This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is creamy, rich, easy to make, strewn with bread crumbs, and tastes like comfort food or soul food of the highest order. Proof that homemade tastes infinitely better than that stuff in the blue box from Kraft.
Hooray for baked macaroni and cheese that’s creamy and homemade and honest-to-goodness soul food. There’s no reason to eat the stuff in the blue box from Kraft when the real deal is so easy to make from scratch. You’re going to want to use a Cheddar cheese with some character. You know, the sorta expensive, hauntingly sharp Cheddar from someplace where they know what they’re doing, like England or Vermont or Wisconsin. And you’re not going to want to forget those satiatingly buttery bread crumbs sprinkled on top. Originally published May 10, 2011. –David Leite
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- Coarse salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
- A pinch to 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 1/2 cup coarse fresh or dried bread crumbs
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 2. Salt a large pot of water generously, so it tastes like the sea. Bring the water to a boil and then add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.
- 3. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 4. Still whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the milk. If the sauce gets lumpy, don’t worry; just keep whisking until it becomes smooth again. Lower the heat and simmer (yes, still whisking frequently!) until creamy and smooth, 7 to 8 minutes.
- 5. Add 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and the mustard and/or nutmeg, if using. Take the pan off the heat and add 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more seasonings, if you like.
- 6. Drain the macaroni and return it to the pot. Dump the sauce on top of the macaroni and toss thoroughly to coat. Turn out the macaroni mixture into a large cast-iron skillet, a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or another generously sized casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan.
- 7. One last thing. Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet. (Use 2 tablespoons for uber-buttery bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon for swimsuit-season bread crumbs.) Drizzle the butter over the bread crumbs in a bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the macaroni.
- 8. Bake until the crumbs are browned and the macaroni is warmed through, 20 minutes if you’re in a hurry or, if you’re in no rush and prefer a creamier sauce, up to an hour or so. You will need to cover the dish after 15 minutes or so to prevent the crumbs from browning too much. Let the macaroni and cheese rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping it out in heaping portions.
Tuxedo and T-Shirt Variations
- While the classic is always welcome, try mixing things up on occasion…
- Smoky Green Chile Version
Add a 4-ounce can diced mild green chiles, drained, to the macaroni mixture before turning it into the baking dish. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika to the buttered crumbs.
- “Tuna Melt” Version
Substitute 1 cup grated Havarti or Fontina cheese for 1 cup of the Cheddar when you make the sauce (you’ll still need a total of 3 cups cheese plus the 1/2 cup Parmesan or pecorino). Add two 5-ounce cans tuna, drained, and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest to the macaroni before turning it into the baking dish.
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Sounds absolutely amazing. I love the idea of testing this in a cast iron skillet!
Well, Mr. T., you need to tell us what you think.
Yes, it makes for a great presentation.
Am with you, David. A cast iron skillet makes everything better…
One more word: bacon
Actually, two. “More bacon.”
I’ve not made macaroni and cheese in ages and this sounds delicious!
Thanks, Maureen. You’ll have to let us know if you make it and how you like it.
And isn’t it the best, to be reminded of a great dish you’d almost forgotten about? Not that anyone could actually forget mac and cheese, but I think it’s one of those dishes that cycle out of our repertoire at different stages of life, and then when we return to them, well… Let’s say I never truly appreciated mac and cheese as a kid; I only thought I did.
After first testing this recipe a while back I have made it often, sometimes switching the types of cheeses, yet strictly following the recipe. What I love about it is that you can easily prepare it ahead of time, that it also freezes amazingly well (just add the crumbs once defrosted), and that you can easily change what type of cheeses you use. I made it again last night and used a few different types of smoked cheeses from this recipe. and even added shredded smoked meats. The final result was fantastic, with a smokey, yet not too overpoweringly so, flavor.
Woohoo! Here’s to tried-and-true recipes that withstand a little innovation, Sofia. Many thanks for letting us know just how much of a keeper this recipe is….
Great recipe!!!!! Thanks so much!!!! I used to eat mac and cheese all the time when I was studying in the U.S. We never cook pasta this way in Spain, a lot of “carbonara” “bolognesa” and so on, but now I can prepare it for my kids, they will love it for sure, many thanks.
