Still the best Baked Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had, with a stunning white creamy cheese sauce and a buttery breadcrumb topping. This is THE Macaroni Cheese recipe that’s wildly popular every Thanksgiving and Christmas!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Baked Mac and Cheese
I don’t want to be morbid, but if I had to choose a Last Meal, this Baked Mac and Cheese may possibly be it. Put me in a room with Macaroni Cheese, and neither of us stand a chance. Said Mac and Cheese would be ravaged.
And of all the Mac and Cheeses in the world, this is still the best Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had!
About this Macaroni and Cheese
This is a Mac and Cheese recipe that is everything you want in a knock-your-socks off Macaroni Cheese – cheesy and creamy, with perfectly cooked macaroni (no bloated pasta!), plenty of sauce and a crunchy buttery top (essential in my world!)
What goes in Baked Mac and Cheese
Here’s what you need. Cheese. Butter. Pasta. All the essential food groups covered!😂
Best pasta for Mac and Cheese?
Macaroni, also known as elbow pasta. But really, any short pasta will work just fine – penne, ziti, twirls etc.
Best cheese for Mac and Cheese?
A combination of Gruyere and mozzarella cheese. Gruyere for the most superior flavour with the best melting qualities for creamy sauces such as this – there’s no contention in my view. And mozzarella for stretch – nothing does the cheese pull like a good mozzarella!
But honestly, any cheese that melts well works is excellent with Mac and Cheese, such as cheddar, tasty, Colby, Swiss, Pepper Jack, Emmental.
No cream?
NO! You do NOT need it. This sauce is rich enough as it is from the butter and cheese. Cream makes it so rich you can’t eat more than a few spoonfuls. How disappointing!!!
How to make Baked Mac and Cheese
It’s a straightforward recipe, starting with a basic butter-flour roux that is used to thicken milk to make the cheese sauce. For first timers, I think the short video below will help give you the confidence that you’ve got this!
The simple trick to avoid lumps in the Mac and Cheese Sauce is to pour the milk in slowly while constantly stirring, then just switch to a whisk if needed to remove any stubborn lumps!
Tips for the BEST Mac & Cheese!
Freshly grated cheese – don’t use pre shredded. They have anti caking agents that can make the sauce grainy.
No bloated overcooked pasta – Cool macaroni slightly and lightly coat in butter. This stops the macaroni from absorbing more liquid while baking, resulting in bloated overcooked pasta (hot pasta absorbs liquid faster, butter creates thin film of protection) and less sauce.
To avoid lumps in your sauce, stir constantly as you slowly pour the milk in and keep stirring once the milk is all added. If necessary, switch to a whisk to get rid of stubborn little lumps!
Plenty of sauce – Because I like my Mac and Cheese saucy, not dried up so you can cut it like cake!
Can you make Mac and Cheese ahead of time? Most recipes are not suitable for making ahead, but this recipe is! The best way is to cool pasta then toss with sauce and adding breadcrumb topping. Cool, refrigerate or freeze then bake on the day of (see recipe Note 5 for baking time).
How long can Mac and Cheese stay in the fridge? Unlike most, this Macaroni Cheese recipe is good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Most Mac and Cheese will not keep well because there’s not enough sauce so it gets absorbed by the pasta and you’re left with dry, sauceless pasta.
Freezing? Yes! Assemble, cool, do not bake, just freeze it. Thaw then on the day of, bake per Note 5 in the recipe.
Add ins? This recipe is great as it is, but there’s tons of add-in options. Add shredded chicken, sautéed onion and bell peppers/capsicum, bacon, hot sauce (for heat!), dried herbs of choice.
What to serve with Baked Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is worthy of serving as a meal in its own right, served with just a fresh green salad or simple vegetable side. Nothing heavy because Macaroni Cheese is so rich as it is!
As a side dish, it will compliment virtually any non-Asian main dish. From simple Baked Pork Chops to Steak, a Roast Chicken to Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs, the only things I probably would not serve with Mac and Cheese would be very light summery mains such as a Tuna Tartare – just a little too much contrast.
And of course, festive gatherings! Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter – alongside a grand Roast Turkey or your Herb & Garlic Butter Slathered Turkey Breast, the juicy Roast Pork with impossibly Crispy Crackling or your Prime Rib that’s so perfectly blushing pink all the way through, it makes you want to weep.
