Get my Cookbooks! Baked Mac and Cheese
This Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is easy to make with savory macaroni smothered in a creamy 3-cheese sauce. This makes a perfect dinner recipe or holiday side dish idea.
Be sure to check out all of my Mac and Cheese recipes!
Baked Mac and Cheese
Nothing beats a casserole dish filled with this creamy 3-cheese Baked Macaroni. This recipe ensures that there is absolutely no shortage of that delicious cheese sauce. (It’s amazing how much sauce the macaroni continues to absorb when it bakes, but this recipe completely factors that in.)
I love the combination of cheddar, gruyere, and gouda, but the cheese combinations are endless. Feel free to keep it simple and stick to cheddar, or add in as many additional cheese combinations as you want!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to stir continuously for 2 minutes. Add the milk/heavy cream in small splashes, stirring continuously.
Let it heat through and thicken while you continue to stir for 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and hot sauce and remove from heat.
Gradually sprinkle in 4 cups of shredded cheese, stirring continuously until smooth. Meanwhile, boil the macaroni for 1 minute less than al dente.
Combine the drained macaroni and the cheese sauce and transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
Top with 2 cups of shredded cheese and bake at 325° for 25 minutes. Broil at the end for a few minutes if desired, then serve!
Make Ahead Method
- Pro Tip: If making ahead, I recommend using a little less than the full pound of pasta to ensure that there is an extra abundance of cheese sauce, as the macaroni will absorb more of it during storage.
- Assemble and Store: Cook the macaroni for 1-2 minutes less than al dente. Assemble the macaroni as outlined but do not bake. Let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake: Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes. Note that the consistency won’t be quite as creamy as when prepared and served immediately.
Pro Tips
- Optional additions include diced ham, bacon, caramelized onions, steamed broccoli, shredded chicken, buffalo chicken, and more!
- Pasta shells also make a great choice for this recipe instead of macaroni.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn’t too hot when the cheese is added, otherwise the dairy will separate and the consistency will be grainy.
- Cheese options are endless, you can use any combination of cheddar, gouda, gruyere, mozzarella, Colby, and more.
- I used Cracker Barrel Cheddar, Yancey’s Fancy Gouda (regular, not smoked), and Emmi Gruyere cheese as well as Frank’s hot sauce.
- The hot sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy.
- For a crunchy topping: Combine 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers and 2 tbsp. melted butter. Add it during the last 15 minutes of baking.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 210 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- You can freeze leftovers, however they don’t restore quite back to their original consistency.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish: This is the one pictured in this recipe, this is a less expensive one, and disposable tins can be used as well.
- Box Cheese Grater– Grating/Shredding cheese from a block will also give you the best flavor and consistency.
- Pasta Strainer– I have this one and love it.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
Try These Next
-
- Tuscan Mac and Cheese
-
- Chili Mac
-
- Creamy Chicken Pasta
-
- Cajun Chicken
-
- Baked Ravioli
-
- Ground Beef Pasta
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon each: onion powder, pepper
- 3 cups cheddar, shredded
- 2 cups Gruyere, shredded
- 1 cup Gouda, shredded
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Measure out ingredients before beginning.
- Begin boiling pasta water for the macaroni while you prepare the cheese sauce. Salt the water once a boil is reached. (I use 1 tbsp. kosher salt.)
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to stir in the flour. Continue to stir for 2 minutes, it should start to turn a light brown. Add the heavy cream/milk in small splashes, stirring continuously. (If you add it too quickly you’ll “break” the roux and the sauce will be thin.)
- Let it simmer, uncovered, while you boil the macaroni for 1 minute less than al dente (about 7 minutes, refer to package). Stir both the sauce and the macaroni periodically.
- Add the seasonings and hot sauce to the sauce. Remove from heat.
- Gradually sprinkle in 4 cups of shredded cheese. Stir continuously until smooth and combined. If it seems too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Drain the macaroni and add it to the warm pot you boiled it in. Pour the cheese sauce on top and stir to combine. Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes. If desired, broil at 450 for 3 minutes to brown the top. Serve!
Notes
- Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese.
- Cheese options are endless, you can use any combination of cheddar, gouda, gruyere, mozzarella, Colby, and more.
- I used Cracker Barrel Cheddar, Yancey's Fancy Gouda (regular, not smoked), and Emmi Gruyere cheese as well as Frank's hot sauce.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn't too hot when the cheese is added, otherwise the dairy will separate and the consistency will be grainy.
