Baked mac and cheese recipe with a scoop out of it.

We love this Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe! I can’t believe it’s taken up so long to put up a standard, no frills, but still crazy delicious baked mac and cheese!

While we do love a good stovetop mac and cheese, there’s just something so cozy about a delicious baked mac and cheese. We love serving this recipe up on its own or as a side dish next to a simple protein and vegetable combo.

How to Make Easy Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

Process

Place a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, add a couple spoonful’s of salt, followed by the macaroni. Stir together. Bring to a boil and cook until al dente. Drain macaroni, pour it back into the pot and toss together with 1 tablespoon butter(this will help the macaroni from swelling when baked). Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Milk and spiced cooked over a stove in a pot.

Add flour and whisk together until no dry spots remain. Continue to mix for 1 minute.
Pour milk in and continue to whisk together until mixture is smooth and thickens. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder and dry mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Milk cooking in a pot with flour to make a roux for baked mac and cheese.

Baked mac and cheese sauce cooking on a stove.

Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese by the handful (reserving 1/4 cup cheese from each kind).
Once cheese has been added, fold in macaroni until fully combined. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Pour mixture into a 8”x8” baking dish in an even layer. Top mixture with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling and top has lightly browned. Transfer to broiler and broil for 1 minute to brown top further.

Mac and cheese in a casserole dish ready to be baked.

Mac and cheese being baked in a casserole dish.

When mac and cheese is done allow the dish to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping and serving (if scooped immediately from the oven the cheese sauce will be too thin/runny and overwhelm the elbow macaroni).

Baked mac and cheese close up in a casserole dish.

Tips for Making Our Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Tossing the macaroni in butter before folding it into the cheese sauce will help prevent the noodles from absorbing excess liquid and bloating – which would change the macaroni texture and dry out the overall dish.
Use a blend of good melting cheeses to maximize the flavor!
Don’t skip out on the garlic powder, onion powder and dry mustard. The spices also help to create different levels of flavors so the dish isn’t one dimensional.
Allow the mac and cheese to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes so the cheese sauce is a perfect consistency – it will seem a little soupy right when taken out of the oven.

Variations

Switch up the types of cheeses! Other great melting cheeses we love to use are: fontina, comté, gouda, and havarti.
Sneak in some veggies like diced/blanched broccoli, frozen peas, and wilted spinach (squeeze out excess liquid and chop).
We didn’t add a breaded topping to our easy baked mac and cheese, but you definitely can! We love adding crushed butter crackers to the top (such as Ritz) as well as panko breadcrumbs that have been tossed in a little melted butter.
Add herbs based on your flavor preference! We love tossing in some thinly sliced chives or green onion and minced thyme!

Baked mac and cheese with a scoop being taken out of it.

Make Ahead Instructions

Our easy baked mac and cheese can be assembled (pre-bake) up to 2 days ahead of time. Once it’s in the baking dish, tightly cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to use.

Once ready to bake, uncover and allow it to sit out for 15-20 minutes at room temperature before baking.