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Baked Mac and Cheese is ultimate comfort food at it’s finest. The combination of three different cheeses gives it lots of flavor and creaminess.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Comfort Food. I have to admit that when my children were growing up the only macaroni and cheese they ever ate came out of the blue box. But since discovering this homemade version, this is the only kind of mac and cheese we’ll have at our house!
Dressed Up Version. This is definitely not your average mac and cheese. To dress it up, I added some panko breadcrumbs on top to give it a little crunch, four flavorful cheeses and a sprinkling of green onions to give it some color and even more flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- Small Elbow Macaroni, you can also use cavatappi, elbow, and rotini because they hold cheese sauce well.
- Cheese, I used Monterey Jack Cheese , Gruyère Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, and Sharp White Cheddar Cheese but feel free to use your own favorite combination.
- Whole Milk, you could also use half and half or whipping cream to make it even creamier.
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- All Purpose Flour
- Butter, salted
- Seasoning, I like to use Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes but you could also use Cayenne Pepper for a little kick.
- Green Onions, this adds some nice color and a little flavor.
- Salt
Tips and Tricks
The most important step to perfect mac and cheese is your cheese and seasoning selection:
- Cheese. I used one of my favorite cheese combo in this recipe but you could also use Pepper Jack Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese or Colby Jack. Come up with your own favorite combo of cheeses.
- Shred your own cheese. I recommend NOT using pre shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese may have an anti-caking agent on it that will prevent it from melting smoothly. You also get a better flavor from freshly grated cheese.
- Breadcrumbs. Don’t skip this part, it adds a nice texture contrast to the creaminess of the mac and cheese.
- Dress it Up. To make it even better, add in some crispy, cooked bacon!
How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Prepare shallow 2 qt. baking dish with cooking spray.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook elbow macaroni until al dente.
- Drain pasta, reserving the pasta water.
- Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk to combine and cook until it turns light brown, making a roux.
- Pour in milk, whisking as you pour. Stir until smooth.
- Add in seasoning and cook until sauce thickens.
- Stir in cheeses, one at a time. Wait until each cheese is melted before adding next.
- Add in pasta and stir to coat with cheese sauce. Use pasta water to thin sauce if needed.
- Place mixture into greased dish.
- Melt butter and add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine
- Sprinkle over top of pasta.
- Bake at 400 degrees F until browned and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to store leftover mac and cheese?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered will foil in a 350 degree F oven until heated through.
What can I use instead of panko bread crumbs?
You can use regular breadcrumbs or you could also grind up some saltine crackers or Ritz crackers and use that instead.
Can I make baked mac and cheese ahead of time?
This dish is easy to prepare the day ahead, keep it covered in the refrigerator and bake when ready to serve. It may take a few minutes longer to bake if it has been refrigerated.
Check out more of my favorite comfort food recipes:
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Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp butter divided
- 2 cups small macaroni dry
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese grated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese grated
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese grated
- green onions chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray a shallow 2 qt. baking dish with cooking spray.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta until al dente.
- Drain, reserving the pasta water for later.
- Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk to combine and cook until it turns light brown.
- Add in milk, whisking as you pour. Stir until smooth.
- Add in seasoning and cook until sauce thickens.
- Add in cheeses, one at a time and stir until each cheese is melted before adding next cheese.
- Add in pasta. Use remaining pasta water to thin sauce if it has thickened too much.
- Place mixture into greased dish.
- Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter and add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine
- Sprinkle over top of pasta and bake until browned and bubbly. About 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions.
Tips & Notes:
- Cheese. I used one of my favorite cheese combo in this recipe but you could also use Pepper Jack Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese or Colby Jack. Come up with your own favorite combo of cheeses.
- Shred your own cheese. I recommend NOT using pre shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese may have an anti-caking agent on it that will prevent it from melting smoothly. You also get a better flavor from freshly grated cheese.
- Breadcrumbs. Don’t skip this part, it adds a nice texture contrast to the creaminess of the mac and cheese.
- Dress it Up. To make it even better, add in some crispy, cooked bacon!
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