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!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS!
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 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.
- This recipe wasn't designed to be cooked in a slow cooker, but I do know some readers have kept it warm in one after being baked. If you're looking for a mac and cheese recipe that's meant to be cooked in a slow cooker, I have one for you https://www.thechunkychef.com/ultra-creamy-crockpot-mac-and-cheese/
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.
Freezing
- I haven't tested freezing this recipe, but my advice (based on many reader's 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.
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.
Jude says
Hi! Would adding 1 or 2 diced garlic cloves to the sauce have any negative affects on the recipe? Or do you think that would work well? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Nope, that will work great, I do it all the time 🙂
Stella says
I love this mac and cheese! This is my go-to, and as a college student, it’s easy to make! Try switching out the pasta to cavatappi! It gets more cheese in the noodle! but 10/10!
Angelina Caporale says
How many does this recipe feed?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve listed it as 8, but since it can be a side or a main, the actual amount of servings is up to you. It makes a 9×13″ pan, and you’re free to divide that up into a many or as little servings as you’d like. For future reference, the amount of servings in each recipe is always in a light green colored bar in the recipe card, right underneath the recipe name, cook time, etc.
Gennifer says
I’ve been making this Mac and cheese for every holiday for the past 6 years and have passed the recipe on to countless people. It’s going down in history! Thank you for the best Mac and cheese recipe ever!
Melanie L says
Like many of the other commenters, I’ve been making this for years. Everyone in my family always asks for it for the holidays!
Katie says
I been making this for 4 years! The only other thing I get is slice American cheese and it gives extra creami-ness
Dj says
On your 5 cheese variation, do you add all t cheeses to the recipe or just giving measurements if someone where to use different cheese than you suggest?
The Chunky Chef says
The five cheese variation uses the cheeses listed in that section, and the amounts listed. They replace the original recipes cheeses.
Elaine says
This has become a holiday classic at my house! Best recipe ever!and easy to make!
Camille Filling says
I followed the recipe to the letter. I cooked the rue 4 min so it was “cooked”. I used the stovetop method. The sauce tasted like cream and flour. I hand grated fontina cheese and cheddar.
The Chunky Chef says
I have no idea what could have happened, as I make this at least once a month and have never had it taste like flour and cream.
Nathaniel says
The reason your sauce tasted like flour is you most likely did not cook the rue long enough to dissipate the flour taste. I have made this recipe many times and never had this problem
The Chunky Chef says
Agreed, even though they cooked it for 4 minutes, if the heat was too low, that wouldn’t have been sufficient and will yield a sauce that tastes flour-y.
Elizabeth B says
I have been making this for years! It’s out favorite. My girls ask for it every time..thank you!
Anna says
This is our picky eater’s favorite! I do halve the recipe and sauté some diced onion before adding the flour. So delicious!
Shannon W says
Turned out great! I can only find a 6 oz Gruyère block- could I make up the rest with mozzarella?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure thing 🙂
Molly says
Hi!
What would the recommended measurements be if we wanted to add the additional seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard?
Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t have specific measurements, as I just add them until I like the taste of the sauce. But you could start with 1/2 tsp of each and go from there 🙂
Sabrina Bell says
OMG this is my exact way to make Mac and cheese. I honestly don’t remember getting it from anywhere, maybe my mom. She was the best cook ever and made her living as a cook. But I add all the same ingredients cheddar, mozerella but maybe I will try the guyera one this time. I don’t measure I do it all by taste. Great job Chunky Chef!
Lorenzo says
Great Mac & cheese. So creamy.
Makalyn says
Can you use any type of pasta you want like Cellentani pasta?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, I just don’t recommend longer cuts of pasta (linguine, spaghetti, etc) as they’re harder to eat. Cellentani should work well 🙂
Graciela says
Hi, can I omit 2 1/2 cups half and half? Thanks in advance
The Chunky Chef says
You can’t omit over half of the liquid and have it still turn out creamy, no. You can substitute the half and half with an additional 2.5 cups of milk though.
Casey says
Could you substitute the half and half with other dairy products, like heavy whipping cream, or even fairlife 2% milk?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure, it’s a pretty forgiving recipe.
Mary Stevens says
Family LOVES IT
Bernadette L Everette says
My favorite mac & cheese very delicious!
Maria says
Our family’s favorite mac & cheese recipe
Dove says
Yum yum in my tum tum: and ten other people’s tums!