Mac & Cheese (Baked)

I think we can all agree that there are few things more comforting than simple mac & cheese.  There’s just something about soft macaroni pasta coated in generous amounts of cheese sauce that never fails to warm up the soul.  And while it’s easy to open up a box of Kraft and call it a day, making it from scratch tastes a thousand times better!  Plus it’s really not all that difficult to make.  

What’s the Best Cheese for Mac & Cheese?

One thing I love about homemade mac & cheese is that you can customize it to your tastes and preferences.  And there’s no better example of this than with the cheese you use.  

Obviously, you can stick with one type of cheese like cheddar.  But I highly recommend that you go with some combination as it really gives you a more complex and delicious flavor.  Some of my favorite cheese to use are.

• Cheddar
• Gruyere
• Swiss
• Jack
• Gouda
• Fontina
• Parmesan

Tips, Tricks & Suggestions

• Despite the dish being called macaroni & cheese, you can easily use other types of pasta besides macaroni.  In fact, just about any type of tubular pasta will work great, such as penne, rigatoni, or ziti.  Just stay away from any long noodle-shaped pasta like spaghetti or linguini.
• Today I will be topping my mac & cheese with French’s crispy fried onions.  It’s how my family always made them growing up and they add great flavor and crunchiness.  That being said there are many ways to top your mac & cheese.  You can combine ½ cup of bread crumbs or panko with 4 tablespoons of butter for an extra crunchy topping.  Or you can simply top it with an additional 2 cups of shredded cheese for an extra cheesy mac.
• You can easily make this dish days ahead of time and freeze it.  Simply cook the pasta, combine it with the sauce, and place it in a greased baking dish.  Cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool before freezing.  Then simply thaw the mac the day you plan on baking, top it however you like, and bake per recipe instructions.
• Check out some of our other great pasta recipes such as Penne Arrabbiata, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, & Tallarines Verdes.

Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 Lb of dried macaroni pasta

6 Tablespoons of butter

⅓ Cup of all-purpose flour

4 Cups of whole milk

6 Cups of shredded cheese (some combination of cheddar, swiss, gruyere, fontina, or jack)

½ Teaspoon of salt, or more to taste

½ Teaspoon of black pepper, or more to taste

¼ Teaspoon of smoked paprika

French’s crispy fried onions

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉, 177℃

2. Cook the macaroni pasta to al dente according to the package instructions.  Drain the pasta, place it in a bowl, and set it aside until later.

3. Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it with the melted butter until they are incorporated and form a roux.  Continue to whisk for another 2 minutes.  Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk while constantly whisking it into the roux.  It should clump up at this point, but keep whisking until there are no lumps.  Slowly pour in the remaining 3 cups of milk and whisk so that a smooth sauce is formed. 

4. Add cheese & seasonings to the sauce: Continue to whisk the bechamel sauce for another 2 minutes then toss in 2 cups of shredded cheese.  Whisk the cheese into the sauce so that it is completely melted.  Toss in another 2 cups of cheese and again whisk until melted.  At this point, the sauce should be nice and thick.  Add in the salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, and whisk to incorporate them into the sauce.

5. Combine macaroni with cheese sauce: Add the cooked macaroni to the pot with the cheese sauce, and use a spoon to combine.  Taste a piece of the macaroni and add additional salt & black pepper to your liking.  Take the pot off of the heat and set it aside.

6. Get the mac & cheese ready for baking: Lightly grease a 3 to 4 quart sized baking dish and pour half of the mac & cheese into it.  Sprinkle on the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese, and top it with the remaining half of mac & cheese.  Top this with enough of the french’s crispy fried onions as you like.

7. Place the mac & cheese on a foil-lined baking sheet and into your heated oven.  Let it bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the onions have browned up.  If the onions brown up to early you can cover the dish with some aluminum foil.

8. Serve the mac & cheese immediately and enjoy!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Lb of dried macaroni pasta
• 6 Tablespoons of butter
• ⅓ Cup of all-purpose flour
• 4 Cups of whole milk
• 6 Cups of shredded cheese some combination of cheddar, swiss, gruyere, fontina, or jack
• ½ Teaspoon of salt or more to taste
• ½ Teaspoon of black pepper or more to taste
• ¼ Teaspoon of smoked paprika
• French’s crispy fried onions

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350℉, 177℃
• Cook the macaroni pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, place it in a bowl, and set it aside until later.
• Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it with the melted butter until they are incorporated and form a roux. Continue to whisk for another 2 minutes. Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk while constantly whisking it into the roux. It should clump up at this point, but keep whisking until there are no lumps. Slowly pour in the remaining 3 cups of milk and whisk so that a smooth sauce is formed.
• Add cheese & seasonings to the sauce: Continue to whisk the bechamel sauce for another 2 minutes then toss in 2 cups of shredded cheese. Whisk the cheese into the sauce so that it is completely melted. Toss in another 2 cups of cheese and again whisk until melted. At this point, the sauce should be nice and thick. Add in the salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, and whisk to incorporate them into the sauce.
• Combine macaroni with cheese sauce: Add the cooked macaroni to the pot with the cheese sauce, and use a spoon to combine. Taste a piece of the macaroni and add additional salt & black pepper to your liking. Take the pot off of the heat and set it aside.
• Get the mac & cheese ready for baking: Lightly grease a 3 to 4 quart sized baking dish and pour half of the mac & cheese into it. Sprinkle on the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese, and top it with the remaining half of mac & cheese. Top this with enough of the french’s crispy fried onions as you like.
• Place the mac & cheese on a foil-lined baking sheet and into your heated oven. Let it bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the onions have browned up. If the onions brown up to early you can cover the dish with some aluminum foil.
• Serve the mac & cheese immediately and enjoy!