the containers of macaroni and cheese with the newest hold time in
• Any macaroni and cheese remaining after the hold time has expired must be discarded into the waste container
• Never serve expired product
• Discard any pre-portioned sides that expire at EOD

SERVING DINNERS

If macaroni & cheese is ordered as a side item on a dinner it will be served in the bowl. DO NOT transfer macaroni from a bowl to a plate.

• Dine-in – Place the bowl of macaroni & cheese on the tray next to the dinner plate
• Dine out – Place the bowl of macaroni & cheese in a 6-pound bag with a fork and napkin.

Large Servings

• If a customer orders a large serving of macaroni & cheese (Pint), You will heat 3 individual servings using the above procedures
• DO NOT transfer the individual portions into a pint container
• Present the customer with 3 individual servings

Yield Specifications for Macaroni & Cheese

Portions	AMOUNT	AVERAGE
Individual Servings	5 ounces	15 servings per bag

PREPARING

MACARONI AND CHEESE FEED 10

• Portion 1 ½ quarts of macaroni & cheese into a ½ size catering pan
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan into the oven for 8 min at 375°
• When the timer sounds, use pan holders to remove the pan of macaroni & cheese from the oven
• PAN WILL BE HOT.
• Remove lid
• Using a rubber spatula, stir the macaroni & cheese thoroughly
• Using a 1-ounce spoodle, portion 1 ounce of cheddar cheese evenly across the top of the macaroni & cheese
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan of macaroni and cheese back into the oven and cook for an additional 4 minutes
• Remove the pan from the oven
• Place the half-size container in a large catering bag
• Place 10 napkins & 1 serving spoon in a 6 lb. bag. Place the 6 lb. bag in the large catering bag

PREPARING MACARONI AND CHEESE FEED 15

• Portion 1 bag of macaroni & cheese into a ½ size catering pan
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan into the oven for 8 min at 375°
• When the timer sounds, use pan holders to remove the pan of macaroni & cheese from the oven
• PAN WILL BE HOT.
• Remove lid
• Using a rubber spatula, stir the macaroni & cheese thoroughly
• Using a 1-ounce spoodle, portion 1 ½ ounces of cheddar cheese evenly across the top of the macaroni & cheese (1 ½ scoops)
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan of macaroni and cheese back into the oven and cook for an additional 8 minutes
• Remove the pan from the oven
• Place the half-size container in a large catering bag
• Place 15 napkins & 1 serving spoon in a 6 lb. bag. Place the 6 lb. bag in the large catering bag

PREPARING MACARONI AND CHEESE Feed 25

• Portion macaroni and cheese into a ½ size catering pan. Fill to ½” from the “fill line”.
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan into the oven for 8 min at 375°
• When the timer sounds, use pan holders to remove the pan of macaroni & cheese from the oven
• PAN WILL BE HOT.
• Remove lid
• Using a rubber spatula, stir the macaroni & cheese thoroughly
• Using a 2-ounce spoodle, portion 2 ounces of cheddar cheese evenly across the top of the macaroni & cheese
• Cover with a ½-size lid
• Place the pan of macaroni and cheese back into the oven and cook for an additional 8 minutes
• Remove the pan from the oven
• Place the half-size container in a large catering bag
• Place 25 napkins & 1 serving spoon in a 6 lb. bag. Place the 6 lb. bag in the large catering bag.