- Pasta shells also make a great choices for this recipe instead of macaroni.
- The hot sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers and can't be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn't make it spicy.
- For a crunchy topping: Combine 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers and 2 tbsp. melted butter. Add it during the last 15 minutes of baking.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 210 of my 2nd cookbook, Let's Eat!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- You can freeze leftovers, however they don't restore quite back to their original consistency.
Nutritional information is per serving, this recipe makes 10 servings. Note that the nutritional information shared is an estimate.
Nutrition
Third recipe I tried from your site and all three have been amazing! Loved the taste of the sauce and the chicken seasonings / coating were so flavorful! I’m so glad I found your site and I can’t wait to try more recipes!
I’m so happy to have you hear Sharon! Thanks so much for the great review, I can’t wait for you to keep trying more recipes!😀
I wrote the review for the wrong recipe! I meant to write it for the Hot Honey Chicken!!! Sorry! But the mac & cheese was awesome, too!
I’m so happy you liked both Sharon, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
definitely going to be my go to recipe for mac n cheese
Excellent! I am sooo happy to hear that Sosha, thank you!
This is the BEST mac n cheese I’ve ever had! I doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving so there was a ton and it only lasted a second day! Even my picky youngest who stands by her Kraft, loved this! Thanks for sharing!!
I am soooo happy to hear that Tammy!! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, you made my day! Thank you! XOXOXO – Stephanie ❤️
Just made for my family tonight and they loved it!
I’m so happy it was such a success with the family Kathy! I love nailing down a good meal the whole family loves. Thanks so much for the review!💕
The perfect savory and thick Mac & cheese. I make this recipe every year for Thanksgiving / holidays and it is always a hit. I share it with all of my friends too!
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this one Mikayla! I love making it during the holidays. Great side for the adults and the kids love it! Thanks for the great review🩷
I have made this mac and cheese three years in a row and I’ve tweaked the recipe just a tad and I’ve found it helps. The original recipe is AMAZING too but I almost always have to add more seasoning (which I’m probably doing something wrong lol).
Anyways, I add 1/4 tsp of garlic powder and paprika. This year I added half of all the seasonings to the roux and then the other half after the cream thickened and IT HELPED SO MUCH. Every year I always have a hard time finding the cheese so I use extra sharp cheddar, Gouda, and pepper jack cheese (and take the hot sauce out). Changing the cheese is probably why I have to add seasoning. I just thought about that lol.
ALSO ALSO. I’m GF and making this recipe is SUPER easy. I use GF noodles and GF flour and it works amazingly. Thank you for this amazing recipe. It’s always the talk of the meal 🙂
Hi Demetria! Thank you for sharing your tips, I love seasoning, nicely done! 🙂
I forgot to rate it! It’s amazing
I tried this recipe for a Friendsgiving and I was soo nervous because it was my first time, but I followed the recipe to the letter and the pro tips were soo helpful and my friends ended up giving my 9 and 10 out of 10s for it! They loved it! Thank you!!
Nice work Tammy! Friendsgiving is so fun, I’m so happy this was enjoyed. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Hi if using a block of cheddar cheese, is 12 ounces equal to 3 cups shredded or would it be 16 ounce block?
Hi Anna! When I measure cheese, I shred it and put it into a cup rather than going by ounces or blocks. When I measure what I’ve shredded and put into 1 cup, I get 2.5 ounces. (So 3 cups would be just under 8 ounces. 2 cups would be 5 ounces.) -I hope that helps!!
Best Mac-n-cheese ever!! My teenage son request this regularly and even wanted it for his special bday dinner 😊 My son even bought me your cookbook and we have loved all the recipes we have tried thus far ❤️
I am sooooo (soooooo!) happy to hear that Angie! I’m honored that your son bought you a cookbook too!! Thank you so much for your kind words and for the review, you made my day!! -Stephanie
The best Mac and cheese I’ve had EVER! I literally made this recipe 3 days in a row! I would just use 2 boxes of elbow macaroni which is what I did to begin with. The cheese sauce would’ve been too much for the pan I was using but went perfectly with TWO boxes of elbows.
Hi Kamaya!! I’m so happy that you love the mac and cheese! 🙂 I would caution others before using 2 lbs. of macaroni just because I feel like it would be really dry and hard to fit in a 9×13-inch casserole dish- but I’m thrilled that you love it and make it the way that you like it!
Sorry, I wasn’t using a 9×13 pan. I had the extra long aluminum disposable trays.
Gotcha!! 🙂 That makes sense!