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    Easy homemade baked macaroni and cheese

    Published: Apr 14, 2013 / 39 Comments

    142.9K shares
    • Facebook254
    Recipe Print

    Easy baked macaroni and cheese recipe - this is a very classic recipe for how a true mac and cheese should really be prepared. There are many easier ways to make it, but this recipe is the classic one you want to use for the real deal!

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    I make a lot of easy "adult" mac and cheeses (with strong cheeses and funky add-in's) to accompany steaks in our house. For once, however, I decided I wanted to make a "real" homemade mac and cheese: very traditional, using regular cheese (such as cheddar), baked in the oven, and using white sauce.

    As I was looking for an easy homemade baked macaroni and cheese recipe, a lot of sources seemed to be pointing to Martha Stewart macaroni and cheese, so that seemed like a good place to start.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Martha's recipe for mac and cheese calls for 1 pound of elbow macaroni, which produces a huge amount of pasta, so I halved the recipe, using ½ pound of elbow macaroni instead of 1 pound, and halving the rest of ingredients. Even after I halved the recipe, it still produced quite a lot of pasta - enough to make 6 or 8 very rich servings. I also reduced the amount of cheese to sprinkle over top as the original amount called for in the recipe seemed excessive. Also, the recipe calls for Kosher salt, which is less salty than table salt, so because I used regular table salt, I reduced the salt amount accordingly. A reminder to myself: always pay attention to what salt the recipe calls for: Kosher or table salt.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    I highly recommend halving the recipe for this baked mac and cheese, because 1) I can't imagine using a total of 6 cups of cheese for any kind of dish (3 cups will do), and 2) because I found that this mac and cheese has the best and the creamiest quality when served right after it's made. If leftovers are reheated the next day, the macaroni get mushy, and the sauce itself get thicker, so you have to add milk and manipulate to achieve the same wonderful consistency as on the day you made it.

    The breadcrumbs do become soggy if you reheat this dish in microwave, so to make the most out of this recipe, I would not recommend making it in advance and then reheating: too many qualities are lost.

    This easy recipe is definitely worth making and is a great base recipe for further experiments! The baked macaroni and cheese when served straight out of the oven come out creamy, buttery, with very crisp breadcrumbs on top. The whole top layer of mac and cheese has this nice golden brown texture.

    Step by step photos: how to make easy homemade baked macaroni and cheese

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a separate pan or a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.

     

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Add ¼ cup of flour, cook and stir for about 1 minute to form a roux.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    In a medium pan, heat milk until it boils.

     

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Pour hot milk into the hot flour-butter mixture gradually, while whisking. Continue cooking the mixture, constantly stirring, on medium or high heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens - about 1 or 2 minutes.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Remove the pan from the heat. Add salt, nutmeg, black pepper, 1 and ½ cups cheddar, and ½ cup Gruyere, or pecorino Romano, or Parmesan. While off heat, whisk until all cheese is melted and the cheese sauce has even consistency. Set aside.

     

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Bring a large saucepan with water to boil. Add macaroni, cook 3 minutes less than indicated in manufacturer's directions, so that pasta is still undercooked inside.  The pasta will continue cooking as it bakes.   Transfer macaroni to a colander and rinse under cold running water really well. Running the pasta under cold water will stop the cooking and will wash off the excess starch. Drain pasta well.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Butter a 1.5-quart casserole dish.   Pour the pasta with cheese sauce into the prepared dish.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar and ¼ cup Gruyere (or pecorino Romano, or Parmesan).

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs.   Here is how made breadcrumbs: I placed several bread slices in the food processor and processed them until they turned into nice bread crumbs - enough to fill 1 cup.  Next, I placed 1 cup of bread crumbs in a medium bowl, added 1 tablespoon of melted butter and mixed everything together.

    Easy homemade macaroni and cheese

    Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top. Transfer dish to a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then serve.

