Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is my all-time favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe. I’ve been making it for years (I originally published this baked mac recipe in 2012 and very little has changed).

Related: 100+ Comfort Food Recipes, 60 Easy Dinner Recipes and 50+ Easy BBQ Side Dishes

Why do I love this Baked Macaroni Recipe so much?

• It’s simple. The “craziest” ingredients you’ll find here are cayenne and pepper jack cheese.
• It’s easy. From start to finish you could make this dish in under an hour.
• This is a classic! No eggs. No evaporated milk. Just a basic recipe that’s truly delicious.
• Small batch. This isn’t a giant casserole made to feed 50. You can bake this in an 8×8 pan. But, if you want to double it you can easily bake it in a 9×13 pan instead.
• Not bland! Some baked macaroni and cheese recipes can be a little on the boring side. With the addition of garlic, cayenne, and pepper jack cheese there is flavor and spice to balance out the creaminess of this dish.

Ingredients

• Macaroni noodles
• Butter
• Garlic
• All-purpose flour
• Cayenne
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Milk
• Chicken stock – or vegetable
• Pepper jack cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Breadcrumbs – homemade recipe in the card below
• Chives – or green onions

Directions

• In a pot boil salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Once cooked drain and set aside.
• In the meantime, in a large pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Add the cayenne and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
• Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, so it bubbles as it cooks. Stir every so often and allow to cook for a few minutes. This is called a roux. It’s the texture of a paste.
• Now, pour in the stock and milk. Reduce the heat to a medium/low and whisk so the roux becomes well incorporated.
• Stir in the pepper jack cheese and half the cheddar and stir until melted. 
• Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and pour into your baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, chives and then breadcrumbs. 
• Bake (covered in foil) at 350°F for 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and edges bubble.

Can You Make Baked Macaroni and Cheese Ahead?

Yes. I will often make this up to adding the breadcrumbs and baking. If you keep the bread crumbs stored separately, you can cover this dish and keep in the refrigerator and then bake (adding the breadcrumbs) the next day or even the day after.

What is the Best Cheese to Use for Macaroni and Cheese?

For this recipe, I like a mix of sharp cheddar and pepper jack. You can use other cheeses instead like gruyere, Colby, Monterey Jack, or gouda — just be sure to use something with low moisture (not fresh mozzarella) and plenty of flavor.

And while for some recipes I do not recommend pre-shredded cheese (because it is coated in anti-clumping ingredients and can affect things like sauces) I don’t think it makes a huge difference to this recipe. I’ve used pre-shredded and not and I think either is fine for this homemade Mac recipe.

Should You Cover Your Mac and Cheese When Baking?

Yes. I cover the top of the dish in aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes of baking. Then, I uncover the dish and let it bake another 8-10 minutes.

You want the casserole to bake but you do not want the breadcrumbs to burn in the process.

I mentioned this on our podcast recently, but this is my ultimate comfort food! I love this for holidays, like Thanksgiving. But I also really love to make this now and again alongside a protein for a special dinner.

This makes 4-6 servings, so at our house it lasts for a few meals. Enjoy! xo. Emma

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5 from 29 votes

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classic baked macaroni and cheese with no eggs or evaporated milk

Yield 6 servings

Prep 12 minutes mins

Cook 28 minutes mins

Total 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces macaroni noodles
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• ▢ 1 ½ cups pepper jack cheese (shredded)
• ▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• ▢ 1 cup breadcrumbs (see note for how to make your own)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chives (chopped)

Instructions

• In a pot, heat enough water to cover the pasta plus a few teaspoons salt over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Stain and set aside.
• In the meantime, in a large pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Add the cayenne and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
• Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, so it bubbles as it cooks. Stir every so often and allow to cook for a few minutes. This is called a roux. It's the texture of a paste.
• Now, pour in the stock and milk. Reduce the heat to a medium/low and whisk so the roux becomes well incorporated.
• Stir in the pepper jack cheese and half the cheddar and stir until melted. 
• Add the pasta and pour into your baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, chives and then breadcrumbs. 
• Bake (covered in foil) at 350°F for 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and edges bubble.

Notes

To make your own breadcrumbs, take 3 pieces of bread and bake them at 350°F until very toasty on both sides. I sometimes do this while the oven preheats and I’m preparing the rest of this recipe. Just keep an eye on it. 

Once toasted, pulse in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. 

© Author Emma Chapman

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keywords macaroni and cheese, pasta

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Amount per Serving

Calories

447

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Cholesterol

 

50

mg

17

%

Sodium

 

571

mg

25

%

Potassium

 

246

mg

7

%

Carbohydrates

 

49

g

16

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

21

g

42

%

Vitamin A

 

600

IU

12

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

450

mg

45

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.