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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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.
- Prep and bake later: 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. When ready to bake, cook until the edges are bubbling and the center is warm.
- To freeze: Can’t freeze it.
Other 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.
To measure the pasta: 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.
To double, triple or quadruple: Simply multiply 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.
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 the only recipient I use for Mac and Cheese, it’s always yummy.
Great to hear Lynn!
I have made this so many times! It has always worked wonderfully for me. I like to spice it up with habanero jack cheese, or gruyere and add spinach and mushrooms (sauteed and well-drained before mixing into the dish).
That sounds wonderful Beth!–Rachel
I love mac and cheese but my waistline does not. When I made the sauce I use 1% milk and added 2 triangles of the light laughing cow herb and garlic cheese along with the rest to thicken. Also added a cup of my canned tomatoes. So good.also an option saute garlic, onion and leftover ham to the mix
Hi! When I was a kid my dad made mac n cheese exactly this way. Sometimes he added some sauted onion and hotdogs. I also made this with gluten free flour and noodles. It was awesome! Thank you for the measurements.
That’s a great memory Cherie. Glad I could help! –Rachel
Awesome!
If using goat cheese, how much would you put in?
I hate goat cheese more than a root canal Willis so I have zero idea. If I were you I’d add a bit and taste as I went until the flavor suited me. –Rachel
The first time I made it, it was grainy because I didn’t stir the milk. The second time, I stirred it and it was really creamy. Love it and it’s so easy.
I’m glad you admitted it Ashley. Hahaha–many people don’t. I do make it very clear in the post and in the recipe that it has to be stirred constantly. You were really brave not stirring it the first time because that could have been much worse than just some grainy texture. I’m glad you figured out the proper method this time. 🙂 –Rachel
I should rephrase my first comment and say I didn’t stir it the WHOLE time. That is SOOO important!!! Yes, I’ll admit it. ?
Haha! Yes, stirring is the key and I tell people in the post not to walk away, check their phone or do dishes. Just stir. –Rachel
Delicious!! Great recipe!
We used gluten free macaroni due to our children having celiac disease and the dish was perfect. Everyone loved it!!
Wonderful Deb! I also have a gluten free version here on the site but it sounds like you nailed it! –Rachel
everyone in my family loved it. used sharp cheddar and gruyere. keeping that recipe.
Made yesterday, it came out very dry was not creamy. Had to throw it out.
Sorry it didn’t work for you Rita. You an always skip baking it if you’d like it extra saucy. –Rachel