Best Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe

This homemade mac and cheese is the baked, casserole-style kind: elbow macaroni folded into a cheese sauce made from a butter-and-flour roux, whole milk and heavy cream, then topped with buttery panko and baked until bubbling. Sharp cheddar gives it the classic flavor, and Gruyère or Fontina makes the sauce smoother and a little nutty. It fills a 9×13-inch dish and serves 6 to 8.

The recipe takes about 55 minutes, and most of that is grating cheese and stirring the sauce. The method follows the same logic as a classic béchamel: cook the roux, add warm dairy slowly, and add the cheese off the heat. Those three steps are what keep the sauce creamy rather than grainy or oily.

Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni: 1 pound (about 4 cups dry). Shells or cavatappi also work.
• Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick), for the roux
• All-purpose flour: 1/2 cup
• Whole milk: 4 cups, warmed. Warm milk blends into the roux without lumps.
• Heavy cream: 1 cup
• Sharp cheddar cheese: 4 cups, freshly grated
• Gruyère or Fontina cheese: 2 cups, freshly grated. Extra-sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack can stand in; expect a milder, less nutty sauce.
• Smoked paprika: 1 teaspoon
• Dry mustard powder: 1/2 teaspoon. You won’t taste mustard; it sharpens the cheese flavor.
• Garlic powder: 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt: 1 teaspoon, and black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon, both to taste
• Optional topping: 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Grate the cheese yourself. Bagged shredded cheese is coated with starch or cellulose to stop it clumping, and that coating is the most common reason a mac and cheese sauce turns gritty. Grating 6 cups by hand takes a while, so you can do it a day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container.

How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese

1. Heat the oven and boil the pasta. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm. Drain.
2. Make the roux. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 2-3 minutes until it smells toasty and turns light golden. This cooks out the raw flour taste.
3. Add the milk and cream. Pour in the warm milk and cream a little at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
4. Add the cheese off the heat. Take the pot off the burner. Stir in the cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time, letting each melt before adding more. Stir in the paprika, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then taste.
5. Combine and fill the dish. Fold the drained macaroni into the sauce until coated and spread it in the baking dish.
6. Top. Toss the panko with the 2 tablespoons melted butter and the Parmesan, then scatter it evenly over the top.
7. Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges bubble and the crumbs are golden.
8. Rest. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly before you scoop it.

Why Mac and Cheese Turns Grainy, Greasy or Dry

• Grainy sauce: pre-shredded cheese, or cheese added while the sauce was boiling. Grate your own and always add it off the heat.
• Greasy, separated sauce: the sauce was too hot and the cheese fat split out. Whisk hard off the heat with a splash of cold milk to bring it back together.
• Lumpy sauce: cold milk went into the hot roux too fast. Whisk it smooth, or push it through a fine sieve; next time warm the milk and add it gradually.
• Thin sauce: it needed a few more minutes on the heat before the cheese went in. Simmer gently until it coats a spoon.
• Thick sauce: whisk in warm milk a tablespoon at a time.
• Mushy pasta: it was fully cooked before baking. Pull it early; it softens in the oven.
• Dry after baking: too long in the oven, or not enough sauce per noodle. Cover the dish with foil for most of the bake and uncover for the last few minutes to crisp the crumbs.
• Soft topping: use panko, not fine crumbs, and toss it with the butter. You can broil it for the last 1-2 minutes, watching closely.

Cheese, Pasta and Dairy Swaps

• Cheese blends: keep sharp cheddar as the base and swap the Gruyère for Fontina, Monterey Jack, Colby or smoked Gouda. Avoid fresh mozzarella (watery) and Parmesan as a main melting cheese (it clumps).
• Milk: 2% milk works; expect a slightly thinner, less rich sauce. Skim is too thin.
• Pasta: whole wheat pasta gives a firmer, nuttier result; chickpea or lentil pasta adds protein but softens faster, so undercook it more.
• Gluten-free: use a sturdy gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour blend in the roux. Expect a slightly less glossy sauce.
• Vegetables: stir in chopped steamed broccoli or grated zucchini before baking. They add moisture, so the sauce will be a bit looser.
• Mix-ins: crumbled bacon, diced ham or shredded cooked chicken can be stirred in just before the mac goes into the dish.

Make-Ahead, Storing and Reheating

Make ahead: assemble the dish with the topping, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit out while the oven heats, cover with foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer than usual, uncovering near the end.

Leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours of baking and eat within 3-4 days. It also freezes for 2-3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating: add a splash of milk, cover with foil and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 20-30 minutes, or stir it in a saucepan over low heat, until it reaches 165°F in the center. In the microwave, add a spoon of milk, cover and heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each.

What to Serve With Mac and Cheese

It is a natural side for barbecue: pile it next to slow cooker Texas pulled pork or oven-baked BBQ ribs. As a main, serve it with something green and sharp, like a vinaigrette-dressed salad, roasted asparagus or green beans. On a cold night, a small bowl of broccoli cheese soup alongside turns it into a full comfort-food dinner.

For a fall twist, butternut squash mac and cheese blends roasted squash into the cheese sauce.

FAQ

Can I make it on the stovetop without baking?

Yes. Cook the pasta fully, stir it into the sauce and serve right away. You’ll skip the crumb topping and get a looser, creamier result.

Why does it look runny straight out of the oven?

The sauce is at its thinnest when it is bubbling hot. The 5-10 minute rest lets it settle and cling to the pasta, so don’t skip it.

Why add dry mustard and paprika?

Both sharpen the cheese flavor without being obvious. The paprika also adds a light smoky note and some color.

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