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??
The perfect ratio of sauce and pasta for me. I used this as my base recipe and then I replaced 100g of the cheddar with Truffle Cheddar and used Truffle Oil to mix with the pasta when cooked. And mixed in Parsley and Tarragon to the breadcrumbs. Absolutely gorgeous, I love Truffle but also plan to make this following the exact recipe to use as a side dish. Thanks for the recipe.
Tried this last night yet another outstanding success
Mac and cheese this way is the future 😃
Amazing recipe! I won my family’s mac n cheese contest using it. I doubled it and used black truffle gruyere from a place called The Cheese Lady that sells fresh imported cheeses. I also used a mozzarella brick cheese to cut the taste of the gruyere. Next time I wouldn’t use mozzarella at all.
Question— could I skip the topping and keep warm in a slow cooker (instead of baking)? Or will it separate? I’ll making for a large group.
I like to substitute with non dairy milk and butter when I can. Would the size still be the same? I can’t have dairy (too much) still love hard cheeses. And I love your recipes! Just finding the non dairy milk taking longer to thicken. Any tips? X
the flavours are just melting on my tongue it tastes so good thank you
Is this vegetarian?
Absolutely love the way you write your recipes! Can’t wait to make tonight!
Hi – I make mac and cheese all the time, but without a recipe. I found your recipe because it is the closest to what I make for my own family, and i need to make this as a dinner for a Cub Scout camp. My question is: can I make the sauce a day ahead of time? Do I need to reheat it before I mix it with cooked noodles at camp and pop it in the oven? I’m cooking for 35 ( 25 children and 10 adults) in a limited kitchen, so I’m trying to find ways to make my life easier. Also, are your portion sizes graded to children or adults?
Best Mac and cheese ever. Always my go to since I bumped into it 5 years ago. Today I had to make sure my comment is out for the whole world to see
This recipe was a hit with my family and was exactly what I was looking for…ooey, gooey comfort food. I followed the recipe exactly but subbed Irish cheddar for gruyere. I added 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp oregano to my flour when making the roux. Excellent mac and cheese! The only problem was everyone wanted more. Next time I will double it.
We so enjoyed this delicious dish last night. Thanks Nagi. Had never made this before – but now it is a regular. Regards Meg
I’ve been searching for this recipe for long but, never heard of it this way. One page said to use ‘Mayonnaise.’ And, I don’t have ‘Breadcrumbs.’ If someone can please help me. I just want a simple one with little ingredients that are easy to find or may already have. Ty
Another amazing recipe, Nagi! Made this for my husband’s birthday dinner with my family and it was absolutely demolished. So yummy. I bought a 150g block of Gruyère which looked small and wasn’t sure it would be enough for two cups but it worked out perfectly. Will definitely make this again.
Can you please tell me what measurement cups are in grams?
I am from the UK and we don’t really use cups as a measurement
If I google it I get any where from 75 – 445 grams
Please help!
A cup is equivalent to 250 gr. Answers may differ but that is the actual value for this measurement.
A cup is 250ml. How much it weighs is dependent on what ingredient you are measuring, only water is 250g for a cup.
There’s an option for you to click on “metric”. Under the Ingredients heading.
Thanks Jodie
Made this a few weeks ago and it was mega, the crumb on top was delicious, defo a favourite of mine and the go to for mac and cheese😍
Check here https://www.convertunits.com/from/grams/to/cups
Best mac and cheese recipe I’ve ever had! I’ve tried so many and this one just blows them out of the water! And so easy to make! Thanks Nagi!
This is five star mac&cheese without a doubt! I went to bed thinking about it after our first round of it at dinner. It reheated so well tonight with a quick micro and then short covered reheat in oven . Delicious! I am already plotting to make it end of week…..just to try freezing it to test that quality. Perfect recipe!
This mac and cheese recipe is AMAZING as is, but here are some suggested tweaks for more tastiness: brown andouille sausage (stirring into mac during ‘assemble’ stage), and toast the (doubled!) panko crumbs in the drippings/butter. If you like spicy, try adding 1/8 cup hot sauce and 1/8 tsp each of cayenne and red pepper flakes.
Wow, this sounds amazing!
I love the recipes! They are so easy to follow.
Thank you Nagi for these delicious meals
I didn’t have any of the cheeses listed, so I used the ‘ends’ of the blue, parmesan, mild and maasdam. I also added crushed garlic and diced onion instead of powdered, and 8 pieces of diced streaky bacon. It’s soo good! I also use penne pasta as it goes further.