Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Baked macaroni and cheese doesn’t have to be complicated with layers of ingredients to be the soul-warming food you crave. This homemade baked macaroni and cheese is my most favorite and has pleased crowds, small families, kids and picky eaters alike–give it a try and you’ll see why.
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Sometimes you buy that glowing yellow macaroni in the box. Your kids like it, but it glows like the kryptonite they used in the old Christoper Reeve Superman movies.
That’s not normal people.
And I hate to break it to you, but there’s nothing real in that box either.
I hate feeding it to my kids and I dare say that you hate it too. But I can also guess you don’t know many other alternatives. Sure, you can get a box of Velveeta and melt that over some noodles. That works too, but that stuff doesn’t even need to be refrigerated. It’s mystery cheese.
So if you’re looking for the real deal, the old school baked macaroni and cheese the way your grandma might have made it–this is it.
Key Takeaways
- Stir constantly so the sauce doesn’t split and keep the heat down low.
- Use strong flavored cheeses like Swiss and sharp cheddar grated from a block and never bagged pre-shredded.
- Make sure to taste the sauce before baking and adjust with more salt or a dash of red wine vinegar to your preference.
- You can make this mac and cheese up to three days in advance and bake it later.
- It will get dry and mushy in a slow cooker. I don’t recommend one.
Can I make this macaroni and cheese ahead and bake it when I’m ready?
Yes you sure can. Just let it cool down, put some plastic wrap right against the surface of the mac and cheese (to keep it from forming a skin) and stick it in the fridge.
If you have a few minutes to bring it out and let it warm slightly before you bake it, do that. But if you can’t, just bake it till the center is hot and the edges are bubbling.
Can I freeze macaroni and cheese?
I get asked that a lot and my answer is always no.
As the pasta and cheese sauce sit, it will thicken and when you thaw it and bake it, the creamy consistency is just gone. It’s thick and gloppy.
Plus if you freeze it and it’s still a bit warm, water crystals will form and then thaw into your dish and could make it separate when you bake it.
Besides, it’s so fast to make, there’s not really a reason to freeze your macaroni and cheese.
Tips for the best macaroni and cheese you’ll ever eat
Feel like you may still need some help? If you have time, jump over to this post for the juicy details: 18 Secrets to the Richest, Creamiest Mac and Cheese You’ll Ever Eat or focus on these tips:
- Never stop stirring your milk once it hits the pan. If your skillet is too hot or you walk away and for a minute you could scorch the white sauce and it will curdle. It doesn’t really hurt the taste, but it will look sort of clumpy. Some readers have called it “grainy”. It only takes 5 minutes. Just hang out and stir until that sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- Use good cheese in your baked macaroni and cheese. That means avoiding bagged, pre-shredded cheeses because they contain cellulose (an anti-caking agent) that can cause your cheese not to melt as it should.
- Try to choose a melting cheese and a flavor cheese for the best flavor and texture in your baked macaroni and cheese. Sharp cheddar and Swiss are my favorites but you can go as bold as you want!
- Taste as you go. Taste your cheese sauce before you add your pasta. Is it bland? That can be because of the cheese you used or even the kind of salt you seasoned with. If it doesn’t have enough flavor, add a pinch more salt, stir it in and taste it again until it suits you.
- Feel free to add more pasta if you want to. Some people say that this recipe doesn’t have enough noodles in it, but I’ve never had that problem. And yes, you should cook your pasta before adding it to the cheese sauce.
Try a dash of vinegar for more zing
Because of the fat in the dairy, mac and cheese often needs some acid to bring the flavors to life. I love adding 1-2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar to the sauce before stirring in the pasta. Avoid strong vinegars like apple cider or white distilled.
Do I have to bake my macaroni and cheese?
Not if you don’t want to. You can actually eat it right from the pan or just stick it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top if you’d rather.
It works just as well and is a great shortcut when you are running low on time.
How can I dress up my macaroni and cheese?
This baked macaroni and cheese may be the most versatile dish ever.
Add in some red pepper for kick, any cheeses you like (Fontina is glorious in here), add veggies like broccoli and chopped chicken and it’s a one-dish meal even.
Or BACON. Hello. Yeah. Make some garlic bread crumbs for the top if you want some crunch and throw those on. It’s really endless. I use this recipe for the base of these ham and sage creamy noodles.
How to measure pasta for this recipe
This recipe is written by volume (cups) and sometimes people think that since a cup is 8 ounces (ounces is a weight measurement) that they can simply use 12-16 ounces of pasta or go by the weight of the dry pasta written on the box.
You’ll end up with problems if you do this.
Please follow the volume instructions and measure your pasta dry in a measuring cup meant for dry items (not a liquid one).
Small pastas like ditalini or little wagon wheels can go up to about 2 cups and be fine in the recipe, and large ones like bow tie or cellentani can as well. If you will stick to elbow pasta until you get the hang of things you’ll be better off.
I’ve made this recipe with every pasta shape on the market and if you will measure in cups, your recipe will be just right.
How to double baked mac and cheese
Simply double the recipe below (look for the 1x, 2x or 3x on the right side of the recipe to double or triple the ingredients). Then place it in a 9×13. The bake time should be close to the same. Just bake until the center is hot and the edges bubble.
What should I serve with my macaroni and cheese?
