Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Name: Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb elbow macaroni; ½ cup unsalted butter; ½ cup all purpose flour; 4 cups whole milk; 8 oz white sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated); 8 oz sharp cheddar (freshly grated); 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 cup panko bread crumbs; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted); ¼ teaspoon salt

By Joy Shull

4.71 from 17 votes

on Aug 09, 2023, Updated Apr 11, 2024

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This baked macaroni and cheese is the ultimate cheesy recipe complete with a crunchy panko topping. Perfect for cookouts, holidays, or any occasion, this side dish is sure to be a hit!

scooping mac and cheese from the baking dish

This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is the best side dish!

If you need a big casserole to bring to Thanksgiving or a cookout, this baked macaroni is the perfect one to bring.

There is nothing more delicious than a big serving of cheesy creamy baked macaroni and cheese with a buttery crunchy bread crumb topping.

This macaroni recipe features two kinds of cheese, a homemade thick cheese sauce, and a crunchy topping that makes every bite delicious!

While I love a good serving of greek yogurt mac and cheese, this recipe is by no means a lightened up pasta dish. This mac and cheese recipe is pure comfort food.

Ingredients to make baked mac and cheese

elbow macaroni noodles
butter
all purpose flour
whole milk
white sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
yellow sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
salt
panko style bread crumbs

ingredients to make baked macaroni and cheese

How to make baked macaroni and cheese

Step 1: Cook the elbow macaroni noodles to 1 minute lower than al dente, then drain immediately. You do not want to over cook the pasta since it will also be baking in the oven.

Step 2: Make the cheese sauce while the macaroni noodles are cooking. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk 1-2 minutes constantly, until browned. Pour the milk in gradually, whisking until smooth.

Whisk the milk and roux until the sauce thickens, around 7-8 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and stir in the salt and 3 cups of the cheese until smooth.

Mix the elbow macaroni into the cheese sauce until the noodles are all coated in cheese sauce.

adding macaroni noodles to the cheese sauce

cheese sauce and macaroni noodles mixed together

Step 4: Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish and spread out half of the mac and cheese into the bottom of the dish.

Step 5: Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.

macaroni and cheese in a baking dish topped with cheese

Add the last half of the pasta over the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese.

Cover the casserole with the panko bread crumb mixture.

adding the bread crumb topping to the mac and cheese

mac and cheese topped with bread crumb mixture

Step 6: Bake the macaroni and cheese at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

What is the best cheese to use for macaroni and cheese?

You want good quality cheese when you are making macaroni and cheese from scratch. Do not skip grating it fresh for the best flavor. We like using a white sharp cheddar and a yellow sharp cheddar for this recipe.