Homemade Mac and Cheese

This Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe is the best old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe – it’s an easy baked mac and cheese casserole with a creamy cheese sauce & crispy topping!

 

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Everybody loves a good helping of mac and cheese. It’s truly the epitome of comfort food, don’t you agree? Our Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is ultra creamy with a smooth, flavourful cheese sauce, and it’s topped with a savoury, crispy topping. It’s one of our go-to side dishes for the holidays and one of our go-to comfort dishes every other time of year. We can’t wait to tuck into a bowl of this old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese and we know you’re going to love it too!

Macaroni and Cheese, often affectionately called “Mac and Cheese,” is a popular dish with a few components: cooked macaroni pasta, a creamy cheese sauce, and an optional crispy topping (if you’re making baked mac and cheese).

Traditionally, mac and cheese uses cheddar cheese for its sauce, known for its sharp flavour which perfectly complements the mild flavoured pasta. There are many variations on the classic homemade mac and cheese that include other cheeses like Gruyère, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan because these cheeses add a delicious depth of flavour. More modern recipes often include ingredients like milk or cream, butter, and a thickener like flour to create a roux-based sauce that’s thick and creamy. For a crispy topping, breadcrumbs or crushed crackers, or even crushed potato chips are sprinkled over the top before baking.

Mac and cheese is endlessly versatile, and it’s been adapted to include various spices, meats (like bacon or ground beef), vegetables, or even luxurious ingredients like truffles or lobster in more gourmet versions. Each variation can dramatically change the flavour profile, making mac and cheese a dish that’s perfect for a simple home-cooked meal or a high-end restaurant meal.

There are SO many reasons we LOVE this baked macaroni and cheese recipe! Here are just a few:

1. It’s CREAMY and DECADENT: With the perfect mix of cheddar, mozzarella, and Gruyère, this cheese sauce is indulgently creamy and flavour-packed.
2. It has the PERFECT CRISPY TOPPING: The golden-brown layer of panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning adds the ideal crunch to balance the creaminess of the pasta.
3. It’s CUSTOMIZABLE: You can easily replace cheeses to suit your taste or add extras like cooked bacon, roasted veggies, or even lobster for a gourmet twist.
4. It’s EASY to make: It only takes 45 minutes to get this dish on the table, with minimal effort.
5. It’s a KID and CROWD FAVOURITE: This recipe is a hit with young ones and adults as well, making it the perfect weeknight dinner or addition to a holiday meal.

For the BEST macaroni and cheese, follow our PRO tips and tricks!

For best results, buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. Ready-grated cheese that you buy in store has a coating that prevents it from clumping together that will mess up the consistency of your sauce.

Mix different cheeses for different purposes: mozzarella adds creaminess, cheddar cheese adds tang, and Gruyère adds nuttiness. If you have other favourite cheeses, feel free to mix and match them to your preference.

Make sure you cook your pasta just until al dente as it will finish cooking in the cheese sauce.

We know, these sound like weird ingredients for mac and cheese but they create a chemical reaction that prevents the sauce from becoming grainy and keeps it as creamy as possible. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to taste it!

The breadcrumb, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and butter mixture add a crunchy twist that perfectly complements the creaminess of the pasta.

Running into trouble with this Macaroni and Cheese recipe? Try out troubleshooting ideas for common issues:

Make sure your milk mixture is not boiling when you add the cheese. Add the cheese gradually and make sure you use cheese that you grate yourself.

If your sauce is too thick, add a few splashes of warmed up milk until you reach the desired consistency, Keep in mind that the cheese sauce thickens a little bit as it cools.

To thicken your sauce a little, you can add in more grated cheese. Keep in mind that the cheese sauce will harden a little bit after it bakes and starts cooling.

Make sure your oven is hot enough or, alternatively, broil your mac and cheese for a few minutes.

Make sure you salt your pasta water, and that you use at least one mature cheese and taste as you go. If at any point you feel like it needs it, add more spices or salt to your mac and cheese.

Here’s a list of the basic kitchen equipment you’ll need to make this delicious old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe (paid links):

• cheese grater
• Whisk
• Silicone Spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• cast iron skillet
• small pot
• Large Pot
• large baking dish or cast iron skillet

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe (paid links):

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/3 cups half and half
• 2 1/2 cups red mature cheddar
• 1 1/2 cups Gruyère or Emmental cheese or a mix of both
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• butter for the baking dish

For the crispy topping:

• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 2-3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Want to take this old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese to the next level? Here’s a few of our favourite ways to make this mac and cheese recipe even more flavourful!

1. Bacon: Add chopped bacon when you mix the macaroni and cheese. Don’t forget to save some to sprinkle on top!
2. Spicy: Add a few tablespoons of sriracha to the sauce along some chopped up pickled jalapeños.
3. Veggie: Add some grated carrots and small broccoli florets in with the macaroni when you mix them with the cheese sauce.
4. BBQ: Add pulled pork and barbecue sauce to give your mac and cheese a BBQ twist.
5. Buffalo: Add some buffalo sauce and blue cheese to the mixture, then sprinkle some blue cheese on top.
6. Creamy: If you prefer the mac and cheese to not have a crunch, turn this into a stovetop version by skipping the crispy topping and baking time.

We hope you love this homemade mac and cheese recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite comfort food recipe? We’d love to know!

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