Skip to Content

Super Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

This is the BEST baked macaroni and cheese recipe! Once you’ve made it, you will never use another recipe. Promise!

Evan constantly asks me to make him mac & cheese with the caveat “The one NOT from a box!” I experimented with several recipes but had trouble finding one we loved. After trying out the standard, normal, non-weird, kid friendly mac & cheese recipe from The Mac + Cheese Cookbook by Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade, we had a clear winner.

Mac and cheese

Super Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Oh my goodness….this recipe is DECADENT and delicious. So much so, that it is my go-to recipe whenever we have company.

In fact, it’s become a dish I am known for. If you visit on a weekend, you will probably get served this mac and cheese with my favourite Crock Pot BBQ Ribs recipe or Traeger Smoked Pork Chops. Yum!

Looking for other must try side dishes? May I suggest, Honey Harissa Roasted Carrots, Turnip Puff and Snap Peas and Mushrooms in Black Bean Sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole, homo milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 3/4 pound dry macaroni, ~375 grams
  • 2 1/4 cups grated old cheddar, one entire 200 g pkg
  • 3/4 cups Pecorino cheese, similar to parmesan, grated
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the macaroni.

heating milk until just bubbling for mac and cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until just bubbling. Remove from heat.

In a separate, heavy bottomed, medium to large saucepan, melt the butter.

melting butter for cheese sauce for baked macaroni and cheese

Once the butter is just melted, sprinkle the flour on to the butter.

Whisk the butter and flour together and cook until light brown (about 3 – 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

whisking melted butter and flour together to create roux for cheese sauce

Add the milk to the butter/flour mixture a cup at a time. When you add the first cup it will immediately become thick and clumpy…DON’T PANIC!

Continue to add the milk to the flour mixture while stirring. The clumps should melt away.

Once everything is mixed together, place pan on medium high heat and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until the sauce looks smooth and silky and when a spoon dipped in to the sauce sticks to the spoon instead of sliding off.

adding seasoned salt and dried mustard to white sauce for mac and cheese

Add seasoning salt and dried mustard to the sauce and stir.

Add dry macaroni to the boiling water and cook until just slightly less done than al dente.

If your sauce pan is large enough to hold sauce and mac, add cheeses to the sauce and heat until melted. If not, pour sauce in a larger pan, add cheese and heat until melted.

adding shredded cheese to white sauce

Drain macaroni and rinse it with cold water, draining again.

Add cooked and drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until the noodles are completely covered.

placing cooked macaroni mixed with cheese sauce in casserole dish

Pour mac and cheese into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the panko bread crumbs.

topping macaroni and cheese mixture with bread crumbs

Bake in preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the panko crumbs are lightly browned.

the best baked macaroni and cheese recipe

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

creamy macaroni and cheese recipe
Yield: 12

Super Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

The BEST baked macaroni and cheese recipe you will ever make. Once you try it, you will never use another recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole, homo milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 3/4 pound dry macaroni, ~375 grams
  • 2 1/4 cups grated old cheddar, one entire 200 g pkg
  • 3/4 cups Pecorino cheese, similar to parmesan, grated
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
  3. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the macaroni.
  4. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until just bubbling. Remove from heat.
  5. In a separate, heavy bottomed, medium to large saucepan, melt the butter.
  6. Once the butter is just melted, sprinkle the flour on to the butter.
  7. Whisk the butter and flour together and cook until light brown (about 3 - 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
  8. Add the milk to the butter/flour mixture a cup at a time. When you add the first cup it will immediately become thick and clumpy...DON'T PANIC!
  9. Continue to add the milk to the flour mixture while stirring. The clumps should melt away.
  10. Once everything is mixed together, place pan on medium high heat and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until the sauce looks smooth and silky and when a spoon dipped in to the sauce sticks to the spoon instead of sliding off.
  11. Add seasoning salt and dried mustard to the sauce and stir.
  12. Add dry macaroni to the boiling water and cook until just slightly less done than al dente.
  13. If your sauce pan is large enough to hold sauce and mac, add cheeses to the sauce and heat until melted. If not, pour sauce in a larger pan, add cheese and heat until melted.
  14. Drain macaroni and rinse it with cold water, draining again.
  15. Add cooked and drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until the noodles are completely covered.
  16. Pour mac and cheese into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the panko bread crumbs.
  17. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until the panko crumbs are lightly browned.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 398Saturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 275mgSodium: 574mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 19g

You will not regret making this baked macaroni and cheese recipe for family and friends as often as possible!

Love this recipe and want more yummy side dishes? Check these out!

Perfect Side Dishes for Company!

When you have company coming, break out these delicious side dishes for your table!

Don’t forget to pin for later!

Baked mac and cheese in a white bowl in front of a full pan of mac and cheese

Kathy

Thursday 14th of August 2014

Oh it's ever so much easier than this. Skip the flour. To the cooked noodles add a couple TBS butter, about 1 cup half and half (or heavy cream if you want to be really decadent) and your cheese, some salt and pepper, and a small dash hot sauce (makes cheese cheesier, you can skip it). Bring it all to a low boil and stir till cheese is all melted. The half and half thickens without flour! Better to start with 1 cup H&H you can add more if it seems too thick. You can then bake it, but I can never wait that long. Also using H&H instead of milk in boxed mac/cheese and other boxed pasta sides will give you a dish you will swear is as good, almost, a homemade.

Bridgett

Monday 7th of July 2014

It's hard to find your blog in google. I found it on 15 spot, you should build quality backlinks , it will help you to rank to google top 10. I know how to help you, just type in google - k2 seo tips

Natasha In Oz

Friday 11th of April 2014

Thank you so much for joining in with the Say G'Day Saturday linky party! I've just shared this on Google+ and Pinterest.

Hope to see you again this Saturday!

Best wishes, Natasha in Oz

Merry

Friday 11th of April 2014

Thank you! :)

paula schuck

Wednesday 9th of April 2014

I might explore this recipe this evening. I have no planned meal for this evening and I know my kids would LOVE it. This means I need to run out and get some cheese fast.

Merry

Wednesday 9th of April 2014

It's yummy! Tell me how it goes if you decide to try it!

SamiJoe

Saturday 5th of April 2014

Oooh I need to make this!

Merry

Saturday 5th of April 2014

You totally do. It is sooooo good!

Skip to Recipe