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
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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 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.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.
Tam says
Delicious and creamy! Loved the crispy top
Lee says
This is a great recipe I add fresh jalapeรฑo itโs delicious
DW says
I get what you’re saying about measuring the cheese after shredding, but can you please list ounces of cheese? Everyone has a different idea of how much shredded to pack in a cup. I understand this is probably not critical for this recipe, but why not just list the weight and that way you don’t have to actually measure out the portions after shredding. OK off my soapbox, will make this recipe this week.
The Chunky Chef says
The ounces are listed in the “chef tips” number 4 and 5. If I put the weight, people complain. If I put the cups, people complain. So I added them there and people can choose which to use.
Jane says
Hands down the best macaroni and cheese recipe I have ever made. Exceptional! Thank you!
lindy says
Is there any way this can be frozen ahead and then thawed and baked?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but my advice (based on reader feedback) would be to make the mac and cheese (but don’t bake it), then let it cool completely. Cover the dish tightly with several layers of foil and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator (the exact amount of time will depend on the dish you’re using, how cold your refrigerator is, etc). Let the dish sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then preheat the oven. Bake as directed, but you’ll need to add at least 10-15 minutes of extra cooking time since the dish will still be chilled.
Emily Jefferis says
Iโve used this recipe for the holidays the last couple years, this time I made my own version using this as a base and itโs amazing! This recipe is so versatile
Cecelia Thomas says
I have half an half but only 2% milk, would that be ok?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, it just may take a bit longer to thicken up.
Karen says
Has anyone made this with bagged shredded cheese? I know there are clumping additives to the pre shredded bags just wondering if anyoneโs tested it out and how it turns out?
GSB says
Turned out fine for me. I always used the shredded
Jennifer says
Creamy cheesey deliciousness!
Ashley M Marion says
Everyone loved it!
Roxy says
This is the best mac n cheese
Hannah says
So good, people rave about this dish every time I bring it to a gathering!
S says
Can I put mozzarella in this??
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, although I wouldn’t use fresh balls of mozzarella. I would pick up a block of mozzarella and shred it. As long as you like the stringy “cheese pull” type of cheese, then you’ll like it with cheddar and mozzarella.
Laura Sweeney says
What type of cheddar cheese- sharp, medium, etc? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Medium, as called for in the ingredient list.
Greg says
Very delicious, easy and simple direction. Added the bacon to mine yum, yum. It was devoured by the young and old.
Andrea says
I made mac n cheese for the first time using this recipe. Everyone loved it! Give it a try!
Jeana says
I’m 8.5 months pregnant and this was almost everything I could desire. I will say mine came out VERY thick. Like Thiccc. Taste- excellent. My roux just really got the best of it. I “watered” down with at least an extra cup of chicken stock and I’d still say there’s room to thin it, but realistically next time I will cut the flour and some butter by half. Tossed a few handfuls of spinach and leftover shredded chicken to make a meal of it and enjoyed with my husband. I used 2:1 cheddar and gruyere. Tastes great
Shawn says
Can I make ahead and heat it up in a crockpot? I have made this a few times and it is my new favorite! I am hoping to bring it to a work potluck but I won’t be able to use an oven at work.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that personally, but I know many readers have kept it warm in a slow cooker ๐
Megan says
This recipe is absolutely great! So easy, so quick! I used Gruyรจre and cheddar and the rest of the suggested ingredients. Salt , pepper and added a little garlic. I highly suggest this recipe. I made it for a friend and they loved it ๐๐๐ผ
Michelle says
Can this be frozen at all?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but my advice (based on reader feedback) would be to make the mac and cheese (but don’t bake it), then let it cool completely. Cover the dish tightly with several layers of foil and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator (the exact amount of time will depend on the dish you’re using, how cold your refrigerator is, etc). Let the dish sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then preheat the oven. Bake as directed, but you’ll need to add at least 10-15 minutes of extra cooking time since the dish will still be chilled.
Mary Johnson says
Even my husband eats it