Baked One Pot Mac and Cheese – yep, all made in the one pot (no separate pot for pasta cooking)! If you hate washing up and like your Mac and Cheese with plenty of cheesy, creamy sauce then this is the recipe for you. Oh, did I mention there’s not a drop of cream in this??!!
“A great Mac and Cheese comes down to personal taste. I like mine extra saucy, creamy and cheesy. And it just so happens that it’s made one pot – WITHOUT cream!”
There are so many Mac and Cheese recipes “out there” that it’s mind boggling. I have made it various ways. I particularly like to try “chef” versions.
When I came to choose one that I wanted to share with you, I didn’t know which to go with. I don’t think there is such thing as the “perfect” or “best” Mac and Cheese. Restaurants around the world have put their own spin on it, with everything from making it with truffles, six types of cheese and goats milk, to name a few.
A great Mac and Cheese comes down to personal taste. For me, extra saucy and creamy is what does it for me. Cheesy goes without saying. 🙂
Don’t you just want to do a face plant in this? Look how creamy and sauce it looks!
To make a Mac and Cheese as saucy as this with cream would require several cartons of cream. My arteries clog up just at the thought. 🙂 Happy thoughts, but realistically, it would be so insanely rich that you wouldn’t be able to eat very much of it!
So instead, I make my creamy sauce using a simple roux of butter and flour. Don’t let that fancy word “roux” deter you, it is really simple and takes minutes to make.
The trick to making this in one pot is making the cooking liquid thin enough for the pasta to absorb and rehydrate WITHOUT going mushy but reduces down enough in the time it takes for the pasta to cook so you end up with the perfect amount of rich, creamy sauce. And that sauce needs to have the right seasoning and flavour which is always tricky when making sauces that reduce alot as it is hard to guess how intense the flavour will be once reduced.
One thing about any creamy pastas is that you really need to eat it straight away. Even after 30 minutes, the sauce continues to get absorbed into the pasta and thickens quite a bit so you lose the sauciness. Plus the pasta gets soft. So when it’s ready, holler for your family to get to the dinner table so they can have their grub while it’s fresh out of the oven when it’s at its absolute peak. 🙂
Anyway, I’d be disappointed if you have any leftover. Whether you’re making this for 2 or 6!
– Nagi
THE MAC & CHEESE COLLECTION
- Baked Mac and Cheese – huge reader favourite!
-
Shrimp Mac and Cheese – outrageously delicious!
-
Stovetop Mac and Cheese – one pot, 20 minutes
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Baked One Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp flour
- 3 cups of milk (full or low fat - I used low fat)
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp salt (Note 1)
- Black pepper
- 1/2 lb / 250g dried macaroni (elbow pasta) (Note 2)
- 2 cups (150g / 5oz) grated tasty or cheddar cheese (or any sharp, flavoured cheese that melts well)
- 1 cup (75g / 2.5 oz) grated provolone dolce cheese (or mozzarella or other mild flavoured good melting cheese) (Note 3)
Topping
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (or ordinary breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese , grated
- 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Melt the butter in a deep fry pan or skillet (Note 4) over medium heat. (Note 5)
- Add the flour and stir until combined so a thick paste forms ("roux"). Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add half the milk and use a whisk to dissolve the roux into the milk. It will thicken quickly, then add the remaining milk. Whisk in small circles, rotating around the pan, to dissolve all the roux into the milk.
- Add the water, salt and 5 grinds of pepper, then turn the heat up to medium high. Whisk leisurely so the bottom doesn't stick to the pan. When the white sauce starts to steam and thickens such that you can see it coating the edges of the pan (around 2 to 3 minutes), add the macaroni.
- Turn the heat down to medium and stir gently with a wooden spoon to mix the macaroni through and ensure the bottom doesn't stick. Cook it for 1 minute. Be sure not to cook it for longer than this after adding the macaroni - this really impacts the "sauciness" of the dish and ensuring the macaroni isn't overcooked.
- Cover the fry pan (Note 6), then transfer it immediately to the oven on the middle shelf.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven. It will seem like there is too much sauce but it reduces and thickens in the next steps. The pasta should be just cooked (al dente). It will continue cooking from the residual heat.
- Turn the oven off and turn the grill/broiler on high.
- Stir through the cheese, just enough to disperse it through the macaroni. As you stir, this will melt the cheese and thicken the sauce. Don't stir too much because otherwise the sauce will thicken too much due to the evaporation.
- Sprinkle over the panko and parmesan cheese, then place under the grill/broiler for a few minutes to brown.
