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.
Melanie says
Love those crispy brown pieces of cheese on top!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
WOW!! This mac and cheese looks incredible!! My family would absolutely LOVE this!!
Sara Welch says
Can’t wait to serve this again for dinner this week! It was such a hit; easily a new family favorite recipe
SW says
This turned out to be the creamiest recipe I’ve tried, versus others that became curdled. Fresh grated cheese and warmed milk helped.
Jacque Hastert says
Nothing beats an easy, cheesy, and creamy recipe like this one. I love family favorites like this and will be adding this to our menu soon.
annie says
Simply delicious! A new go to for sure!
Jessica says
I am NOT a cook and have never made baked mac & cheese, but this turned out wonderfully! I knew I’d have a lot of leftovers (meaning a lot of reheating) and I cannot stand mushy pasta, so I cooked the pasta for a couple of minutes less and it was perfect. I also added in 1/2 tsp ground mustard. Thank you for this great recipe!
chad e parrish says
I don’t see on the recipe where you use the whole milk. I would assume that it is in sep 4. Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, in step 4 where it says the milk/half and half.
Jon says
Would the amount of cheese be equivalent to a 32 ounce block of sharp cheddar and a 16 ounce block of gruyere before grating?
The Chunky Chef says
That might be a tad too much cheese, as the cups are measured after grating. That being said, this is a very forgiving recipe!
Rayne says
Not to be super nitpicky but I think mentioning that up in the ingredients list would be really helpful. I went to the grocery store and bought a ridiculous amount of cheese. I even skipped out on the gruyere which I really wanted because the cost of it was so high for 16 oz. I ended up getting a few different others. As I sat there staring at the blocks and adding up the dollars I wondered if there was a chance that it was being measured post shred versus pre shred, but I figured since you mentioned using blocks of cheese that you were referring to pre shred weight, where an 8 oz block would have been a cup and a 32 oz block would have been 4.
I think it still turned out fine or at least it will when I try it out tomorrow. Finished assembling at 2 a.m. for a potluck tomorrow around noon. I made extra sauce and reserved just over a cups worth to pour on top before baking.
Nicky says
I would like to add broccoli to this. How would I do that? Just put some raw florets in before baking?
The Chunky Chef says
It depends on how long you’ll be baking it. I would probably steam the broccoli for a minute or two, then add it and bake.
Judith says
How many days in advance can you make this recipe with it still being good? Is three days in advance still okay? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I would say 1 to maybe 2 days. Like with most mac and cheese recipes, the longer it’s made ahead, it will start to lose creaminess and the pasta will absorb more of the sauce.
Danielle says
Hi, how many cups of cheese would you need if you used shredded instead of grated? Thanks in advance 🙂
The Chunky Chef says
It would be the same amount 🙂
Janice Davidson says
I bought the pre-shredded cheese once and I found that it doesn’t even melt and the leftover “cheese” never went moldy, after sitting in the fridge for about a month (because I suspected it wasn’t real cheese). I’ve since read that it is a fake cheese…
https://www.kcet.org/food/pre-shredded-versus-freshly-grated-cheese-whats-the-difference
“As a test case for this article, I compared a block of cheddar cheese with a bag of pre-shredded cheddar from the same company. The shredded cheese contained — in addition to the ingredients also listed on the block of cheese — potato starch, powdered cellulose, and natamycin.
Potato starch is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s sold commercially for use as a thickener, and has desiccating and anti-clumping properties that help keep cheese shreds separate. Cellulose pops up in the ingredient lists of a lot of pre-packaged foods. The tasteless, ultra-fine powder is derived from wood pulp (really), and can be used to add dietary fiber, as a thickener, as a stabilizer, to improve mouthfeel or to prevent caking. In the case of shredded cheese, the two are often used in combination with one another because while cellulose is more effective, it also creates a visually unappealing coating. Potato starch is translucent, so cutting the cellulose with it allows manufacturers to use more without losing the color and look of their cheese.
Natamycin is an anti-mold agent that is typically suspended in solution to a concentration of five to 10 parts per million, then sprayed on cheese shreds to coat them as thoroughly as possible. It’s tasteless, non-toxic, and naturally occurring, and has been used in commercial food production for a long time. It’s also non-water-soluble, so it can’t enter the human digestive tract. That means it doesn’t count as an antibiotic, although it is sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat eye infections.”
Mia says
Absolutely delicious. I used whipping cream instead of whole milk and seasoned my cheese sauce with Sazon. Thank you!
LOUISE VILLELA says
THE BAKED MAC & CHEESE WAS MORE THAN A FAMILY FAVORITE. EVERYONE KEEPS ASKING US FOR THE RECIPE.
A REAL FAMILY PLEASER.
Jennifer Salzberg says
Love this recipe!!! I’ve made in 2 years in a row for my kid’s birthday party and kids and adults love it! I’ve used gluten free pasta and I’ve substituted some 1% milk when i dont have enough of the whole milk/ cream and it comes out great every time!
Karen H McAlhaney says
I am planning on making this for a Church gathering. First, if you make it ahead and refrigerate it, is it dry? I have tried that with another recipe, and the noodles absorbed the liquids and were huge, and the mac & cheese was dry. Second, if I make this recipe, and then a half of recipe more, will it still fit into the 9×13 pan? I need to make it for 15-18. Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Karen, to answer your second question, I don’t think it would fit into a 9×13. I would pick up a deep dish lasagna pan (the disposable ones) and use that, as I’ve doubled it in one of those before, so I know a 1.5x recipe would fit. To your first question, with any pasta recipe with a sauce, it will be drier when made ahead, just because the pasta will absorb the sauce. You could try to counteract that by making the sauce a little thinner than usual, so there will be more liquid, but whenever making mac and cheese ahead of time, you do lose some of that ultra creaminess.
Kristin Petroff says
I’m making this for my family tomorrow. Can I make the sauce, cook the macaroni, put it all in the pan together and then cook it in the oven once I get to the event? Is that possible or should I just cook it tonight and warm it up tomorrow?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, please see the directions below the recipe in the section titled “recipe notes”.
Jessica says
WOWZA! I made this for my family last week, it was delicious! I was testing out some new Mac and Cheese recipes for the holidays since I hadn’t quite found the perfect one. This will be my go to recipe from now on! 😉 Thank you for sharing! Yay!
Ana L Salinas says
I added ground beef. It was amazing. Thank you for this great recipe!!
Mary says
Where did you buy your cheeses?
The Chunky Chef says
My local grocery store. The gruyere is sometimes located in the section with the “fancy” cheeses.