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
- 4 cups grated medium sharp cheddar cheese divided (measured after grating)
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided (measured after grating)
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
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, grate 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 milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, 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 grated 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
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.
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
Rene Meyer says
Excellent, I put thin crispy bacon on top and then the cheese , it was perfect. I would change nothing, it’s perfect this recipe.
Geneviève says
Hi Amanda, I live in Canada and we have only half and half for coffee. What you suggest to me to replace the half and half
Thanks
Geneviève
Amanda says
I would do 2 1/2 cups whole milk and 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 🙂
Stephanie says
That’s what I did! Came out yummy!
Kelly says
Can I use a different kind of pasta? I have shells and small shells, and penne on hand right now.
Amanda says
Yes, you can use any type of pasta you’d like.
indira amaranti says
Indeed the best Mac n Cheese recipe even though I made some changes but still taste as great! I made several times and the result always foolproof. This time around I made with extra pesto and I used Cheddar and Edam cheese. Hope I don’t gain weight much!
Maureen says
I don’t write reviews enough but this deserved some feedback! I have made this a couple of times. The first time I followed the recipe except I changed the milks to 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups whole milk since that what I had on hand. It was fabulous. I made it last night for the Super Bowl and changed it up a bit. I used the same milk combo as I previously had. I substituted 2 cups smoked Gouda for 2 cups of the sharp cheddar. When it was put together I smoked it at 225° for about an hour, and finished it under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. It was super! I would be happy to make it either way in the future. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Tamara says
This is a great recipe! So creamy and cheesy. I did find the flour taste too strong in the finished dish. For those who reduced the flour to 1/4 cup, did the sauce still thicken enough? Thanks!
Janice Dargent says
This was my first attempt at home-made mac&cheese and it was fabulous even without all the right ingredients. I moved to Portugal a year ago because I got married at the young age of 53 and my husband asked for mac&cheese so I found your recipe and we loved it. I used almond milk and beshamel instead of whole milk and half and half and I put in bacon per request of my husband. Fabulous. I will definitely make it again but will try different variants of cheese and toppings. Also i used gouda cheese, gueyere and a cheese that I was not familiar with. Very good!!
Nichole Whitloc says
Has anyone ever tried freezing this either before or after it was baked? I absolutely love this recipe, I’ve made it dozens of times and I’d like to double it and put a pan in the freezer.
Niamh Gleeson says
Just wondering what can I use instead of half and half? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
You can use all whole milk, a whole milk/heavy cream combination, or evaporated milk.
Carol M Murphy says
Amazing! My family and friends raved about this recipe! I followed it exactly. Thank you!
robin beers says
very bland… going back to my old bought shredded cheese recipe. not worth the work😐
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience with this recipe. I’m surprised as over 1800 people have loved it! But we all have different tastes 🙂
Linda Coan says
Delicious!
I used oat milk, and it only required about 2-1/2 chips total. I also used cubed cheese, a little over 3 cups send about the same as the 6 shredded.
I doubled the paprika, but otherwise the seasoning was spot on. I’ve been making a roux style mac and cheese for years but just winding the amounts. This is perfect, velvety and cheesy.
Soraya says
I tried making a mac & cheese years ago with a “roux” and I absolutely botched it and never tried again. I’ve been making a mac and cheese using cottage cheese for about 4-5 years now and I wanted to switch it up, I’m so thankful I did! This is exactly what I wanted, saucy, cheesy and delicious! My husband and I agreed this is the new way we’ll be making it. I used sharp cheddar + a white cheddar cheese with “gruyère notes,” added bread crumbs and broiled it the last few minutes and it was phenomenal.
Lynn Balaski says
Hello, how many cups of dry pasta equates to “1 pound of pasta”? I’m assuming that when it calls for “1 pound of pasta”, that’s not 1 pounds of cooked pasta.
Thanks, Lynn
The Chunky Chef says
No it’s a 16 oz box of dry pasta. The amount of cups per 16 oz package will vary, depending on the type of pasta.
Crystal says
Loved this recipe
Y.M. says
Oh my word – this was delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly (minus paprika), using Gruyere and 2 yr. old aged white cheddar with cavatappi shaped pasta. My two younger boys and husband devoured it. Great comfort food and easy to make. Thank you!
Ashley says
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_and_half
Half whole milk, half heavy cream. Called half and half in America and most commonly used in coffee.
SN says
Hi,
What is half and half?
The Chunky Chef says
Half and half is a very common dairy product in the US, made of part heavy cream, part milk.
Sana says
What would be the cheese ratio if I was using Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Cheddar?
The Chunky Chef says
Whichever ratio you like best 🙂 As long as you have 6 total cups of cheese, how you divvy that up is up to you.
Jason says
Do you cook covered or uncovered, the baking directions are bit very clear.
The Chunky Chef says
It’s uncovered; the default is uncovered unless specified in the recipe 🙂
Nancy Kukowski says
Can I put panko bread crumbs on top of the cheese and bake it that way?
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely 🙂