Baked Mac and Cheese
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5.0
426 reviews
Excellent
Baked Mac and Cheese
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A simple recipe for old-fashioned homemade baked mac and cheese! Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO at the bottom of the recipe!
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Ingredients
- 8 oz dry macaroni noodles (see note)
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese¹
- 1 ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Panko Topping
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup seasoned panko crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
- Begin cooking your pasta according to package instructions. Do not over-cook, in fact, for best results cook one minute less than indicated time. Once finished, drain, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and toss to coat so the noodles don't stick together while sitting.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a 10" cast iron pan² over medium heat. Once it has melted, add flour and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain..
- Add milk and spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard), stir well and bring to a boil. You may notice that the milk and butter will separate -- continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the milk is heated and they combine
- Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and stir frequently until mixture is thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and add cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Stir until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.
- Add cooked, drained pasta noodles and stir until well coated by the sauce.
- Set aside while you prepare your Panko topping.
Panko Topping
- Combine butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.
- Add panko and stir well until the butter and oil has been mostly absorbed. Continue to stir until panko is lightly toasted and turns a light-medium brown color
- Sprinkle toasted panko evenly over mac and cheese.
- Transfer to oven and bake uncovered on 350F (175C) for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.
Notes
- I originally wrote this recipe with 8 oz of macaroni, but a few readers have complained their macaroni was too saucy. If you don't like a very saucy mac and cheese, feel free to increase the amount of macaroni to 12 oz.
- You may substitute another type of shredded cheese for all or part of this -- Colby, Monterey Jack, and Gruyere, would all work well. I personally use half sharp cheddar and half white cheddar for mine! I also recommend buying your own block of cheese and grating it yourself to ensure that the cheese melts properly, please see my post for more information on pre-shredded vs block cheese.
- If you don't have a 10" cast iron pot, then prepare your macaroni and cheese according to these instructions and then transfer to a lightly buttered 9x9 square pan or 1.5qt baking dish before topping with panko and baking.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
474kcal
(24%)
Carbohydrates
35g
(12%)
Protein
20g
(40%)
Fat
28g
(43%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
78mg
(26%)
Sodium
624mg
(26%)
Potassium
255mg
(7%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
6g
(12%)
Vitamin A
836IU
(17%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
438mg
(44%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 474 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 474kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 624mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 255mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 836IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 438mg | 44% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
426 reviews
Excellent
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