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Creamy Baked Mac and
Cheese
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by: Amanda published: 09/30/2019

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This baked mac and cheese is a

family favorite recipe, loved by both
children and adults. It uses a
combination of cheeses, layered in
the dish as well as melted into a rich
and creamy cheese sauce, for the
ultimate in cheesy deliciousness!
Perfect for a comforting dinner or as
a holiday side dish!

Looking for other comfort food

dishes? Check out my Homemade
Sloppy Joes, Creamy Broccoli
Cheddar Soup, Crockpot Meatloaf,
and Homestyle No-Boil Mashed
Potatoes!

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BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

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 SOOOO many mac and
cheese recipes available, and most
people already have their favorite
way of making it.

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Of course, there’s no “right” way or

“wrong” way, so I’m here sharing the
way I like to make my mac and
cheese (the way my family loves it
too).

Mac n Cheese Rec

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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!

Boil the pasta, drain.

Make the cheese sauce by

combining a fat (butter), and starch
(flour), then whisking in the milk
products.

Cook the sauce until it’s nice and

thick.

Add in shredded cheeses, stir well.

Combine cheese sauce with

cooked pasta.

Transfer half of the mac and

cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle
with more shredded cheese.

Top with the rest of the mac and

cheese, top with more shredded
cheese.

Bake and prepare to thoroughly

enjoy!

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

1. ›
RECIPE

2. CHEESE MACARONI RECIPES ›

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3. EASY CHEESE RECIPES ›

4. GOUT PAIN TREATMENTS ›

BEST EXERCISE TO LOSE

5. ›
BELLY FAT
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COOKING TIPS FOR

BAKED MAC AND
CHEESE
Boiling the pasta – cook the pasta
less than you normally would. I
like to boil my elbow pasta for
between 4 and 5 minutes. The
pasta will continue to cook in the
oven, and you don’t want it to get
mushy.

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Use room temp liquids – if you

can… cold liquids generally take
longer to thicken than warmer
ones. I usually set my milk and
half and half out while the water
for the pasta is coming up to a
boil.

The cheeses – use your favorites!

Our personal favorites are the
cheddar and gruyere used in this
recipe, but you can be very
creative with the cheese selection
here. Mozzarella, gouda, smoked
gouda, swiss, monterey jack, colby
jack, colby. There are plenty of
reader comments down below the
recipe that talk about the cheeses
they used!

Shred your own – I know it’s a

pain, and it’s SO tempting to use
the pre-shredded cheese in the
bags. But those bags of cheese
contain a starchy substance that
keeps the cheese from clumping…
which also prohibits it from
melting as well as it should.

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VARIATIONS OF MAC
AND CHEESE
Bacon – if you love bacon, feel free
to add some crispy, crumbled
bacon to the topping, or even
inside the mac and cheese as well!

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Stovetop – if you’d prefer not to

bake this mac and cheese, you
don’t have to! Make sure you boil
your pasta until al dente (check the
packaging for correct times), and
you’ll only need about 3 – 3 1/2
cups of cheese total. No need to
layer the pasta and cheese, just
add all the cheese to the sauce,
then combine with the pasta.

Di!erent Toppings – I’m a huge fan

of the cheese layer on top, since it
gets nice and crispy, but we also
love tossing 1 cup of panko with 2
Tbsp of melted butter and using
that as a topping. 1 cup of crushed
Ritz crackers with 2 Tbsp of butter
work amazingly well too!

Di!erent Baking Times – the

recipe calls for a lower baking
temperature and time, but most of
the time I find myself adjusting
that based on my family’s tastes. I
like to bake this mac and cheese
at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes,
then broil for 2-3 minutes to get
that glorious cheesy “crust”.

MAKING MAC AND

CHEESE AHEAD OF TIME
Make as directed (but do not bake),
transfer to baking dish and cool
completely. Cover tightly with foil
and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead.

Before baking, let dish sit on

counter for 30 minutes.

Bake at recipe temperature for 25-

35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

As a caveat, this recipe, as with most

mac and cheese recipes, loses some
of it’s creaminess when made
ahead. This dish has been tested
when made right away, which yields
the best results.

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I would increase the amount of

sauce slightly if you need to make
this recipe ahead of time.

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STORING MAC AND

CHEESE
Any leftovers need to be refrigerated
and covered tightly. Mac and cheese
can be stored this way for 3-4 days.

To reheat, stir in a little bit of milk or

cream and microwave partially
covered with plastic wrap. Stir often
as it reheats.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
USED IN THIS RECIPE
Box Grater – remember, the best
mac starts with freshly shredded
cheese!

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BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO

CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’
COMMENTS!
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE
MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A
COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A
STAR RATING!
Post has been updated in September
2019 with new photos and additional
information.

Did you make this? Be sure to

leave a review below and tag me
@the_chunky_chef on Facebook and
Instagram!

Creamy Homemade
Baked Mac and Cheese
4.72 from 1048 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes Calories: 665

Servings: 8 (hover over # to adjust)

$ ! !
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This baked mac and cheese is a

family favorite recipe, loved by
children and adults.

···

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Ingredients
1 lb. dried elbow pasta
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups half and half
4 cups grated medium sharp
cheddar cheese divided
(measured after grating)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
divided (measured after grating)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika

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Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
and grease a 3 qt baking dish
(9x13"). Set aside.
2 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 252.4k

drizzle with a little bit of olive

oil to keep from sticking.
3 While water is coming up to a
boil, grate cheeses and toss
together to mix, then divide
into three piles. Approximately