Avoid the temptation to make more starchy foods (like potatoes) with your mac and cheese. Instead, try:
- Crispy fried chicken tenders
- Classic stuffed peppers
- Southern cornbread
- Homestyle meatloaf with brown sugar glaze
Other macaroni and cheese recipes you’ll want to devour:
- Lobster mac and cheese
- Spicy baked macaroni and cheese
- Creamy ham and sage macaroni and cheese
- Three cheese stovetop ultra creamy mac and cheese
- The best baked macaroni and cheese with tomatoes
- Truly easy microwave easy mac and cheese
- Super Creamy gluten free mac and cheese
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni shells or cavatappi
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk not skim
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese I like 1 cup each of sharp cheddar and Swiss
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous sprinkling of salt the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a skillet or pot large enough to hold the pasta when it’s done.
- Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned; 1-2 minutes.
- Add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps and add the salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble. About 6 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese and whisk until smooth and melted. Turn off the heat.
- When the pasta is almost done but still firm, drain it and add to the sauce.
- Stir the pasta into the sauce and bake in a greased 2 quart dish (or an 8×8 pan works pretty well) 20-25 minutes until browned and bubbly. You can also skip baking it if you want it super creamy and just put it under the broiler to brown the top (keep an eye on it) and then serve.
This is my “go to” mac and cheese recipe when I need comfort food. I have experimented with different spices ( ground mustard, garlic powder, cayenne, etc. ) I have also used a mixture of cheddar, Swiss, smoked Gouda, and/or mozzarella, etc. This recipe never disappoints! Thank you so much for sharing it!
You’re welcome Hope! I’m so glad you have a great staple recipe to use. –Rachel
Could you tell me the ratio of ingredients if I wanted to make the whole 1 pound box of pasta
Hey Jean, my best suggestion is to measure all the pasta in your box then increase the ingredients accordingly. The other option you may not realize is available is a slider inside the recipe area. You can slide that to match the number of people you want to serve and it will give you the new ingredient amounts. In the servings area you’ll see a green number 6. Click on that and a slider will appear you can drag up or down to meet your needs. Hopefully that helps! –Rachel
I have made this recipe several times. I think it’s the best and easiest. I sometimes add some bread crumbs and sometime add more cheese at the end of baking and put it on broil for a few minutes. Always fantastic.
This recipe is amazing! This is the first time I have ever made Mac and cheese from scratch. I followed the directions exactly (which were easier than I expected and the tips were very helpful) and it did not disappoint! Sooo creamy and SO much better than anything from a box. Bye-bye blue box!
Yes Allison. Yes. No more blue box. I’m so proud of you! There’s a whole world of homemade food out there just waiting for you to make it. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know. –Rachel
Creamy, cheesy and delicious! The noodle to sauce ratio is perfect. I love making mac and cheese from scratch. My mom has my grandmothers recipe book and we usually use that method. I found this recipe while attempting to make my grandmother’s mac and cheese at home one night without her cook book. Her recipe calls for a cheese and breadcrumb layer over the top so I did that as well. I also put a small, finely diced onion into the sauce as per her recipe.
A tip I’ve heard that can prevent the sauce from curdling/clumping: Remove the pan from the heat before gradually adding in half the portion of milk you will be using. Wisk constantly during this step. Once you’ve mixed in half the milk return it to the heat and keep beating it until it looks shiny and smooth, then gradually whisk in the remaining milk. I’m from Newfoundland, Canada and I read that method in an old “Tastes of Atlantic Canada” cook book series. It hasn’t failed me yet!
That’s a great tip Heather, thank you for sharing that. The key is to keep that heat down so things don’t split and your method would certainly work. And I’m glad your noodle to sauce ratio was just right. We’ve had some real reader debates over that. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m sure your grandmother would approve. –Rachel
Salted butter or unsalted butter?
Either one works just fine Susan. –Rachel
This is fabulous! Thank you!
My daughter has become the Mac and cheese maker in our family. We get together every other Sunday and she makes it often. We like a good challenge so I thought I would try my hand at it, me being Mama and Granny… My daughter doesn’t use flour to make her sauce so I was a bit hesitant to use it, but I did. I followed your instructions exactly, I didn’t want to mess this up. It came out grainy. Not just a bit grainy but so much that I was picking grains off my tongue. Like bits of flour that didn’t get whisked in. I was so disappointed!! My family ate it up anyway. Yes, I stirred the roux, yes, I stirred the milk til bubbly. I can only think maybe my heat was up a little bit high but it didn’t seem so to me. Hubby mentioned after the fact that I should’ve tried the immersion blender but it was too late. I used sharp cheddar, Colby and American cheese. ?
Aw man Kandy I’m so sorry that happened. Let’s see if we can’t troubleshoot. I know what happened, and while I totally note that you stirred, your roux just got too hot too fast. I wonder what type of pan you cooked it in? Sometimes, I think our tools are just too thin and don’t regulate the heat well. If you were using a thinner stainless still pan, or something from Walmart like a T-fal or anything of that nature, the metal just conducts heat unevenly. If it took less than 6 to 8 minutes for your sauce to even begin to thicken, it heated too fast. The flour wasn’t the problem, it was just that the béchamel sauce split. If you’d like to try it again, don’t be discouraged. I know it works and I know you’ll love it if you’re willing to give it another go. 🙂 –Rachel
Can you please tell me the serving size? You just said serves 6. Thanks – Susann
Hey Susann, a standard serving of pasta is 1/2 cup, so a serving is pretty close to that here. –Rachel
Why can’t I print off reciepe to try????
Terry the print button is right in the red area directly above the recipe. It should print easily but not usually from a phone. That tends to be trickier. –Rachel