The Best Homemade Mac & Cheese | baked recipe

This delicious homemade mac and cheese recipe is rich creamy, and loaded with melty cheese! Made with elbow macaroni and two of my favorite cheeses, this creamy homemade baked macaroni and cheese is sure to be a hit with kids and grown-ups like! And is a real game changer compared to the stovetop mac and cheese from a box! 

Homemade mac and cheese and I have quite a history and for many reasons. Two of the biggest being that I used to hate mac & cheese and that I have spent years trying and failing to make homemade mac and cheese.

People always say it’s the simplest recipes that are the hardest, and I can say that definitely rang true for me on this one. I don’t know what it was but this recipe stumped me for years. 

But living in a house with several die-hard mac and cheese lovers, and a little brother who would live on nothing but cheese if given the choice. I knew this was a recipe I was going to have to master. No matter how long it took. I already knew exactly what I wanted to make, I just had to figure out a way to bring it to life.

I wanted to create a good old-fashioned classic mac and cheese recipe, one that you started on the stove and then popped in the oven to get golden brown and delicious. And I wanted it to be creamy, cheesy, flavorful, and easy to make. With crunchy breadcrumbs on top of course!

It might have taken years, and lots of failed attempts, but I can honestly say this mac & cheese has finally done the job!

I was planning on toying with the recipe a little more, adding more spices and maybe a little bacon. But I have decided against that, as this delicious baked mac and cheese is pretty perfect already!

It makes a great main dish or side dish, and it’s perfect for weeknight suppers, potlucks, get-togethers, and more! Plus it’s sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it regardless of their age.

The Best Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Ingredients 

• elbow macaroni, you can use any shape of noodles you like for this recipe but I like to stick with the classic shape!
• salted butter
• all-purpose flour
• whole milk
• half and half, or more whole milk
• shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I highly recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself, it tastes way better than the pre-shredded cheese.
• shredded smoked gouda cheese, again, I say buy the blocks and shred it yourself, it tastes so much better!
• sea salt
• black pepper
• paprika, for color
• panko bread crumbs

How to Make Homemade Mac & Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook your noodles according to the package instructions, 1 minute less than al dente. Drain the cooked noodles, then rinse them under cold water and set aside until ready to use. 

While the noodles are cooking shred your cheese, and then mix both kinds together in a large bowl. Divide the now-mixed cheese into 3 piles, with 1 1/2 cups of cheese in each one. Set aside.

Preheat heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 glass casserole dish. (I like to grease mine with butter!) and set it aside until ready to use. 

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk, until smooth. 

While continuing to whisk, slowly pour in the half and half, and mix until smooth. Then slowly pour in the milk, and whisk to combine. 

Keep whisking until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. At this point, you should have a creamy sauce, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

Once thickened remove the pan from the heat and mix in the seasoning. Followed by 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, whisk until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth again. Add your second pile of 1 1/2 cups cheese and whisk again until completely melted and smooth. 

Before adding the noodles, try to guess whether your cooked noodles will fit the pan your creamy cheese sauce is currently in. If you don’t think everything will fit, pour your cheese mixture into a large mixing bowl, then add the noodles to it. Just be sure to scrape the pan out with a rubber spatula to get all the cheesy goodness! 

Pour your cooked noodles into the cheese mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the noodles are completely coated in the sauce. Scoop the noodle mixture into your prepared baking dish, being sure to scrap out as much of the cheesy sauce as possible!

Sprinkle your remaining cheese(1 1/2 cups) over the top of the noodles, followed by the breadcrumbs. 

Place the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese on top is melted and starting to brown.  If you want your cheese to be golden brown and slightly crisped switch your oven to broil, and broil the mac and cheese for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is browned to your liking. Just be careful not to burn your breadcrumbs! 

Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

Any leftover mac and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days! To reheat your mac and cheese, simply pop it uncovered into the oven, and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through.

I used my two favorite types of cheese for this recipe, but you can really use any type of cheese you like! Gruyere cheese, extra sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterey jack, and Colby are all great options! I would recommend using a blend of different cheeses though, rather than just one kind.

I opted to keep the flavors pretty classic for this recipe, but by all means, feel free to make it your own! Things like bacon, caramelized onions, and Dijon mustard all add a nice touch of flavor! You can also add additional spices like mustard powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder! 

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