Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

My baked macaroni and cheese recipe is so delicious and you’ll be amazed how easy it actually is to make the velvety, creamy cheese sauce and crispy panko topping that we all love to gobble up at every gathering from BBQs and church potlucks to Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mom made really, really good baked mac and cheese growing up, so I’m pretty sure this three-cheese cheese sauce runs in my blood. If you love it as much as I do, be sure to try jalapeño popper mac and cheese next. 

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients

• Noodles! Macaroni is what I usually use, but you can use many types of small, bite-sized pastas.
• Cheese: I use Tillamook cheese, but you can use your favorite brand. Cheddar cheese is the classic. Use a sharp cheddar for bolder flavor.
• Butter:  For mac and cheese, I use unsalted butter because the cheese is already so salty. You can always add extra salt, but you can’t take away. 
• Flour: Flour and butter work together to make the cheese sauce thick and creamy.
• Milk: Whole milk is important here, because you need the fat to make the sauce creamy instead of watery.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, pepper and mustard powder.
• Panko for extra crispy crust!

A Note On The BEST Cheese 

My homemade mac and cheese recipe is all about using a combination of three cheeses! And it gets a major cheesy flavor boost from Tillamook cheeses. I use a combination of medium white cheddar, sharp cheddar and medium cheddar cheese. I always grate it myself because sometimes pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt quite as well. 

How To Make Mac And Cheese:

1. Cook the macaroni. 
2. Melt the butter and flour together to make a simple roux, the base of your homemade cheesy cream sauce.
3. Whisk in the milk. 
4. Add the Tillamook cheddar cheese, and all the spices. 
5. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
6. Top with buttery panko and extra cheese. 
7. Bake! 400° F for 20 minutes. 

Tips for Baked Mac and Cheese Success

• Preheat your oven and place the oven rack in the center of your oven to ensures an even, golden brown crust on top of your creamy baked mac and cheese. 
• When you boil the macaroni, cook the pasta just one minute shy of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so undercooking it just a bit keeps it from becoming mushy. 
• For the creamiest sauce, grate the cheese yourself. If you have ever made cheese sauce that turns out gritty or not quite as creamy as a restaurant, it might be because of using pre-shredded cheese, which often has anti-caking additives. 

How To Freeze

Baked macaroni and cheese freezes excellently! You have two choices. You can freeze the mac before you bake it, or you can freeze it fully baked. Unbaked and tightly covered, it will keep for 3 months in the freezer. If you freeze it fully baked, it can be frozen for up to 2 months. To warm it up and serve it, you can bake the mac from frozen! Just add 30-45 minutes to the cooking time and cover the dish with foil so that the topping doesn’t burn. Leftover baked macaroni and cheese keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 4 days. 

Easy Baked Macaroni And Cheese For Dinner.

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