Holidays would not be the same without this Mac and Cheese!! – Nagi xx
Baked Mac and Cheese recipe
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Macaroni:
- 250g / 8 oz macaroni (elbow pasta)
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter (or 2 tsp oil)
Topping:
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
Sauce:
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour , plain / all purpose
- 3 cups milk , warmed (low or full fat)
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheese, gruyere best (followed by cheddar and Colby) (Note 2)
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese , or more other cheese of choice (Note 2)
- 3/4 tsp salt
Seasonings (optional):
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
Pasta:
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add macaroni and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Toss in butter: Drain, return pasta to pot, add butter and toss until melted. Set aside to cool while making the Sauce (Optional – Note 3).
Topping:
- Mix together Topping. Set aside.
Sauce (video is helpful):
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Make roux: In a large saucepan or in an ovenproof skillet (I use my 26cm/9" Lodge cast iron skillet), melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add milk: Add about 1 cup of the milk and mix to dissolve the paste into the milk. Then add remaining milk and mix until lump free (use whisk if required).
- Add Seasonings: Mix in salt and Seasonings if using.
- Thicken sauce: Cook, stirring/whisking regularly, for 5 – 8 minutes until thickened to a cream consistency. When the Sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, you should be able to draw a path with your finger.
- Add cheese: Remove from stove, add cheese and stir – cheese doesn't need to melt.
- Check salt: Adjust salt to taste (if you use recommended cheeses, you won't need more).
Assembling:
- Assemble: Pour Sauce into pot with Macaroni. Stir quickly, then pour back into the skillet (I did this) or a baking dish (Note 4). Sprinkle with breadcrumb topping.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until top is light golden. Don't bake too long otherwise you'll bake away the Sauce!
- Serve: Serve immediately! I sprinkled mine with a bit of fresh parsley. See notes for best make-ahead method.
Recipe Notes:
- Main Cheese (2 cups) – my favourite is gruyere (used in video), for flavour and melting quality. Can use any flavoured melting cheese. Other cheeses I like for this include: cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, provolone. (Australia/NZ: Tasty cheese works & super tasty but sauce is not quite as smooth);
- I like to use mozzarella for the 2nd cheese (1 cup). It melts really well into the sauce, has that nice stretch, and isn’t as oily like other cheese can tend to be. Also, it’s less salty. However, you can just use more of the Main Cheese.
- Always grate your own cheese for cheese sauces. Store bought shredded cheese have anti caking agents which don’t melt so can give the sauce a slight powdery texture.
- SALTINESS of cheeses vary so if you use another cheese other than gruyere for the Main Cheese that is much less salty (eg Jarlsberg), you may need to add a pinch or two of extra salt into the sauce. Taste and check! Most cheeses are of similar salt levels though.
Nutrition Information:
Recipe first published July 2017. Updated a few times since then with better photos, addition of recipe video. Updated November 2021 to reconfirm that it is STILL the best Mac I’ve ever had!! No changes to recipe – readers would never forgive me!!
The RecipeTin Eats MAC & CHEESE COLLECTION
I love a good Mac & Cheese! See??
Baked Mac and Cheese – this recipe, huge reader favourite!
Stovetop Mac and Cheese – one pot, 20 minutes, my best speedy emergency version.
Chili Mac – a cross between Chili and Mac and Cheese, a one pot dinner wonder!
Shrimp Mac and Cheese – outrageously delicious!
Life of Dozer
When Dozer went camping: Are we there yet, are we there yet??
Hi! first time making mac and cheese, what size pan should i use? and will a glass pan work fine?
Hi Nagi!
Thank you so much for providing such an amazing and delicious recipe! I’ve been wanting to find a baked Mac and cheese one and yours came out beautifully! I added a little cheddar in mine but it was a hit! I’m lucky I could get seconds ha! I had a question for you…have you ever thought of doing baked “lobster” Mac and cheese with this recipe? If so, any tips? I would love to try it but not sure if it would come out as good as you’re original recipe! Again thank you so much! You’re amazing!
Can you do the gruyere cheese plus cheddar and mozzarella….or is it best to stick with 2 cheeses?
You could add as many as you like Liz! Sounds great!
Hello! I’m curious if I put this dish together in the afternoon and bake it a few hours later for dinner will the pasta overcook/will it still be delicious?
Hi Kaleigh, the make ahead instructions are in the recipe notes 🙂
I love this recipe! I highly recommend adding in broccoli and pancetta. Every time I make this (cast iron/glass, grilled/baked) I get nothing but compliments. I also use spicy 3 pepper cheese plus 2 others rotating, and it is a hit everywhere. The only recipe I use!!
Nagi, Can you use half and half or heavy whipping cream in this mac and cheese recipe?
