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!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS!
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.
Erin B. says
We decided to take this and sub out the cheddar for pepperjack, added some parmesan into the topping cheese layer and we also added bacon (one person made the sauce while the other cooked fresh bacon). We also broiled the dish at the end for 5 minutes.
This recipe is enough to feed 6 people for sure! Or more if you serve it with something else as a side. We grilled some chicken in a castiron skillet, slice it, and put it on top of our mac n cheese.
SOOOO DELICIOUS!
FIVE STAR MONKEY says
FOR SURE THE BEST I’VE EVER MADE
Kimmie says
Delicious! I didn’t have the cheeses listed, so used what I had on hand—mozzarella, white cheddar, smoked Gouda, and the Mexican cheese blend. Followed the directions exactly and topped with cheese and the Italian Panko butter crumbs. I will definitely make again! Thank You!
sara says
Fantastic recipe. Thank you!
Shirley Richardson says
Do I mix the pasta and the cheese together
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Shirley, I’d read over the step by step directions towards the bottom of the post, as step 7 details that you combine the pasta with the cheese sauce.
Teresa says
My son made this in his homeschool co-op so we tried it tonight for dinner. I used 2% milk instead of whole and canned evaporated milk instead of half & half. For the cheese I used sharp cheddar, mozarella and smoked gruyere. I think next time I will leave out the gruyere because it was a little strong to me. Also we used shells instead of elbow macaroni – per my son’s request – that’s what they used in his class. Very good recipe & makes a large dish – enough to share- which is what I am going to do! I’m sure my parents will like it too!
Vegas says
I did this once with smoked gouda and honestly wasn’t a huge fan. Go with a regular gruyere next time instead of a smoked one and I think you’ll love the difference!
Ellery says
Amanda, this looks wonderful! I’ll try it today. Thank you for sharing!
Pamela Emmett says
Oh My Goodness. This recipe was so good!!!
I was unsure about this recipe because both my husband and my son do not like Swiss (Gruyere Cheese). I will also say that the combination of Swiss and Cheddar seemed “off” to me, but the reviews were so positive I decided to try it. Personally, I get tired of always catering to the “unimaginative palates” of my spouse and son. If my son had his way, we would eat boxed Velveeta Mac and Cheese 5 nights a week, My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
That said, this was a real risk. I decided if they really hated it, I could freeze it and use it for a “shut in meal” or take it to a Bible study group dinner.
I made the recipe almost exactly as posted. The only difference being that I had less than 1 cup of mild cheddar/Mexican blend that I wanted to use up that I included into the sharp cheddar mix. After otherwise making the recipe as directed, I added leftover diced ham.
All I can say, was it was good the first night, but even better the second day. My husband works second shift which means that whatever I make for dinner tonight, he eats the next night. Both my husband and my son requested the leftovers.
Alaine says
OMGEEEE! This is the best mac and cheese i’ve had! Made it about 2 months ago and making it tonight to have with meatloaf! Everyone raved about it! I’ve not used Gruyere cheese before and my store had a hickory smoked one. Thanks for this recipe! It’s a keeper in my book now!
Carrie Tekus says
I have searched high and low for “the” Mac n Cheese recipe. This is it!! Love it, my whole family loves it. I topped with seasoned panko breadcrumbs for a little crunch.
Kate says
Amanda, thank you! I made this exactly as recipe states and it was delicious. It has wonderful flavors.
Bruce says
Can I use only half and half? If so, how much should I use?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, and you’ll need 4 cups
Emilie says
Hey there! This recipe looks awesome but can it be baked with bread crumbs on top?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, absolutely! To make them nice and crispy, toss the breadcrumbs (panko are my favorite!) with some melted butter before topping the mac and cheese 🙂
Clare says
Could you tell me what 2 1/2 cups of half and half is please.
The Chunky Chef says
Half and half is a dairy product here in the US which is part cream, part milk. It’s found in the dairy aisle. If you can’t find it, you could simply substitute with 1 1/4 cups cream and 1 1/4 cups milk.
sandra says
is that double or single cream that i was use for the substitution?
The Chunky Chef says
Here is the US we only have heavy cream, not single or double, but I would use whichever one is a thicker liquid.
Dawn Gray says
I am having my son’s high school graduation party this Saturday evening and wanted to add a homemade Mac and cheese dish for the kids that are coming and this dish sounds great. I would probably make 3 dishes ahead of time and bake them the day of the party on Saturday. Do you think I could bake them in the disposable aluminum 9×13 pans. We will have a party of 50-70 people here for his party so I want everything disposable as much as possible 😊
The Chunky Chef says
You absolutely can, in fact I usually use those for parties as well (especially with this mac and cheese) 🙂
Sandra says
My daughter loved this recipe so much that she requested me to make this for her wedding. There will be 50-60 guests. Can I double recipe and use a larger baking dish? Any suggestions would be so helpful. Has the slow cooker recipe been created yet?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe on that scale, so I can’t say anything for certain, unfortunately. I would assume it could be done by baking it in a larger dish, it just might take a little bit longer. The slow cooker mac and cheese will be an entirely different recipe, as you’d have to add specific ingredients to help make it smooth and creamy in a slow cooker setting.
Karter Micheals says
This is so tasty 😋 😋😋 I made 2 batches and ate it all by my self in like 2 hours Yum 😋 like I’m only 300 pounds but boy this is tasty my wife chyanne left me because I ate it all when she said not to eat all of it. But very great and easy recipe if you want your wife to leave you.
Crissy says
This was an amazing mac and cheese recipe! We loved the cheese in the sauce and layers! The half and half made it extra creamy. May add the buttered panko next time but this is perfect as it is! Mac and cheese is my favorite food!
Stella says
I want to learn how to do it.
Leah Larson says
Delicious! Fam fave!
Tammy says
We had to do a gluten free version and family LOVED it! I added a gluten free garlic bread topping on top of the cheese. Comfort food to the max!! This is moving into our regular rotation.