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5.0 from 426 votes

Baked Mac and Cheese

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!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 474 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Dinner
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
  2. 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.
  3. 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..
  4. 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
  5. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and stir frequently until mixture is thickened.
  6. Reduce heat to low and add cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  Stir until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.
  7. Add cooked, drained pasta noodles and stir until well coated by the sauce.
  8. Set aside while you prepare your Panko topping.
Panko Topping
  1. Combine butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.
  2. 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
  3. Sprinkle toasted panko evenly over mac and cheese.
  4. Transfer to oven and bake uncovered on 350F (175C) for 15 minutes.
  5. 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

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

% 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.