This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by both children and adults.ย 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!ย Perfect for a comforting dinner or as a holiday side dish!
Looking for other comfort food dishes?ย 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. ย It’s nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations!ย 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.ย 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.ย I like to boil my elbow pasta for between 4 and 5 minutes.ย 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.ย 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!ย Our personal favorites are the cheddar and gruyere used in this recipe, but you can be very creative with the cheese selection here.ย Mozzarella, gouda, smoked gouda, swiss, monterey jack, colby jack, colby.ย 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.ย 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.ย 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.ย 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.ย 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. ย 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.ย This dish has been tested when made right away, which yields the best results.ย ย
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.ย 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.ย Stir often as it reheats.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS RECIPE
- Box Graterย โ remember, the best mac starts with freshly shredded cheese!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERSโ COMMENTS!
AND DONโT FORGET, IF YOUโVE 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. ย 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. ย Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. ย Mixture will look like very wet sand. ย Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. ย Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. ย 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. ย 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. ย Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. ย 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. ย
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Half and half is a common dairy product in the US -ย https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-halfandhalf-ingredient-intelligence-205959
- 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.ย
- 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. ย Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead. ย
- Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. ย
ย
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
ย
FOR A CRUNCHIER TOPPING AND FIRMER CONSISTENCY:
- Prepare recipe as directed but bake at 350 or 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes.ย 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.
Xavier Turner says
Loved it! I froze the leftovers instead of refrigerating them. How do I thaw and reheat?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but I would thaw in the refrigerator, then bake at 325ยฐF until hot and bubbly.
Paulette says
5 stars on this yummy MAC and cheese
Paulette says
I made your recipe today and itโs so delicious! Iโm on your website now for new recipes to try and Iโm pretty excited because they all look amazing! Thank you for sharing
Christy says
How many does this recipe feed?
The Chunky Chef says
Since mac and cheese can be either a side dish or main course, that will alter the number of servings this recipe makes. I listed it as 8 servings, but that’s a size in between a main dish and side dish size. As a side, it would have about 12 servings. As a main dish, in between 6-8 servings ๐
Jadelyn says
Tasted horrible but was presentable
The Chunky Chef says
Happy to help troubleshoot if you’d like.
Andrea says
Can I use salted butter?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, just reduce the amount of salt a bit.
Katherine Goodin says
Macaroni and cheese it is delicious the best I’ve ever had. I also made two trays of it for our family coming this weekend we’re doing a Hawaiian luau and I made one with pulled pork in the middle and one with lobster in the middle. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes I look forward to trying another.
Andrea says
I made this numerous times, not did I only get compliments but were asked to please share the recipe!
It is definitely something you want to inter grade in your recipe box! Thank you for sharing such a delicious meal!
Teresa Evans says
Great Mac and Cheese, rave reviews from the pickiest of husbands. It is rich but we cannot count calories when it comes to Mac and Cheese, it is the best.
Austin says
Nearly an entire cup of cheese per serving is absurd.
The Chunky Chef says
That’s your opinion, and it sounds like this recipe isn’t the one for you.
Yaakov says
Austin, you are obviously NOT in the Comfort Food Business Nor a Chef I’m Guessing. Sure, you could get buy with less but why do you feel to nock the Cheese amount without commenting on the Flavor or How it feels to eat or the texture. Please keep your comments to Flavor & Quality based. Not your personal Subjective Cheese Amount unless you have an Idea that dresses this Recipรฉ up to add a nice demention or addition after creating it and tasting this SPECIFIC RECIPร.! We Foodies would appreciate. Positive feedback to our recipรฉs that are helpful. Recall This IS ‘THE CHUNKY CHEF’ recipรฉ site..!!!
Nova says
Can I substitute the half and half for heavy whipping cream? And if so how much would I use?
The Chunky Chef says
I would use 3 cups of whole milk to 1 cup of heavy cream. But the ratio is completely up to you and how rich you want the sauce to be.
M says
Thanks Amazing Amanda
God bless you and your family
Naush says
Amazing
S williams says
Iโve tried multiple Mac and cheese recipes and this one is the best! This recipe is so perfectly creamy and delicious!I make it frequently and always get so many compliments. Iโve started playing around with using different types of cheeses as well, I really love to add some aged Gouda or pepper jack when I want to change things up.
Rayna Mills says
It might be premature to say Iโll never make another Mac and cheese, but this is probably going to be my go-to recipe when I want a failsafe, perfect every time dish. I just discovered it and have made it 2x. Itโs one of the best recipes Iโve come across!
Hales says
I unfortunately didnโt trust that the measure could be right to say 1/2 TBSP of salt, so I only added about a tsp. It really was supposed to be a TBSP. Spent a third of my weekly food budget on the ingredients ๐ and still saved in individual frozen portions. Will just need to salt and eat. If youโre wondering about the salt measure, it isnโt a mistake. ๐
Valerie Williams says
Looks good. I add broccoli & ham to my mac & cheese. I did find myself reverting back to my mom’s recipe some. I also add dots of butter and crushed crackers on top.
David Boyce says
Great recipe, I made this with smoked Gouda and sharp cheddar it was delicious. Thank you Amanda.
Michelle says
Too thick and greasy with the half and half and it’s an okay starter recipe seasoning-wise. Probably won’t use this recipe again.
Ramona Astre says
This is the ABSOLUTELY BEST mac & cheese I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!