- Remove from the grill/broiler and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Notes for Food Nerds (like myself!) – Why this recipe works without ending up with mushy pasta and curdled sauce:
* Pasta takes a LONG time to cook in a thick sauce and turns very mushy. Thinning the sauce alot at the beginning allows the pasta to cook in almost the same time as it would in boiling water.
* The key to this recipe is getting the amount of liquid right so that the sauce is initially thin enough for the pasta to cook but then by the end of the cooking time for the pasta, the sauce reduces down to be a thick, creamy sauce. That’s why you can’t simply sub the macaroni with any other pasta you want without adjusting the quantity of liquid required – because different pastas cook in different times.
* The cheese is stirred through at the end because if it is added before the pasta it cooked, it thickens the sauce and it takes much longer for the pasta to cook. Plus the sauce has a tendency to curdle so you need to stir it a few times.
* When you stir the cheese through at the end, the residual heat melts it very quickly. Also, as you stir it, the sauce thickens even more.
* The panko topping is added at the very end because otherwise it will sink in the liquid.
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I just came across this recipe and I have to say you are my favorite person of all time! I am always searching for a perfect mac and cheese recipe. Never thought to do it this way tho, cooking the pasta in the sauce in the oven. Bloody genius!! Definitely giving this a go over next weekend. Thanks!
Ooh, I hope you LOVE IT!!!
Hi, I need a dish for a pot luck. Will this still be creamy if it gets reheated a couple of hours after baking? I love mac n cheese but most recipes get too thick for my taste.
Thanks!
Hi Bonnie! This is quite saucy so it is a good one to make ahead by a couple of hours 🙂 What I suggest is taking it out of the oven a couple of minutes before the instructions say, when the macaroni is still quite firm. The residual heat will finish cooking it AND it means there is more liquid when you take it out of the oven so by the time you go to reheat it, some will be absorbed but there should be enough left to keep it creamy. Because this has so much sauce, it stays much creamier than most Mac N Cheese recipes!
Thanks! If I double the recipe should I cook it longer in the oven?
Hi Bonnie! Yes, I think it will take maybe 10 minutes longer. Not much longer though!
Hi Nagi,
Just wanted to say thanks for this amazingly easy and absolutely delish mac and cheese recipe!
Must admit I was a little skeptical about cooking this in one pot but was very pleasantly surprised.
Thanks again for the great recipe:)
Hi Ruby! I don’t blame you for being skeptical. I’ve tried other recipes in the past where the pasta is cooked beyond edible and the sauce is horribly sticky. So I’m SUPER happy you enjoyed this! Thank you very much for coming back to let me know you loved it! N x
I made this last night, doubling the recipe. I used 2 cups of each: sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, and mozzarella. Amazing!!! I really wasn’t sure it would work but I was feeling lazy so I went for it. So glad I did. Thank you for sharing. Only thing I might do differently is to reduce oven time by one minute.
Hi Jen! I’m SO GLAD you loved it!! It took so many goes to get the liquid / cheese / pasta ratio right. If there’s too much liquid or cooked for too long the pasta goes horribly soggy – disgusting! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! 🙂 (As for reducing the oven time by 1 minute – so noted!) N x
Oh Nagi, I’m suppose to be eating healthy meals at the moment. This is definitely going to derail me. :-p But seriously, this looks delicious. Look forward to making it for my family very soon!
But Gloria Gloria, it’s CREAMLESS!! 🙂 Don’t deprive your family. That would just be cruel! 🙂
Oh no. Definitely can’t deprive my family of this glorious dish! Methinks if I added a little bit of chopped up broccoli, then this dish instantly becomes healthier, don’t you think? 😀 Can’t wait to make this!
YES to broccoli! Suggest adding it just before putting in the oven then it won’t overcook 🙂 YUM!
J Daddy INSISTED on the scallops, due largely to the OTT indulgence we experienced at Ruby Tuesday when we were in Hong Kong last year. He ordered the Lobster & Scallop Mac N Cheese which was super rich, super creamy, and super super bad for you. When I said I was going to make your Mac N Cheese, he asked me to add a few scallops. So, I picked up a bag of small frozen scallops from the Asian grocer at Macquarie Centre and defrosted a handful, and turned your one-pot recipe into 2-pans, as I needed a small pan to sear the scallops in a bit of butter before adding to the Mac N Cheese. The texture was amazing – the al dente macaroni was perfectly juxtaposed with juicy bursts of sea salty goodness. Guess I will need to make this again and again – I mean, after all, I still have so many scallops to use up! 😉 😀
You’ve inspired me, I’m going to make scallop Mac N Cheese for my next dinner party!!! Posh comfort food – yum!