Hi John, Use heavy whipping cream – Enjoy!!
Hi Nagi, if I bake this tonight, how can i reheat the leftovers?
Hi Ruby, all the directions are in the notes – N x
Thanks Nagi!
If i don’t have mustard powder, can i add a little bit of dijon mustard instead?
8 ounces of pasta is not enough. It should be more like 16 ounces. I made this tonight as written using only sharp cheddar cheese and it was fantastic.
I like saucy mac & cheese but I found the sauce to pasta proportion to be way off on this too.
Hi Bob! 8 ounces of pasta makes the volume you see in the photos and videos with that sauciness 🙂 If you doubled the pasta I imagine there was a lot less sauce? N xx
Made this without measuring guestimating a third of the recipe and eyeballing textures. Very. Tasty.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jacqueline!
Do you shred a mozzarella ball or do you use preshredded mozzarella? Love your recipes but I have never made Mac and cheese before. Going to have it with your pulled pork recipe.
If I’m lazy (which is most of the time) I’ll use pre shredded mozzarella, however – it does usually have flour added to is to stop it sticking together and can make sauces slightly grainy. – N x
Hi! Made this yesterday. Everything is seperated, to bake today do i heat up the macaroni and sauce together snd then bake or mix together cold and bake? Thank you!
Hi Vanessa! The sauce just needs to be loosened up enough to mix through the pasta so if it’s firmed up then heat it up slightly in the microwave 🙂 Depends how much you cheese melted in the sauce! N x
Hi! If I am making this with penne (it’s all I have on hand), how much pasta would I use?
Same weight Jess! This is terrific with penne 🙂 N x
Help…my milk sauce has flour lumps in it.
Hi Angelia – use a whisk to help get any lumps out 🙂
Hello again,
Should i cover this with foil while baking or no? I am using the breadcrumb topping…
Hi Angelia, no need to cover! I hope you love it!
Hello…..
So I just doubled the recipe, everything is in my foiled pan ready for baking. I will bake this tomorrow afternoon. Do i need to put crumble ontop now or wait until tomorrow when ready to bake? And is the foiled pan ok to use?
Happy thanksgiving..
Hi Angelia, wait until tomorrow 🙂 ENJOY!
Hi Nagi!! I hope Dozer is on the mend, and he’s the cutest! I need help please! I made all the mac and cheese components in advance and my cheese sauce appears watery. Should I reheat it, when I do my next day assembly to try and thicken it up before popping it in the oven??
Hi Denise! The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon so you can draw a path across it and it stays – see process step photo #4 in post or the video at 48 seconds. If your sauce is thinner than this: 1) did you cook it on the stove for a few minutes to make it thicken? The flour in the butter thickens the milk when it heats up. 2) Is there a chance you added too much liquid or not enough flour? If yes, then this can be salvaged! So try this: put it back on the stove on medium high. Once it is hot (you will see steam), stir regularly for 2 minutes. If it does not thicken during this time, then let’s do the emergency fix. Here’s how: Mix 2 tbsp flour with 2 to 3 tbsp milk until it is lump free. Add 1 tbsp of this flour milk into the white sauce and stir for 30 seconds. If it still doesn’t thicken enough, add another tablespoon. Keep going – BUT be sure to give your mixture 30 seconds after adding each tablespoon to give it a chance to thicken up. Don’t worry, you will get there! N xx
Hi Nagi! I was wondering, if I make this without the breadcrumb topping, would you recommend still baking it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Catherine! Yep, still bake it because it brings the dish together and gets all that cheese melty and gooey in the sauce. Will you do a plain cheese topping instead?? If so, tent foil over it for the first part of the bake, then remove for the last 10 minutes to get the top nice and golden! N xx
I don’t have any mustard powder, grrr. Could I just use regular mustard or is there anything else I could use?
Just skip it! All good, trust me, there is so much flavour in this no one will miss it 🙂 N xx
Thank you!
I’m having trouble with the recipe: the measurements (I’m American) are confusing me. I could use some clarification on the pasta measurements and the cheese (the mozzarella says 1 cup or 100g which is confusing me). Thanks!
1 cup is 8 ounces
Hi Ava, 1 cup of mozzarella weighs 100g/3.5oz – N x
I’ve been making macaroni and cheese for 60 years and am very good at it. Under the heading of “always room for improvement” I read the recipe, knew that it would be good, and, in fact, enjoyed the best macaroni and cheese I ever ate [so far.]
Woah what a compliment Philip!!