Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe : With a gorgeous white creamy cheese sauce and a buttery breadcrumb topping, this baked mac and cheese is still the best I’ve ever tasted. This is THE recipe for macaroni cheese that goes viral every Christmas and Thanksgiving!
Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
This Baked Macaroni and Cheese might be my Last Meal choice—I don’t mean to sound morbid. If you put me in a room with macaroni and cheese, there’s no way we can survive. said Macaroni and Cheese would be destroyed.
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Ingredients
MACARONI:
- 250g / 8 oz macaroni (elbow pasta)
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter (or 2 tsp oil)
TOPPING:
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
SAUCE:
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour , plain / all purpose
- 3 cups milk , warmed (low or full fat)
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheese, gruyere best (followed by cheddar and Colby) (Note 2)
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese , or more other cheese of choice (Note 2)
- 3/4 tsp salt
SEASONINGS (OPTIONAL):
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
PASTA:
To cook pasta, start by boiling a large pot of water. Add the macaroni and simmer for MINUS 1 minute, as directed on the package.
Add butter and toss until melted: Drain pasta, put it back in the saucepan, and add butter. Let cool while preparing the sauce.
TOPPING:
Mix together Topping. Put aside.
SAUCE
For all oven types, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Prepare the roux: Melt butter over medium heat in a big saucepan or an ovenproof skillet (I use my 26cm/9″ Lodge cast iron skillet). Stir add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Pour in a cup or so of milk and stir to incorporate the paste into the liquid. Next, add the remaining milk and stir (if necessary) until there are no lumps left.
Include seasonings: Add the salt and, if using, the seasonings.
Sauce should be thickened to a cream consistency by cooking it for 5 to 8 minutes while swirling or whisking frequently. Once the Sauce has covered the back of a wooden spoon, your finger should be able to make a path.
Add some cheese. Take off the heat source, add the cheese, and mix; the cheese doesn’t have to melt.
Examine the salt: Taste and adjust salt (you won’t need more if you use the recommended cheeses).
ASSEMBLING:
Put the sauce and macaroni into the pot and assemble. Beat vigorously, then return to the skillet (I did this) or transfer to a baking dishpply a coating of breadcrumbs.
Bake until the top is light brown, about 25 minutes. Avoid overbaking as this can cause the sauce to evaporate!
Serve: Present right now! I added some fresh parsley on top of mine. For the optimal make-ahead procedure, see the notes.
Notes
1. Larger panko breadcrumbs make a crispy topping. Australian supermarkets sell it in the Asian section. Replace with regular breadcrumbs.
2. Cheese I choose gruyere (2 cups) for its flavor and melting qualities (as shown in the video). Use any flavored melted cheese. I also like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, and provolone. In Australia/NZ, the cheese is delicious but the sauce is not as silky. For the second cheese, use 1 cup of mozzarella. It melts easily into sauce, has good stretch, and isn’t oily like other cheeses. Less salty too. Simply use extra Main Cheese.
For cheese sauces, grate cheese yourself. Store-bought shredded cheese has anti-caking chemicals that don’t melt, making the sauce powdery.
If you choose a less salty cheese like Jarlsberg for the Main Cheese instead of gruyere, you may need to add a sprinkle or two of salt to the sauce. Taste and check! But most cheeses have similar salt levels.
3. A light butter coating prevents pasta from bulging while baking in sauce. This is also why I let the noodles cool before adding the sauce. Optional step to skip.
4. 2.5L/2.5qt (10-cup) baking dish. For a double batch, a 9 x 13″ or 23 x 33 dish is ideal, but too large for a single batch and lacks depth.
5. Plan ahead: Mac and cheese is finest fresh, but this is the best method to make ahead: Toss spaghetti in butter and chill (hot pasta absorbs sauce and bloats). Mix cheese sauce with pasta and top with breadcrumbs. Thaw completely in fridge before baking. Bake 15 minutes at 180°C/350°F under foil. Bake 25 more minutes without foil until golden. Cold Mac & Cheese from the fridge bakes slower.
Best way to reheat leftovers is to microwave until warm, then coat with oil or butter and grill/broil.
6. Per-serving nutrition. 6 big serves as a side—250g/8oz goes far with cheese sauce! Will serve 4 generously as main.
NUTRITION INFORMATION:
- Calories:551cal (28%)
- Carbohydrates:48g (16%)
- Protein:23g (46%)
- Fat:29g (45%)
- Saturated Fat:17g (106%)
- Cholesterol:89mg (30%)
- Sodium:847mg (37%)
- Potassium:326mg (9%)
- Fiber:1g (4%)
- Sugar:8g (9%)
- Vitamin A:915IU (18%)
- Vitamin C:0.2mg
- Calcium:449mg (45%)
- Iron:1.4mg (8%)
