Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

November 10, 2025

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This simple baked mac and cheese recipe is on the very high of my checklist of favourite consolation dishes. It’s a breeze to make with macaroni in a wealthy and creamy cheese sauce (and many it!) baked till bubbly underneath a golden crumb topping.

cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese in the dish with a spoon

Taste: Utilizing two sorts of cheese and additional sauce makes the dish further creamy, wealthy, and filled with tacky goodness.
Talent Stage: This recipe is straightforward to make and may be ready forward of time and refrigerated.
Swaps: Do this recipe with mixtures of various cheeses, reminiscent of mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Havarti, Provolone, Gruyere, or Gouda.

cream , flour , panko , macaroni , milk , cheese , butter and seasonings with labels to make Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Necessities and Simple Swaps

Pasta: Elbow pasta makes the creamiest mac and cheese, however any medium or small shapes with ridges or holes, like shells or cavatappi, work too.
Cheese: Sharp shredded cheddar provides a daring cheese taste. You may change 1 cup of cheddar with Swiss, Havarti, or Gruyere cheese.
Dairy: I exploit a mixture of milk and cream to make it good and creamy. Heavy cream will give the dish all of the extra richness.
Topping: Panko breadcrumbs have a pleasant crunch, however you should utilize common breadcrumbs or crushed cracker crumbs (saltines or Ritz) as an alternative.

Variations

Add further protein that can complement the tacky flavors. Bacon or sausage tastes fantastic in baked mac and cheese, and provides a smoky layer.
Broccoli, peas, or inexperienced beans are good add-ins for including vitamins and slicing by way of among the tacky richness.

Shredding cheese from a block makes a velvety easy sauce, however pre-shredded cheeses can be utilized if time is of the essence.

When you have a meals processor, use the shred blade to make fast work of shredding the cheese.

Baking mac and cheese is the basic Southern methodology, but when dinner must be on the desk quick, you possibly can skip the baking step and serve from the stovetop.

adding flour and seasonings to butter to make Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Methods to Make Baked Mac and Cheese

Prepare dinner pasta: Prepare dinner the pasta al dente (recipe under).
Make sauce: Prepare dinner butter, flour, and seasonings. Whisk in milk and cream, then stir in cheeses.
Add pasta: When the cheeses are melted, whisk the sauce till easy and stir within the cooked pasta.
Bake: Spoon right into a casserole. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping excessive and bake. Simple peasy!

Don’t overbake this mac and cheese to maintain it further creamy. Every little thing is already cooked; heating it blends the flavors and offers it a browned topping.

As soon as heated by way of, the dish is able to serve.

creamy cheese sauce to make Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Holly’s Useful Hints

Don’t overcook the pasta because it cooks extra within the oven; it needs to be al dente (agency).
If time permits, shred your cheeses from a block for a smoother sauce. Pre-shredded cheeses will work, however they don’t soften as easily.
Take away sauce from the warmth earlier than including cheese. Oveheating cheese could cause it to separate or grow to be grainy.
Don’t overbake: As soon as the macaroni is scorching and effervescent on the sides, it’s prepared.

a pan of baked mac and cheese with a bread crumb and cheese topping

Love Your Leftovers

Leftovers: Maintain leftover baked mac and cheese in a lined container within the fridge for as much as 5 days or freeze parts in zippered luggage for as much as 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or within the microwave with a bit of milk added to loosen the cheese sauce.
Make Forward: Prep mac and cheese forward and preserve it lined within the fridge with out topping for as much as 2 days. Let the mac and cheese relaxation at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of heat milk after baking for 20 minutes. Add topping and bake till scorching and bubbly.
Freezing: Assemble unbaked mac and cheese in a foil-lined dish, freeze, then wrap in plastic wrap to liberate the dish.
To bake, return the casserole to the baking dish and thaw in a single day within the fridge. Let the mac and cheese relaxation at room temperature for about half-hour. Add topping and bake till scorching and bubbly.

Extra Tacky Baked Pasta

Did you make this Baked Mac and Cheese recipe? Go away a score and remark under!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 15 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 35 minutes

Complete Time 50 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and prepare dinner in line with the bundle instructions till al dente. Drain effectively, run underneath chilly water, and put aside.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, make the topping by combining Panko breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons butter, 2 ounces cheddar and a pair of tablespoons Parmesan. Combine effectively and put aside.
In a medium saucepan, soften 5 tablespoons butter over medium warmth. Stir in flour, onion powder, and garlic powder. Prepare dinner for two minutes whereas stirring.
Step by step add the milk and cream, whisking till easy after every addition. Proceed cooking over medium warmth till the combination involves a simmer and let simmer for 1 minute.
Take away the sauce from the warmth and add cheddar & Parmesan cheeses, mustard powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Whisk till melted and easy.
Toss the sauce with the drained macaroni and gently spoon it right into a 9×13 casserole dish.
Sprinkle the Panko crumb combination over high and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or till bubbly and topping is browned. Don’t overcook.

Cheese: Substitute Gruyère for ½ cup of the cheddar cheese if desired. Pre-shredded cheese works however doesn’t soften as easily. Take away the sauce from the warmth earlier than including within the cheeses.
Pasta: Prepare dinner the pasta (macaroni) simply till al dente (agency), as it’ll prepare dinner extra because it bakes.
Baking: If the mac and cheese is overcooked, it received’t be creamy. Prepare dinner simply till scorching, and the topping is browned. Cool for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Topping: Including bread crumbs to the topping is elective, this mac and cheese may be topped with simply cheese if you happen to favor.

Make Forward: Put together this baked mac and cheese as much as 2 days prematurely and preserve it within the fridge, with the topping saved individually. Take it out of the fridge 45 minutes earlier than baking. Cowl with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then, take away the foil and stir in as much as ½ cup of heat milk or as wanted to realize a creamy texture. Add the topping, and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or till browned.

Leftovers: Maintain lined within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Add a splash of milk or cream and reheat within the microwave or on the stovetop utilizing low warmth. Freeze for as much as three months and thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.

Vitamin info offered is an estimate and can fluctuate primarily based on cooking strategies and types of components used.

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