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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AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING!
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.
Countess says
I was looking for a great recipe for mac and cheese and this hit it right out of the park. I had never made a cheese sauce, but I’d made a roux before, so took a chance. It came out beautifully, thanks to my heavy weight saucepan. This recipe creates a beautiful result right out of the oven and was great for leftovers today. Thanks!
CindyB says
This dish was very good and creamy, as advertised. I used ziti, sharp, cheddar, and mozzarella with Ritz cracker topping. My husband said it was one of the better mac and cheese dishes we have tried. I would recommend this recipe to others and plan on making it again.
Lori says
How many total cups does this recipe make? I want to make it for a large gathering and am not sure how many times I need to double the recipe to serve it in a large pan.
The Chunky Chef says
It makes one standard 9×13″ pan’s worth
peter maksimovich says
Made this on my Traeger. Everyone enjoyed it and commenting on it. I made a double batch and it disappeared pretty quickly.
Nancy says
Peter – can you give me directions on how you baked this on your Traeger?
Fay Moraif says
Turned out perfectly!
I added diced onions, because that was how a relative made it.
Susie says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times for family gatherings and everyone loves it. I use cheddar, Guyere, and mozzarella. Always a hit!
Suzanne Senekal says
Sorry
But what is the half and half
The Chunky Chef says
Half and half is a common dairy product in the US 🙂 https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-halfandhalf-ingredient-intelligence-205959
kristina says
Best Mac and cheese ever
Fran says
Fantastic. A favourite to serve to guests. I add farmer sausage cooked chunks.
Codie says
Delicious!!!!!!!!!!
Chris says
I died and went to Heaven
Sue says
What do you grease your pan with for Mac and cheese? Butter?
The Chunky Chef says
Usually I use butter, but in a pinch I’ve used a nonstick cooking spray (like Pam).
Amanda says
My favorite one so far! I did half the flour because other recipes i tried they called for equal amounts of butter and flour had to much of a flour taste for my liking, and i also used heavy cream instead of half and half bc that’s what i had on hand. the cheeses i used was 2 cups of American cheese white, and 2 cups of mild cheddar yellow. I did the stove top version with whole grain elbows and it was delicious! Will try with other cheese variations!
Lisa Blackwell says
Very good. This is now my go-to recipe! I usually skip the gruyere and use a mix of sharp cheddar and a bit of parmesan since I always have these on hand. It works well.
Dianne Johnson says
Delicious. Used aged white cheddar and applewood smoked Gruyère. I used gluten-free flour and noodles so everyone in our family could have some. Will make this again.
Greta Campos says
I always look for great recipes for Mac and cheese that have real cheese as the base. I made this yesterday for my daughter’s graduation party. Everybody raved about how good this recipe was. Because I only had some of the half and half, I subbed whole milk for the remaining amount, and it came out great. I really appreciate the descriptions of how the roux is supposed to look, how the bechamel was supposed to look, and how cheesy the recipe was. I highly recommend this recipe.
Heather says
If I only have milk so u think it will turn out ok?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve made this with only whole milk before, and had good results 🙂
Arthur D says
Imagine for a moment the thickness of a can of condensed soup. Are you with me? Now imagine the thickness of that soup after you thin it out according to the directions. Still following?
OK, what I would like you to do now is imagine that you only semi-thinned the soup out. Think about how thick that is. Well, you want the sauce to be almost that thick. Not quite as thick as semi-thinned out condensed soup. Almost.
Malone says
Great recipe! I used Gouda and extra sharp cheddar and it was great.
Ellen says
Last night I took this to a potluck and it was a smashing success, my bf told me he overheard mumbles of “this is amazing Mac & cheese” round the room. Not an elbow noodle left in the casserole dish.
I substituted milk for half and half plus heavy whipping cream, because that’s what I had on hand… I used 2c half & half + 1c whipping cream cut with a little water. I used 4c freshly grated sharp cheddar and a half cup of parmesan. I used smoked paprika and a dash of nutmeg.
Excellent macaroni & cheese, thanks for the recipe. I’ll be putting this in my potluck rotation.
David Warlik says
Have made this several times. Once with lobster and a couple of times with chicken and bacon. It’s a great recipe. My family loves it.