Stretchy pants were definitely needed! This was very very good. Mine was not as saucy as yours – I blame my temperamental oven; next time, I’ll reduce the heat a little. I added something super indulgent to the Mac & Cheese – scallops seared in butter – I stirred these little golden morsels in after adding the cheeses, then popped the topping on before placing under the grill to make it all crunchy and yummy. So very very good.
I literally screeched with jealousy at the thought of scallops in this!! It reminds me of the lobster one that Jamie Oliver made – I couldn’t believe it!! Scallops I can understand – it’s amazing how good value the frozen ones are in Eastwood! Perfect stirring them through right at the end so they don’t overcook. YOU ROCK GLORIA!!! That is seriously like a gold-class Mac N Cheese!! 🙂
is there something I can replace milk for that will still make the dish creamy?
Hi Erin! I haven’t tried this with soy or almond milk. Normally it’s fine to substitute diary with soy milk in my recipes BUT in this particular case, it uses alot of milk so I can’t confidently say it can be substituted. Sorry! Wish I could help you more!
Mac ‘N Cheese is my all time fav! I especially love to chop broccoli and mix in with it 🙂
I just did that last night!! Honestly! Well, it was broccolini 🙂 SO YUM!
I have to confess that I’ve never had Mac and Cheese although it seems really popular here in England. My little man keeps requesting it so I will definitely have to give your recipe a go. Pinning now!
Oh, you know what – I didn’t even know it was popular in the UK!! I don’t remember seeing it there at all actually! Thank you for pinning Mel! 🙂
One pot meals are such great sanity-savers, and there’s just nothing more comforting to eat than mac and cheese. I love that you took all the guess work out of this for me; definitely pinning and can’t wait to try! Thanks for the great giveaway too!
Thanks Allie, you’re so sweet!
Looks absolutely delish! I want that mac and cheese now (while standing up and banging table)! Lol!
Thanks Ify!! That’s pretty much how I ate it!!
Dear Nagi,
Your mac and cheese recipe is truly the best looking I’ve ever seen, good restaurants included. I believe it makes a difference when the cheese is finely grated before baking, the crust looks sensational!
Thank you so much, you’re so kind!! Thats just about the best compliment a blogger can get! 🙂
Yummy! This is THE comfort food! 🙂 And it’s one-pot (yes to less dishes!) and no-cream too! 🙂
I’m with you Sarah! 🙂
This looks SO yummy! I think the kids are craving this…. and a few bites for me wouldn’t hurt 😉 I’m never one to pass up a new mac ‘n cheese recipe!
You can’t deprive yourself to just a few bites!! 🙂
Wow this looks delicious! I’ve been looking for a spin on my usual mac and cheese recipe and this is it. I’m going to the store tomorrow to pick up a few things and I’m definitely going to make this. If only we could live in the age where we could taste food through the computer screen!
I know Carol, I feel the same!! Taste and SMELL food through computer screens. I am sure someone will invent that one day!! 🙂
I remember about 10 years ago, people were working on an idea to make taste test printers, that would use flavor cartridges in sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, umami, & salty to print out flavors on edible media. I’m sure they’ll end up using that technology in combination with 3D printing soon enough.
Won’t that be fabulous when they do!!
This sounds absolutely amazing! Can you believe that I never had a real good homemade mac and cheese? We don’t have it in China and I only tried those frozen not-so-good ones before. This is something I really missed and I need to cook it this weekend!
YES YOU SHOULD Maggie! It is divine. Even my brother, who forever has “constructive criticism” to say about everything I cook, absolutely LOVED this!! 🙂
Your mac and cheese recipe looks amazing! I absolutely love homemade mac and cheese…can’t wait to try it! The creamier the better in my opinion! Pinning and crossing my fingers on the giveaway too!
I have my fingers crossed for you too Michelle! I want one of MY readers to win it! 🙂
Great recipe Nagi – but even better giveaway – thanks – I’ll keep my fingers crossed:)
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you too!! 🙂
My sister lives not far from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and the last time I visited, she, my brother and I went over for lunch at one of their restaurants. I called John after lunch and he asked what I had for lunch thinking it was something over the top.
“Macaroni and cheese,” I said.
“You’re nuts!!” he said.
It was the most glorious dish I’d eaten in ages and honestly, it looked like yours.
No way! If you had it in a restaurant, it was loaded with cream!! 🙂 Lucky you, having a sister living in NY. ** Jealous **!
