Baked Mac and Cheese is, by far, one of the most delicious comfort foods out there. And this recipe is going to become your next favorite with a cheesy, creamy sauce that's out of your dreams! Ready in just 35 minutes from start to finish! Have it on the dinner table tonight by reading the recipe down below.
What is Baked Mac and Cheese?
Macaroni and cheese, also known as mac and cheese, is a delicious pasta meal that's served in a casserole dish and baked to perfection.
Traditionally, mac and cheese is baked in the oven in a casserole dish, and that's why it's also called baked mac and cheese. The cheese sauce is usually prepared in a pan on the stove and then mixed with boiled, cooked pasta.
What Makes Baked Mac and Cheese Special?
Macaroni and cheese have always been a favorite comfort food for me. I love its creamy texture and cheesy flavor.
The key to the silky smooth sauce is not to cook the cheese after adding it to the white sauce. After your basic white sauce is cooked, turn off the heat and then add the seasoning and cheese.
For today's recipe, I have also added a secret ingredient that makes all the difference: an egg. It gives the cheese sauce a creamy texture.
I have other macaroni and cheese recipes on my blog, like Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe, Southern Mac and Cheese, and another Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe with another twist!
Baked Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Pasta: I've used elbow macaroni pasta in this recipe. As the name suggests, this recipe is usually made with macaroni pasta but feel free to use whichever one you like the most. Smaller pasta does better in this recipe than longer kind like rigatoni.
Cheese: You can use just about any kind of cheese that you like. You can find a recipe with two types of cheese and six types of cheese, but I believe that adding different types of cheeses might take away the cheesy flavor of baked mac and cheese.
Butter: We'll need to make a roux, which is a mixture of melted butter and flour. So we'll start by taking some butter. You can use regular salted butter for this recipe, and that's why we're skipping the salt. But if you're going for unsalted butter, you'll need to salt your dish.
Flour: You'll need some all-purpose flour to make our roux, which will be the base of the cheesy sauce we make for our baked mac and cheese.
Milk: We'll also need some cold milk to whisk into our roux to form our sauce. We need cold milk rather than room temperature milk as it'll help prevent lumps from forming.
Egg: Adding an egg to the sauce is my secret tip for the silkiest, creamiest sauce ever. Trust me; you want to try out this tip!
How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese
Making this delicious comfort food is easier than you think. Here's everything you'll need to do step by step:
- Boil the pasta: Boil enough water to cook the macaroni in a large pot. Cook macaroni according to package instructions until just al dente. Make sure not to overcook the pasta because it will cook further in the oven.
- Drain and set aside: Drain the pasta under cool water to stop the noodles from cooking any further. Set it aside for now.
- Make the roux: In a hot pan, melt butter and add flour. Keep stirring until the raw flour smell disappears but be careful not to burn the mixture, so maintain a medium-low heat.
- Whisk in milk: Add the milk to the flour-butter mixture while stirring with a whisk to void forming lumps. Remove the sauce from the heat when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leave a clean line drawn by your finger.
- Season and sprinkle cheese: Add the seasoning and the cheese to the white sauce and stir.
- Prep egg: In a small bowl, crack the large egg. Add ¼ cup of the sauce to the egg while beating to temper the egg.
- Temper egg: Add the egg mixture to the cheese sauce and mix well.
- Prep dish: Add the previously prepared macaroni to a 10” baking pan or iron skillet. Now pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix to combine.
- Bake in the oven: In a preheated oven of 350F/180C, bake the mac and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Ready: Serve hot.
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Variations for Baked Mac and Cheese
This delicious recipe has the perfect taste that you're going to fall in love with. But if you're looking for some other ideas to add to this recipe, here are some you can try:
Other cheeses: You can use just about any cheese you like the most. Apart from the three we've used in this recipe, you can also use gruyere, gouda, Monterey jack, white cheddar cheese, and Colby jack.
Toppings: You can sprinkle some cheese on top of the mac and cheese before baking it, or top it off with some panko bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese for a crunchy, crisp top!
Protein: Add any kind of meat you like to it or serve it on the side of it since mac and cheese seriously makes for the perfect side dish too!
Veggies: Love veggies? Feel free to add any vegetables you like the most, and then bake the dish in the oven.
How to Store Leftover
You can store any leftovers you might have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat your dish, add a splash of milk and microwave it partially covered with plastic wrap. Stir in the middle so that it heats up evenly.
I don't recommend freezing baked mac and cheese as the sauce's texture will alter and spoil in the process.
Please Review and Rate
If you have tried this Baked Mac and Cheese recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
📖 Recipe
Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup elbow macaroni not cooked
- ½ cup Mozzarella
- ⅓ cup Colby
- ⅓ cup Sharp cheddar
- ½ tablespoon mustard
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 3 cups cold milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a pot, boil enough water to cook the macaroni. Follow the instructions on the box and don’t overcook the pasta because it will cook further in the oven.
- Drain the pasta and keep aside.
- In a hot pan, add the butter and flour, stir until the raw flour smell disappears but careful not to burn the mixture so keep the heat medium-low.
- Add the milk to the flour-butter mixture while stirring to void forming lumps, and when the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leave a clean line drawn by your finger, remove it from heat.
- Add the seasoning and the cheese to the white sauce and stir.
- In a small bowl, crack the large egg. Add ¼ cup from the sauce to the egg while beating to temper the egg.
- Add the egg mixture to the cheese sauce and mix well.
- In a 10” baking pan or iron skillet, add the previously prepared macaroni. Now pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix to combine.
- In a preheated oven of 350F/180C bake the mac and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Do not add the cheese while the sauce is boiling or on the stove while the heat is on.
- Twenty-five minutes is enough to cook the eggs.
- Use cold milk when preparing the cheese sauce to avoid forming lumps.
- You don't have to use elbow macaroni for this recipe. Use the pasta you have at home.
- This post was originally published in 2018 and is now updated with more information.
mona
Are the pasta measurements correct 1 1/4 cup dry pasta feeds 5?
munatycooking
Hi Mona, Yes, the measurement is right if you are serving it as a side dish, but if it's main, then double the measurement to serve 5. I hope this helped!