This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by both children and adults. It uses a combination of cheeses, layered in the dish as well as melted into a rich and creamy cheese sauce, for the ultimate in cheesy deliciousness! Perfect for a comforting dinner or as a holiday side dish!
Looking for other comfort food dishes? Check out my Homemade Sloppy Joes, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Crockpot Meatloaf, and Homestyle No-Boil Mashed Potatoes!
BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
Baked mac and cheese. It’s nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations! In fact, I almost didn’t post this recipe, as there are SOOOO many mac and cheese recipes available, and most people already have their favorite way of making it.
Of course, there’s no “right” way or “wrong” way, so I’m here sharing the way I like to make my mac and cheese (the way my family loves it too).
HOW TO MAKE MAC AND CHEESE
If you’ve never made homemade mac and cheese before, it can seem a bit daunting. But don’t worry, we’ll break it down and take it step by step!
- Boil the pasta, drain.
- Make the cheese sauce by combining a fat (butter), and starch (flour), then whisking in the milk products.
- Cook the sauce until it’s nice and thick.
- Add in shredded cheeses, stir well.
- Combine cheese sauce with cooked pasta.
- Transfer half of the mac and cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle with more shredded cheese.
- Top with the rest of the mac and cheese, top with more shredded cheese.
- Bake and prepare to thoroughly enjoy!
COOKING TIPS FOR BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
- Boiling the pasta – cook the pasta less than you normally would. I like to boil my elbow pasta for between 4 and 5 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you don’t want it to get mushy.
- Use room temp liquids – if you can… cold liquids generally take longer to thicken than warmer ones. I usually set my milk and half and half out while the water for the pasta is coming up to a boil.
- The cheeses – use your favorites! Our personal favorites are the cheddar and gruyere used in this recipe, but you can be very creative with the cheese selection here. Mozzarella, gouda, smoked gouda, swiss, monterey jack, colby jack, colby. There are plenty of reader comments down below the recipe that talk about the cheeses they used!
- Shred your own – I know it’s a pain, and it’s SO tempting to use the pre-shredded cheese in the bags. But those bags of cheese contain a starchy substance that keeps the cheese from clumping… which also prohibits it from melting as well as it should.
VARIATIONS OF MAC AND CHEESE
- Bacon – if you love bacon, feel free to add some crispy, crumbled bacon to the topping, or even inside the mac and cheese as well!
- Stovetop – if you’d prefer not to bake this mac and cheese, you don’t have to! Make sure you boil your pasta until al dente (check the packaging for correct times), and you’ll only need about 3 – 3 1/2 cups of cheese total. No need to layer the pasta and cheese, just add all the cheese to the sauce, then combine with the pasta.
- Different Toppings – I’m a huge fan of the cheese layer on top, since it gets nice and crispy, but we also love tossing 1 cup of panko with 2 Tbsp of melted butter and using that as a topping. 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers with 2 Tbsp of butter work amazingly well too!
- Different Baking Times – the recipe calls for a lower baking temperature and time, but most of the time I find myself adjusting that based on my family’s tastes. I like to bake this mac and cheese at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to get that glorious cheesy “crust”.
MAKING MAC AND CHEESE AHEAD OF TIME
- Make as directed (but do not bake), transfer to baking dish and cool completely. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead.
- Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
As a caveat, this recipe, as with most mac and cheese recipes, loses some of it’s creaminess when made ahead. This dish has been tested when made right away, which yields the best results.
I would increase the amount of sauce slightly if you need to make this recipe ahead of time.
STORING MAC AND CHEESE
Any leftovers need to be refrigerated and covered tightly. Mac and cheese can be stored this way for 3-4 days.
To reheat, stir in a little bit of milk or cream and microwave partially covered with plastic wrap. Stir often as it reheats.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS RECIPE
- Box Grater – remember, the best mac starts with freshly shredded cheese!
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Post has been updated in September 2019 with new photos and additional information.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups half and half **see chef tips #1 below**
- 4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese divided (measured after shredding)
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided (measured after shredding)
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika smoked paprika is our favorite!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13"). Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
- While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining half and half plus the whole milk, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
- Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
- Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
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Chef Tips
- Half and half is a common dairy product in the US - https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-halfandhalf-ingredient-intelligence-205959
- Please note that if you adjust the servings via the slider bar above, the ingredient amounts listed in the directions do not change. You'll need to use your own common sense and judgement to extrapolate that the new ingredient amounts listed in the "ingredients" section will need to replace the amounts listed in the directions.
- Please feel free to add additional seasonings per your tastes, this is a base recipe that you can change up to make your own. Garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, smoked paprika, and hot sauce are some favorites of ours to add.
- To get the 4 cups of cheddar, use a 16 oz block of cheddar and shred.
- To get the 2 cups of gruyere, use as close to an 8 oz block of gruyere as you can (different brands have different sized blocks), and shred.
Mac and Cheese can be made ahead:
- Make as directed (but do not bake), transfer to baking dish and cool completely. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead.
- Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
FIVE CHEESE VARIATION:
Replace cheese amounts with the following:- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Colby cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
FOR A CRUNCHIER TOPPING AND FIRMER CONSISTENCY:
- Prepare recipe as directed but bake at 350 or 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes. Broil at the end of baking for approximately 2-5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Dave says
Awesome Awesome it’s a family favorite love it
Debra says
Prep time is about an hour.
I think it gets better after sitting for awhile.
Maria Konstantinou says
Hi. I would like to make the Baked Mac and cheese. Do you think it will be ok to use fresh mozzarella and tomato Tortellini instead of elbow macaroni?
Also what else I can add except from bacon? Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using those ingredients, so I can’t say for certain. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂 You can add any veggies or protein you’d like.
Judy warrian says
Luv the sound of this recipe I’ve only used Old cheddar in mine also chopped fried onions! I’d like to add another cheese but unsure which one I don’t want it to be stringy or overpower my cheddar taste! (Any suggestions). I add lots of crispy bacon on top with cheese
The Chunky Chef says
Monterey Jack is a good mild cheese to add if you don’t want to use the Gruyere 🙂
Angela Kuz says
My family and friends LOVE this Mac and Cheese bake! Does well in a crockpot also so, it’s a super easy carry in dish!! Yummy
I used 3 cups each of Sharp Cheddar and Mild Cheddar!! Just made as directed and put it into my 9X13 Crock!! Thanks for sharing!! I lost my original recipe from mother in law so this one is now our favorite!!❤️❤️
Karen Walker says
Delicious. My Mom used to put canned tomatoes,with juice drained, in between the layers, I did that on this recipe. It turned out fantastic
i says
Yum! Made this for my boyfriend and he convinced the family to let me make the mac and cheese for thanksgiving this year!
Caroline says
I’m a bit confused by ‘half and half’. The internet seems to say it’s some kind of milk/cream mixture. If I only have milk and cream available to me in the shops, what ratios of milk and cream would you suggest, please, for obtaining the equivalent of 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 1/2 cups half and half? Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
Half and half is a common dairy product here in the US. I’m not entirely familiar with what cream you have available (since different creams have different levels of fat), but I would use 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of cream for this recipe.
Pey says
The BEST, failproof Mac and cheese recipe I have ever made! It comes out perfect every time and my family always asks me to make this for holidays – thank you for sharing!!
Byron Gerber says
This is the tastiest Mac and Cheese I have ever done! It is so creamy and moreish.
I will pass this recipe to many of my dinner guests. It is Better than any restaurant Mac and Cheese I have ever tasted.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. And the time it took to post all the steps in making it.
Martha G says
Was so delicious! I followed your recipe exactly but added a bit if mozzarella cheese and also a 1/2 tsp dijon mustard to the sauce. Everyone loved the results. Thanks for your wonderful recipe!
Caroline says
My kids are huge mac -n— cheese eaters but when they were growing up, they refused to eat any I made — had to be frozen or out to eat. Then I found this recipe. Now this recipe is the number one thing they ask for as adults when they come to dinner. So easy too. This is definitely a keeper!
Laura says
Turned out fantastic! I did add some more seasonings to the cheese sauce. A little onion powder, garlic salt, and cayenne. The leftovers were even better! Cannot wait to make again!
wayne cremlock says
fantastic. i use provalone instead, my grocers don’t have greyeur.
Hannah says
My go to recipe, but I’ve never understood why the recipe only calls for 1lb (box) of noodles. I always use 2 boxes (2 lbs) and its still swimming in cheese sauce. Would recommend getting 2 different kinds of pasta, 1 box each – like shells and elbows. Would also recommend only cooking pasta for 1/2 the time boxes say to, because noodles cook more in the oven, and also get softer if you make ahead to bake later.
Susan says
I tried this recipe over the stove version and it was a huge huge hit. Getting repeat requests to make so so today going to try the oven baked method. Very easy to follow instructions and not very time consuming with great alternative ideas. Dare you to try it!
Denise says
This is a keeper! Made a half recipe and should have made a whole recipe because it is almost gone. My 15 year old said it was one of the best things I’ve made.
Amy says
Best Mac & cheese recipe ever! This comes out perfect every time for me. This was the first time I made homemade Mac & Cheese believe it or not, but is a family fav now and in constant rotation. Thank you for sharing, I think it’s perfect. It makes a lot but we never through any out. I use a few smaller dishes so the kids can throw one in the oven when they get hungry for something. This year we even added it our thanksgiving dinner! I used sharp cheddar and gruyère. I used both milk & half and half and occasionally some heavy cream
Robert says
How much heavy cream did you use? Thanks.
Mary Poelker says
I’m making this as I’m writing this. I’m bringing this to my daughters house tonight for dinner because the grandkids love mac and cheese! I did add a Little extra milk and cheese because I made too early lol and I also reduced the oven temperature so it could bake longer.
John Hearn says
Amanda,you are the MAC and Cheese Queen Great Recipe