Last Updated on 04/18/2025 by Cooking Club Team
How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese
Still the best Baked Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had, with a stunning white creamy cheese sauce and a buttery breadcrumb topping. This is the Macaroni Cheese recipe that’s wildly popular every Thanksgiving and Christmas!
About this Macaroni and Cheese
This is a Mac and Cheese recipe that is everything you want in a knock-your-socks off Macaroni Cheese – cheesy and creamy, with perfectly cooked macaroni, plenty of sauce and a crunchy buttery top.
Deliciously rich and gooey, this baked mac and cheese is creamy, comforting, and PERFECT for the holidays, as well as a comforting family dinner!
Baked mac and cheese. It’s nearly the universal comfort food, and there are so many variations! In fact, I almost didn’t post this recipe, as there are so many mac and cheese recipes available, and most people already have their favorite way of making it.
How To Make Mac and Cheese?
If you’ve never made homemade mac and cheese before, it can seem a bit daunting. But don’t worry, we’ll break it down and take it step by step!
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
There is absolutely nothing I love more than cheese. And when you add pasta to it? Fuggetaboutit.
Mac and cheese is one of those recipes that can take on so many different forms. I love it anyway I can get it but baked mac and cheese is my very favorite and I’ll tell you why. The topping. I use breadcrumbs for my topping occasionally, but, a Panko topped mac and cheese is just that much better.
I mix in Parmesan, butter, and paprika with the Panko so it crisps up beautifully and gets a nice golden brown color when this amazing homemade mac and cheese is baked.
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3-qt baking dish.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
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While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
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Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. The mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining half and half plus the whole milk, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
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Continue to heat over MEDIUM heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi-thinned-out condensed soup.
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Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
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Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
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