Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
By Trevor Farias · Updated · 1 hour total · One 9x13-inch dish (8 main or 12 side servings)
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In a nutshell
For creamy baked mac and cheese, undercook 1 pound of elbow macaroni by 2 minutes, make a béchamel with butter, flour and warm whole milk, then take it off the heat and stir in freshly shredded sharp cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time. Combine with the pasta, pour into a buttered dish, top with more cheese, and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Good baked mac and cheese should be creamy all the way through, with a golden, bubbly top and a sauce that clings to every noodle. Too often it comes out of the oven dry, stiff or grainy. This recipe fixes all three.
It is a classic stovetop cheese sauce, made by thickening milk with a butter and flour roux, finished with plenty of sharp cheddar and a little Gruyère for depth. The pasta is cooked short of done so it can soak up some sauce in the oven without turning mushy, and there is more sauce than seems necessary, because the pasta drinks it as it bakes.
It is the side everyone heads for at holiday dinners and potlucks, and a filling main dish with a green salad.
Why this recipe works
- Undercooking the pasta keeps it from going soft as it finishes in the oven.
- Warm milk whisked into the roux gives a smooth sauce with no lumps.
- Taking the sauce off the heat before adding the cheese keeps it from turning grainy or oily.
- Shredding cheese from the block, rather than buying it pre-shredded, gives a silkier melt.
- A generous ratio of sauce to pasta means it stays creamy after baking.
The best cheese for mac and cheese
Sharp or extra-sharp cheddar gives the classic flavor and color. Gruyère melts beautifully and adds a nutty richness. Other good choices are Monterey Jack, Colby, fontina and smoked Gouda. Avoid very aged, crumbly cheeses as the main cheese, since they tend to turn grainy when melted.
Always shred the cheese yourself from a block. Bagged shredded cheese is tossed with starch and anti-caking agents that keep it from melting into a smooth sauce.
Why mac and cheese turns grainy
Cheese sauce breaks when the cheese gets too hot: the proteins tighten and squeeze out the fat, leaving a gritty, oily sauce. The fix is to take the thickened milk off the heat, wait a minute, and stir the cheese in a handful at a time until each addition melts. A little mustard and evaporated milk also help keep the sauce smooth.
Making it ahead
Assemble the dish up to a day ahead, but stir an extra 1/2 cup of milk into the sauce first, since the pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. Cover and refrigerate. Bake covered at 350°F for 20 minutes, then uncover, add the topping and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until bubbling.
How to store baked mac and cheese
- Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 4 days.
- Reheat portions in the microwave or in a covered dish at 350°F with a splash of milk stirred in to bring back the creaminess.
- Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months. The texture is slightly softer after thawing.
Variations to try
- Crunchy topping: toss 1 cup panko with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle over the cheese before baking.
- Bacon: stir 8 slices of crumbled cooked bacon into the pasta.
- Stovetop: skip the oven and serve straight from the pot after stirring in the pasta; use only 3 cups of milk.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I keep baked mac and cheese creamy?
- Make plenty of sauce, undercook the pasta by 2 minutes, and do not overbake. The mixture should look almost soupy going into the oven, because the pasta absorbs sauce as it bakes.
- Why is my cheese sauce grainy?
- The cheese got too hot, or you used pre-shredded cheese coated with starch. Take the sauce off the heat before adding cheese, add it gradually, and shred it yourself.
- What cheese is best for mac and cheese?
- Sharp cheddar for flavor, combined with a smooth-melting cheese like Gruyère, Monterey Jack, fontina or Colby. Avoid using only very aged, crumbly cheeses.
- Can I make mac and cheese ahead?
- Yes. Assemble it up to 24 hours ahead with an extra 1/2 cup of milk in the sauce, cover and refrigerate. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350°F, then uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.
Recipe card
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
Creamy, old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese with a smooth cheddar sauce and a golden, bubbly top. Stays creamy after baking. Serves 8 as a main or 12 as a side.
By Trevor Farias · Updated
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 35 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour
- Makes
- One 9x13-inch dish (8 main or 12 side servings)
Includes 5 minutes of resting
Ingredients
For the mac and cheese
For the topping
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven
- Whisk
- Box grater
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Instructions
Prepare the pan and pasta
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
Make the roux
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly and smelling slightly nutty but not browned.
Thicken the sauce
Slowly pour in the warm milk and the evaporated milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt, pepper, mustard and paprika. Cook, whisking often and scraping the bottom, until the sauce is steaming and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
Melt in the cheese
Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Stir in the cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next, until the sauce is smooth.
Combine and top
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir to coat; it will look very saucy. Pour into the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the reserved cheddar and the Parmesan.
Bake
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden in spots on top. For a browner top, broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
Rest and serve
Let it rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles, then sprinkle with parsley or chives and serve.
Notes
- Shred the cheese from a block for the smoothest sauce.
- Take the sauce off the heat before stirring in the cheese.
- The mixture should look very saucy going into the oven. The pasta absorbs it.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
| Calories | 690 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Sodium | 910 mg |
| Cholesterol | 115 mg |
Serving size: 1 of 8. Nutrition is calculated from standard ingredient data and will vary with brands and substitutions.
Recipe from Trevor's Kitchen · https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/baked-mac-and-cheese
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