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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
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
Kara says
Great side dish!
Marisa says
Turns out fabulous each time. Family new favourite fish
Ayanna says
Just made this and popping it in the oven! This was by far the easiest, delicious Mac and cheese recipe ever! I will be using this for every holiday! 10/10 recommend to use this recipe! I can’t wait to dig in soon!
Laura says
Uh Oh… All I have is 2% milk. Will that be okay??
Amanda says
I’ve not made it using 2%, but it should work. Might be a bit less rich/creamy, and take longer to thicken, but should still work out.
Heidi Rand says
This is a family favorite! The Gruyere cheese makes all the difference! It takes a little extra time to shred the cheese yourself, but don’t take the shortcut and buy bagged cheese! You will not be happy. I have also made this recipe, but instead of 4 cups of cheddar, I added 2 cups of cheddar and 2 cups of pepper jack to the Gruyere. It is amazing!!
Dean says
Super good
Grandkids love it up!! Thanks made home made bread!!!!!
For it!!
The best
Linda F. Brown says
Try can milk -instead of regular milk
an half/half ..cheaper . also make
your gravy w/ can milk..
Tell me that it taste better??
Right!! sincerely, LINDA BROWN
Linda F. Brown says
Dear Amanda,My mother is cooking EASTER DINNER.SHE Is78
and I 61 ,her first born of 5 boys..I
got mac/cheese detail .Everyone loves it .my secrets are 1-2 cans hom milk .an with (thin slice) sharp cheddar cheese 1-2 cups..the more the better, also 2slices American cheese.
The key is not to overcook (dry)
remove from oven when it is real
juicey..brown the top though, can
milk makes it creamery!!😇
WenofSF says
I made this a few months back and it was a huge hit! I made one casserole for the party guests and a second to have for us….Well, everyone loved it, the first casserole dish was licked clean and I had to send home parts of the second casserole with friends!! 😁
I’m making it again for Easter and popped in to say thanks for the great recipe! Happy Easter!
Jillian says
Beautiful recipe! Gruyere cheese is the secret 🙂
Tina says
Hi. I’m wondering if I can make this then put it in a crockpot to serve. Thanks
Amanda says
I haven’t done it myself, but I know a lot of other readers have done that successfully 🙂
Brenda says
Can I use just half and half if I don’t have milk?
Amanda says
Yes 🙂
Jeanne Sparks says
Absolutely the best homemade mac and cheese I have ever made!
Monte says
Equal parts milk and equal parts heavy cream.
Lori says
I have to make this ahead of time. How much extra milk or half and half should I add so it is not dry when I bake it?
Amanda says
It’s always going to be the most creamy when made right before baking, but I would just add about 1/2 cup each.
JoAnn Smith says
I made your recipe exactly as written for my weekly Bible Study group and we all loved it! Very creamy and cheesy!
Michelle says
Best Mac and cheese I have ever made. Thank you!
natjomin says
I LOVE this recipe
thank you so much
Megan C says
What is half and half please? Thanks
Amanda says
Half and half is a common dairy product in the US that is part heavy cream and part milk.
Megan C says
Thank you, I’m from the UK so wasn’t sure. Can I use double cream then?
Lora says
Yes! You can use double cream but I’d suggest doing half milk and half cream, since that’s what Half and Half is, here in the states.
Megan C says
Thank you 😊
Jean says
Half and Half – aka – Creamo or Coffee Cream
Linda Brewer says
Delicious! Worth all the work for sure.
Karen Elder says
This is delicious! Just wondering if I can make this in a crockpot? Thanks!
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain how well it would work out. I would think it would need substantial changes. I do know many readers have made it and kept it warm in a crockpot, if that helps. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!