Hi Nagi! Guess who will love this? ME, oh and Sullivan 😉 This reminds me of the one dish Mexican dish where we cook the rice in the sauce. One less pan and a great dish. I used to make Sully’s baby foods when he started on solids, from 4 – 12 months, and I LOVED every minute of it. I have decided to start making Sullivan’s lunches for daycare again, at 18 months he eats ‘adult’ food in bite size pieces so Risotto with beef sausage and peas will be in his lunch, and a few of Nagi’s recipes like Pork Carnitas- (just made last night for sandwiches and a main dish) and my fave Syrian Chicken. THIS mac and cheese will be made tonight, and tiny bags will be put in the freezer for his lunches. I just happened to go shopping yesterday and came home with way too much cheese, so perfect timing. THANK YOU again and I will let you know how it goes! From PDX, and one crazy Ganma-Lisa.
Crazy? Hey, don’t insult my favourite PDX reader!! Your son is one lucky boy and how COOL he is to be into his “grown up” food!! I love hearing that! Must be the influence from his awesome Grandma 🙂 Love to hear what you think!! And you just reminded me that I haven’t tested freezing this. I must give it a go. I am pretty sure it will reheat fine, it’s not different to a gratin and the like. But I always worry about freezing saucy pastas because they can go mushy when reheated. I’ll test it and update the recipe! 🙂
Hi Nagi. I also worry about freezing cream based recipes. Any I have frozen have turned out fine, maybe because I freeze in small quantity’s? and it is easy to mix a 1/2 cup together rather than a whole recipe. I make a GREAT Zuppa Toscana soup, I should send you the recipe (super easy and supposed to be made in crock pot)… it is heavenly and it has heavy cream added at the last and works great when I freeze for him, but again in 1/2 cup sizes. He loves the soup and I leave the hot Italian sausage out of his. Also when I read about freezing creamy foods, they suggest using plastic bags rather than containers, why , I have no idea. Another scientific food question. Looking through your recipes I came across another for us and him, the one pot chicken, veg and parm orzo 😉 So this week end will be fun making new recipes. From a fun young Granny in P town! PS. Australia has MY fave show ever.. Miss Fisher’s Mystery- lol lol- I want Phrynes clothes, oh and Jack would be a fun addition along with the wardrobe!
I have never heard of that show!! I will have to look it up 🙂 Please do send me your soup recipe! I would love to share it with my readers, if you don’t mind. Full disclosure of the source! (If you don’t mind :))
I would love to send soup recipe, I just do not know where, as the e mail you gave me is not going through. Let me know a good place to send, and a picture of MAC and CHEESE that I am eating right now! ABSOLUTELY delicious Nagi! I did 2 things different… one – I used SMALL size penne pasta, and checked boiling times, then I boiled the penne for 1 minute and put it in an ice bath- I know more steps, but did not want to go to the store. AND I Heated the 2 cups of water so I was not putting cold water in pan and bringing down the temp. It is perfect and pasta was perfect. I will be buying some elbow mac next time. It is so creamy, not one lump!, lots of sauce, no soggy noodles, and no hard noodles! ONE POT!-well… Can you believe I live with someone- NO NAMES 😉 – who does not like mac and cheese, Nutella, and dark chicken meat? HA! I say a VERY limited palette, and that is why we need to have our kids taste many foods! Does not stop me from cooking these 😉 Nagi, Your recipes are actually fun to make, I know they are going to taste good,– example is your mac and cheese, easy to make, delicious. I have made mac and cheese before that had about 20 different ingredients in it! Oh hey, someone just popped his head in the office and said, ‘Not bad’ about the M and C…. ROFL…. Good day and DO watch that show! Lisa 🙂
I think that is a high compliment, for a Mac N Cheese hater to even like it!! You are clearly a competent cook, the way you converted it to make using penne is a very safe way to do it! I think around 3/4 of cup of extra water in the liquid would cook the penne in the same pot will produce the same amount of sauce at the end. I did make it with penne as well (I also made a chicken pasta bake using the same method) and found that it took close to 20 minutes in the oven for the pasta to be cooked. It really surprised me how much longer macaroni vs penne takes to cook using the oven! That’s why I was so particular about the type of pasta that has to be used in the recipe. If someone simply substituted the macaroni with penne and followed the same directions, the pasta would not be cooked.
Thank you as always for your wonderful constructive comments Lisa!! 🙂
Umm, yes, I want to face plant in this! Love its creaminess. I need lunch, my stomach is singing right now.
Let’s do it together Shinee! On my countdown – one, two, THREE!!
I’m down and cannot get up!! XD