The Best Baked Mac & Cheese

kitty | January 11, 2024 SKIP TO RECIPE

Here we have a straight-forward recipe for the Best Baked Mac & Cheese: molten, gooey cheese and tender macaroni topped with golden, crispy bread crumbs. It’s mind-boggling how such simple ingredients come together to make such a remarkable, and universally-loved creation. This glorious cheesy casserole is the perfect side dish for any feast-laden table, backyard barbeque, or even a weeknight meal all on its own. It’s hearty, comforting, and irresistibly delicious.

Any great mac & cheese of course starts with a perfectly smooth and creamy cheese sauce, crammed full of flavorful melty cheese. You can choose any of your favorite cheeses to make the sauce, but this blend of sharp cheddar and Gruyère is an exquisite balance of muscular and subtle flavors. The trick for a dreamy creamy sauce is to freshly shred the cheese instead of using pre-shredded options since those often contain additives that can lead to a gritty, separated sauce. This little bit of extra effort pays off handsomely when you scoop into that piping hot baking dish and see the glossy sauce-coated noodles and textbook cheese-pull. Layering the slightly under-cooked macaroni and shredded cheese into the dish before baking also ensures a really nice ratio of creamy pasta to freshly melting cheese. And finally the panko bread crumbs on top hold up extremely well to the saucy pasta, sealing the top layer with a delightfully crispy golden canvas that provides amazing textural contrast to the tender macaroni.

We recently had this for Christmas dinner and it was easily my favorite dish of the night. So much so that I unabashedly accepted a large container of leftovers and cherished eating it over the course of the week. Maybe I’m just an over-zealous mac & cheese fan, but it’s even good straight out of the fridge! Trust me, you’ll want this one at all your feasts and it will definitely steal the show.

INGREDIENTS

For the Mac & Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
2 cups Gruyere cheese, freshly shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cayenne pepper

For the Panko Crumb Topping

1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the pasta one minute less than al dente according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss to coat the pasta and prevent sticking. Set aside.
Mix together the shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13” baking dish and set aside.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Whisk in the flour and stir until golden and bubbly, about 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the milk and cream, stirring until smooth. Continue whisking until mixture begins to bubble and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Add in 2 cups of shredded cheese and mix well until fully melted into the sauce before stirring in another 2 cups of cheese and mixing until smooth and creamy and the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the cooled pasta, mixing well until all the pasta is coated in the sauce.
Pour half of the macaroni into the prepared baking dish, layer with the last 2 cups of cheese, then top with the remaining macaroni.
In a small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, butter, Parmesan cheese, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Sprinkle panko mixture over the top of the mac & cheese and bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!

The Best Baked Mac & Cheese

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