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
- 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 and 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.
Rebecca says
Love this!! Made it last year for the first time and it was a hit. Substituted with cheeses that I could find. Making again this year! Thanks for the great receipe!
Michelle says
Delicious! I’ve made this a couple of times already, and now I’m making it for Thanksgiving with the family. I’m excited for them to try it. So tasty!
Shellye says
What are your thoughts on using 4-cheese Mexican Cheese? I also saw someone use eggs in their Mac n cheese… have you ever done that?
The Chunky Chef says
If the 4 cheese Mexican cheese is pre-shredded I don’t recommend it. 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, and can lead to a grainy sauce.
Eggs are generally used to give stability to a mac and cheese, which this recipe generally doesn’t need, due to the roux that’s made when starting the sauce. However you could certainly experiment with adding an egg or even just an egg yolk and see how it goes 🙂
Michelle Whatley says
Great base recipe to riff off of!
I added cream cheese, garlic salt, pepper jack cheese, taco cheese and mild cheddar.
Yummy 😋
Toni says
This is my go-to recipe for macaroni and cheese! It is so good, so creamy, and so cheesy! I highly recommend!
Brent says
This sounds delicious, and thank you for your time and effort in posting your recipe. I am using a blend of Colby jack. Cheddar, and Jarlsberg. Happy Thanksgiving!
AJ says
I’m making this in a few hours and don’t have half and half. Can I sub with more milk and maybe use a little less so it’s not too wet?
The Chunky Chef says
You can use all milk if that’s what you have on hand, but I do advise using all the liquid called for, as that’s what helps keep this a creamy mac and cheese.
AJ says
Thanks, it was a hit!
Monique says
This was not my favorite recipe. It lacked so much flavor and the recipe was harder than it needed to be explained.
Najia says
I’ve been looking for a delicious mac ‘n cheese recipe for at least 10 years and this has been heaven-sent. I’ve made it now for the last four years and hands down, the very best ever. I make two batches every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanks Amanda!
Nan says
Do I really need the half and half ? Can I just use milk?
The Chunky Chef says
The half and half adds a lot of richness, but you can use all milk (just make sure you’re replacing the half and half amount with the milk).
Christina J says
Can I use heavy cream instead of half and half? Do I just add more milk?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you can use heavy cream in place of half and half. As long as the total amount of dairy stays at 4 cups (for the original recipe size, not an increased size), you can use any combination you’d like.
Lia kibler says
Wow!! This recipe I made for the first time. ONE TRY and it’s bomb af my hubby loved it. And normally when I try something for the first time it’s good. But this one hits the spot !! I just added panko crumbs on top (mixed with butter of course)
Yuri says
Is it possible to use extra sharp cheddar instead of medium cheddar? And a combination of extra sharp cheddar, gruyere, smoked gouda and swiss?
The Chunky Chef says
In general, the sharper the cheese, the less melty and gooey it will be, but if you really prefer extra sharp cheddar you can give it a go.
Yuri says
Thank you! I just wasn’t able to find medium cheddar in my area so I had to use a little less cheddar and more of other cheeses. Added more seasonings and it all turned out great! Thank you for this recipe, it was definitely a hit!!
Ash says
This recipe was fine, but it definitely lacked seasoning and the directions were harder than they needed to be. For example, I found it just fine to add the milk in first while whisking followed by the half and half, instead of trying to add half of each? This can be a one-pot recipe (without the boiling, of course). I also added garlic and onion powder and a little nutmeg to boost the flavor,
Sue Spasic says
Awesome recipe! Made this for a couple of Holidays and everyone loved it. Making it again for this Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Angeline says
Hi! I just shredded one 16 oz cheddar and it made 3 cups of cheese rather than 2! Should I just measure out the four cups or should I use both whole 16 oz blocks even though that’s going to measure 6 cups?
The Chunky Chef says
I would shred both blocks, and just eyeball and take about 2 handfuls of the cheddar out, add it to a bag, and use it for something else. The measurements for the cheese don’t need to be super precise for this recipe 🙂
Jessica says
I saw a similar comment below but no response.
In your instructions, when you say “2 cups or so of the milk/half and half”.
Is that 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half . Or 2 cups milk 2 cups half and half.
Or is it just one or the other. I bought both so I want to make sure I don’t overdue the recipe 😭
The Chunky Chef says
You use both, as the ingredients call for. It doesn’t really matter which one you use first when you’re adding liquid to the butter and flour mixture, you just want to start slow, rather than adding all the milk and all the half and half at once (that can make the sauce take a really long time to thicken up).
Mary Soza says
Can I use cheddar and mozzarella?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes that should work just fine 🙂
Sarah says
Can I substitute the half and half with heavy whipping cream?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, it’s a pretty forgiving recipe 🙂
Jennifer says
Amazing recipe. Definitely make it the day before. Same day it’ll seem too wet.
Reheat and eat it the next day…DO THIS. You will be very pleased that you did.
Kristen says
It says medium sharp cheddar… does that mean medium or sharp?
The Chunky Chef says
It may sometimes be labeled as medium cheddar.