Easy Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked mac and cheese close up in a casserole dish.

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We love our Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe very much! It's super rich and creamy, so no need to worry about dry mac and cheese here! We use a combination of cheddar and gruyere to maximize the flavor and the melty, ooey-gooey texture! We promise you will fall in love with this dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: Italy

Servings:

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

8 ounces elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons ap flour
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (by volume) divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded gruyere cheese (by volume) divided
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

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.
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.
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.
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).

Notes

Tips for the BEST Baked Mac and Cheese

- 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.

Make Ahead

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.

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