You’re quite welcome, Ana. We’d love to hear what your kids think when you make it for them….
Awesome recipe! I substituted smoked paprika for the nutmeg and used cheddar, parmesan and fontina cheese. Went great with the BBQ dinner I made tonight. I tripled the recipe to feed around 14 people and there are tons of leftovers. People can’t wait to eat more!! Highly recommend.
Christina, that’s terrific to hear! Love the swap for the smoked paprika and the notion of serving it with BBQ. I am wondering if the leftovers may work, if you want, as wee little individual canapés that are finger food, just like in this recipe? Just muffin tins slicked with butter or oil and a hot oven? Just a thought. I’ve got nothing against big ole scoopfuls of macaroni and cheese on a plate!
I love homemade mac and cheese and cannot wait to try this version. I make browned butter once a week and find that toasting bread crumbs in the browned butter really adds a nice flavour to them. My browned butter bread crumbs will be atop this mac and cheese when I try it this week. Thank you Leite’s Culinaria for all of your wonderful recipes. Reading thru this weekly post whilst enjoying my Sunday morning coffee has become a ritual.
Karen, I love your brown-butter bread crumbs. Do let me know how it turns out. And thank you kindly for your lovely words. We love being a part of our readers’ routines!
Great recipe! I used this recipe to cook mac and cheese for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone loved it. I added about 5 slices of Trader Joe’s Applewood Smoked Bacon and it was delicious. Also, I used 2% milk and I thought it tasted just fine. It definitely added some extra flavor. Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely cook this dish again and possibly add some grilled jalapenos. :)
Terrific to hear, Gina. Glad you made it your own!
Thanks for sharing this recipe on the Leite’s Culinaria Facebook page, Sofia Reino! I made it for dinner tonight and am quite pleased with the results. It’s similar to, but even better than, the mac & cheese I’ve been making for years! Little things like freshly grated nutmeg, the addition of Parmesan Reggiano & baking it all in my favorite cast iron skillet made a big difference.
Yes, thank you, Sofia, for sharing the mac and cheese love! And Brendalyn, thank you for taking the time to let us know you like it as much as we do. Greatly appreciate it!
Mmmmmmmmmmm…………always so good, but tonight it is being tossed with some left over pulled pork too. Browned butter bread crumbs……pulled pork….and this oh-so-wonderful mac and cheese. Dinner cannot get here soon enough!!!
Niiiiiiiiiiice, Karen!
This is just what I need to take to the office for cold late nights at work, thanks! So If I choose to make a big batch and freeze it in 2 person size portions, do I freeze it BEFORE baking or AFTER baking? I imagine the best course of action either way would be to thaw it then bake in convection oven (versus thawing then microwaving)? How long should I bake a portion for two that’s been thawed if a) it was not baked before freezing or b) if it WAS baked before freezing? Thank you so much , I wonder what would happen if I cooked the macaroni in a dark beer instead of water? Or if I substituted the whole milk that is Cakked fir with a micro beer we have and love in the Midwest called Left Hand Milk stout???????????its creamy, but alas, I admit it is beer…
Hi Lynn, to freeze the macaroni and cheese, place in individual buttered ramekins and cover tightly with aluminum foil. When you are ready to serve them, bake, frozen and covered with foil, at 350°F, for about 1 hour, or until heated through. Uncover, top with the bread crumbs and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Although I haven’t tried it, you could add a bit of beer to your cooking water.
This was the best mac & cheese recipe I’ve ever tried……..and I’ve tried a LOT. It came out so creamy and cheesy. My daughter loves mac & cheese with paprika so I used that instead of the nutmeg. Together with the buttered bread crumbs it was so delicious. This recipe is a keeper for us.
Wonderful, Chris! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know! Thrilled to hear you like it as much as we do.
Chris, thanks for writing. I’m delighted you enjoyed the dish!
It’s great, thank you.
You bet, Dennis.
My go-to recipe. I’m a gooey-mac kind of guy so I dont use an entire pound of pasta. I have used about 3/4ths of cooked elbows and it’s the perfect texture for me. I bring the leftovers back by adding a bit of milk to it in a saucepan on top of the stove. Thanks for this recipe.
You’re so very welcome, Bill. Love your gooey tactics, greatly appreciate the tip!