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.
Melanie says
Hi, I adjusted the recipe on your site for six servings. The ingredients list shows 1 7/8 cups cups of half and half and 1 1/8 cups of milk. In the instructions it says to pour in 2 cups of half and half and then pour in the rest and then the whole milk. These measurements don’t add up. My recipe came out very dry. Please revise.
The Chunky Chef says
Well, the total number of cups of dairy needed will be less, since you adjusted the recipe to be less servings. So those amounts add up to 3 cups, which is proportionate to the rest of the ingredients (assuming you used all the smaller ingredient amounts, and didn’t use the full pound of pasta with the smaller amount of liquid). The amounts listed in the instructions don’t change with the slider, so it’s up to you to extrapolate and use the measurements you have once you’ve made the servings smaller.
Melanie says
It’s too bad you are unwilling to take the time to correct the recipe on your site or even add a sentence mentioning that it is up to the person making the recipe to adjust the amounts in the instructions especially after I took the time to contact you for a correction. No one likes to waste food because of making an incorrect recipe.
The Chunky Chef says
During the summer when my kids are home, I don’t work as much (as this is my time with my family), and I have other 900 recipes on my site, which all get comments that need gone through and answered, as well as emails, etc. In the nearly 8 years this recipe has been published, I haven’t noticed many readers that have had any trouble extrapolating that out, but for the sake of clarity, I’m happy to add a note to the recipe indicating what you mentioned.
Alex says
Its a shame you cant do basic math. Think for yourself goon.
Pat says
I’d rather miss a few maths than to miss so many manners, dear. I hope you’re a better cook than you are a wordsmith.
Laura says
Ok you changed the amount to 6…what if I changed my amount to 12? Why would she change the recipe directions regarding the amounts just for 1 person? The amounts change in the listing of ingredients but not in the recipe. That’s why it is explained at the bottom that it is up to you to pay attention. I’m making this tonight for the first time and I did change the amount. I’ll post my review when I’m finished.
Sabrena says
First time making baked Mac & cheese and it came out great. My family loved it! Made it exactly as written. Will definitely make again.
Marilyn Kenczewicz says
This was delicious! Will use the cheese sauce for au gratin potatoes too!!’
Mongo says
Added sauted shallots and bacon. Think I could live on this alone!
Lisa Addison says
There are NO measurements in this recipe! There’s a lot of “guess work” to this one. 😑
The Chunky Chef says
There’s no guess work involved… I’m thinking you didn’t see the recipe card, which contains all the measurements. It has a bold navy blue header to help it stand out, or you can hit the “jump to recipe” button which will take you right to it.
Amanda says
That’s an unfair statement. You didn’t look at the recipe itself. Even at the very top, there is a button for “Jump to Recipe”.
Laura says
It’s not fair to go and post a bad review just because you didn’t pay attention.
summer says
DELICIOUS! i always struggle with homemade mac n cheese because i feel often it has a weird grainy texture but this was delicious!! my only question is i put it in the oven for 15 on 325 and it was even close to golden brown, do you do this on broil? i still 10/10 recommend this! thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoyed it!! We absolutely love the crunchy golden brown top, so I do typically broil it at the end for a couple of minutes, but that’s optional 🙂
Lisa M Clendenning says
Wow! Just wow, and I consider myself a pretty good cook. This beats the pants off my Mac and cheese and I thought mine was good!
Eric says
This mac and cheese is excellent. If you thin the roux out with beer first before the dairy, you get a superb beer cheese flavor in the dish.
Emilie says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love it so much. I substituted the milk and half-and-half with what I had on hand and it was DELICIOUS. I thought I’d share: I replaced the milk with wheat beer and used cashews to make the half-and-half. It was still very creamy and sooo tasty!
Dianne says
I love this recipe!!
I would like to make this and freeze before baking to send to a new mother. Will this work?
The Chunky Chef says
So sweet of you! I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but I know many readers have successfully done so. My advice (based on reader feedback) would be to make the mac and cheese (but don’t bake it), then let it cool completely. Cover the dish tightly with several layers of foil and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator (the exact amount of time will depend on the dish you’re using, how cold your refrigerator is, etc). Let the dish sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then preheat the oven. Bake as directed, but you’ll need to add at least 10-15 minutes of extra cooking time since the dish will still be chilled.
Tyler says
any ways to beef this recepie up?
The Chunky Chef says
In terms of adding a protein? Yes, you can add some pulled pork, brisket, shredded chicken, cooked and crumbled bacon, etc.
Charmaine Blumrick says
Best Mac and Cheese Ever
Amanda says
This is my go-to Mac & cheese recipe. It’s easy and so good! I mix and match the cheeses but otherwise follow the recipe to a T.
Steve says
Is one 16oz block of cheese equivalent to one cup of shredded cheese?
Also if I want to double it is there anything different i need to do?
The Chunky Chef says
The blocks of cheese to cups of shredded cheese conversion is right below the recipe directions in the “chef tips” section. If the pan you’re using for the larger amount is deeper, you’ll need some additional time baking time. If it’s larger but not deeper, then you may only need a little extra time. I would go for baking at 325 for 20-30 minutes as a starting off point.
Sally B. says
This is so good, but it is really rich. My son couldn’t even finish his whole serving. I don’t know if less roux would have been better? I halved the recipe as it was. I did put some bread crumbs on the top at the end for crunch. Delicious, maybe best for a side? I also added 15 min to the baking time.
Mary Jones says
My family’s favorite Mac and Cheese. I made it for a side just once and have since made it 4 times more. It’s requested and loved by everyone who has tried it in my home. It is simple, delicious and reheats better than any recipe we’ve ever tried. Make as instructed and it’s perfect every time.
Shawna Huffman says
This is the best Mac and cheese recipe I’ve found. A family fave and always a hit. So delicious!!
Hails says
My all time favorite Mac & Cheese recipe! I make it all the time, my mom calls me to come over and make it for her too! Only difference for me is, I use Medium Cheddar, Monterey jack and Gruyère! So delish.
Dawn says
I’m going to make this for my son’s birthday party. What type of cheese can I switch out for my gruyere cheese? He’s very picky!
The Chunky Chef says
You can use a different cheese, for sure 🙂 Please see the “cheeses” bullet in the “cooking tips for mac and cheese” section of the post for some ideas. A smoked gouda would give a similar “funkiness”, but if he wouldn’t like that, Monterey Jack is a mild in flavor cheese that works well.
Sandy says
This was the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten-my kitchen or in any restaurant I can name!! Perfect!
Dawn says
I’m really excited to make this for my daughter’s birthday. We are having 30 people so I was thinking a full tray and a half tray. How long/temp would you suggest for each? Also, do you think cheddar and mozzarella would be good? Thank you do much!!
The Chunky Chef says
Cheddar and mozzarella is a good combination, as long as you don’t mind the gooey stringiness that mozzarella will give. What sizes are your trays? If the pan you’re using for the larger amount is deeper, you’ll need some additional time baking time. If it’s larger but not deeper, then you may only need a little extra time.