    Mac and cheese
    4.89 from 9 votes

    Easy baked macaroni and cheese

    This is the recipe for how to make a "real" homemade baked mac and cheese: very traditional, using regular cheese (such as cheddar), baked in the oven, and using white sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 people
    Calories per serving 439 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup white bread crumbs (I used regular bread in food processor)
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 ¾ cups milk
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt or more – to taste
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 2 cups Cheddar cheese (about 9 ounces of shredded sharp yellow or white Cheddar cheese)
    • ¾ cup Gruyere cheese shredded or pecorino Romano, or Parmesan
    • ½ pound elbow macaroni

    Instructions 

    • Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 1.5-quart casserole dish; set aside. I placed several bread slices in the food processor and processed them until they turned into nice bread crumbs – enough to fill 1 cup. Place 1 cup of bread crumbs in a medium bowl, add 1 tablespoon of melted butter, mix, set aside.
    • In a medium pan, heat milk until it boils. In a separate pan or a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter, add ¼ cup of flour, cook and stir for about 1 minute to form a roux.
    • Pour hot milk into the hot flour-butter mixture gradually, while whisking. Continue cooking the mixture, constantly stirring, on medium or high heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens – about 1 or 2 minutes.
    • Remove the pan from the heat. Add salt, nutmeg, black pepper, 1 and ½ cups cheddar, and ½ cup Gruyere, or pecorino Romano, or Parmesan. While off heat, whisk until all cheese is melted and the cheese sauce has even consistency. Set aside.
    • Bring a large saucepan with water to boil. Add macaroni, cook 3 minutes less than indicated in manufacturer’s directions, so that pasta is still undercooked inside (the pasta will continue cooking as it bakes in step 6). Transfer macaroni to a colander and rinse under cold running water really well. Running the pasta under cold water will stop the cooking and will wash off the excess starch. Drain pasta well. Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce.
    • Pour the pasta with cheese sauce into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar and ¼ cup Gruyere (or pecorino Romano, or Parmesan). Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top. Transfer dish to a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then serve.

    Notes

    Adapted from Martha Stewart

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Easy baked macaroni and cheese
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    439
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    22
    g
    34
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    13
    g
    81
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    66
    mg
    22
    %
    Sodium
     
    499
    mg
    22
    %
    Potassium
     
    238
    mg
    7
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    38
    g
    13
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    19
    g
    38
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    725
    IU
    15
    %
    Calcium
     
    456
    mg
    46
    %
    Iron
     
    1.4
    mg
    8
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
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    Comments

    1. Amanda Hamilton

      January 18, 2016 at 9:39 am

      I'm not a fan of Mac n cheese with breadcrumbs. But if those are left off, this recipe looks fabulous.

      Reply
    2. Roxana

      November 23, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Would i be able to use almond flour instead of regular flour? do i use the same amount?

      Reply
    3. Bianca

      August 16, 2015 at 11:29 am

      I've made this recipe a couple times now and I love it. The best part is that it's not all dried out the next day. I added 1/2 tsp ground mustard and left out the cayenne but I'd like to try it with. I used 2 kinds of aged white cheddar, gruyere, and fontina. It was amazing. I use Panko breadcrumbs which were still crunchy the next day.

      Reply
    4. Home Chef

      December 01, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      I made this exact mac and cheese. The recipe is originated from Martha Stewart with exact ingredients. It was a hit at Thanksgiving.

      Reply
    5. Judy

      May 10, 2014 at 6:25 am

      What is that being stirred in - in picture #4?

      Reply
      • Sarah

        December 25, 2015 at 10:23 am

        It's just the roux.

        Reply
    6. Tabatha

      March 09, 2014 at 7:12 pm

      My Mac and cheese didn't turn out right. How do you keep the cheese from breaking in the oven? It had a bad texture

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 10, 2014 at 3:04 pm

        Here is a good article for you to read that explains what will cause your cheese to break: http://www.thekitchn.com/help-why-is-my-mac-and-cheese-oily-instead-of-creamy-179202
        In a nutshell, you got to make sure to finely grate the cheese so it melts quickly, stir the cheese into the hot milk mixture OFF THE HEAT! Also do not overcook your cheese sauce and noodles in the oven - that might cause the cheese to separate.

        Reply
    7. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

      April 16, 2013 at 10:09 pm

      I've never tasted a mac and cheese before. Shocker, I know! But that looks so delish 🙂

      Reply
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