Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked Mac and Cheese Square cropped image

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5 from 6 votes

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese that's baked with a buttery Panko breadcrumb topping.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: mai, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 1180kcal

Author: Julie Evink

Ingredients

16 oz elbow macaroni cooked
6 Tbsp butter
⅓ c. all-purpose flour
3 c. 2% milk
1 c. half and half
3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Topping

1 ½ c. panko bread crumbs
4 Tbsp butter melted
½ c. Parmesan cheese shredded
1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large 3-4 qt baking dish and set aside.
Cook the pasta according to directions, removing it from heat one minute before the al dente cooking time is done. Drain and place in a large bowl.
To make cheese sauce combine the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese in a bowl, set aside.
Put butter in a large saucepan, dutch oven or stock pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
Next, gradually whisk in the milk and half and half until smooth, making sure to continuously whisk the mixture. Continue to whisk until you see bubbles on the surface. Then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minute. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder and whisk to combine.
Add two cups of the cheese mixture to the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Add another 1 ½ c. of cheese mixture and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. At this point the cheese sauce should be thick.
Stir in the cooked pasta and gently stir to combine making sure the pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1 ½ c. of cheese mixture and then the remaining mac and cheese.
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese and melted butter for topping. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese. Place in a preheated oven and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Pasta Tips: Elbow pasta is great but you can use other shapes, too. The best pasta for macaroni and cheese is a short type like penne, cavatappi which look like cork screws, rotini which are spirals, or try using farfalle (bowties) or shells.

Cooking Tip: Be sure to reduce the pasta boiling time by one minute. That way, your pasta is perfectly al dente once it's done baking in the sauce.

Cheese Tips: Shred your own for best results! The bagged kind usually has ingredients that keep it from clumping - this can make your sauce grainy and not as creamy. So, shred your own with a box grater or use a food processor with the grating blade to make it really easy.

Roux Tip: The key to making the roux (flour and butter mixture) is to cook it for a few minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. So, once it's fully mixed, cooked it for a minute or so to fully cook the flour.

Can you make it ahead?

You can prepare the dish ahead and wait to bake it. Assemble the mac and cheese and cover it. Leave it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it. Just keep in mind, the longer it sits the less creamy it will be when you bake it. This is because the pasta will absorb some of the sauce. For that reason, I don’t usually make it more than a few hours in advance.

What other kinds of cheese will work?

You can use a lot of different kinds to make mac and cheese! Here are some that work well – try mixing and matching to make your own custom dish. Any kind of cheddar, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby jack, Gouda, Fontina, and even soft kinds like goat cheese and cream cheese will work.

How long do leftovers keep?

They will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. The leftovers are never as good as when the dish is first made – they won’t be as creamy, but they’re still good! When you warm them up, it helps to add a splash of milk or half and half to loosen up the sauce.

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