Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (With Video and Step by Step)

Servings:

12

Macaroni and cheese is a favorite comfort food—and always a crowd pleaser. Whether you serve it for family dinner or a Thanksgiving side, you know the casserole dish will be empty and everyone will be full and happy. This is Martha's favorite macaroni and cheese; a version of this recipe appeared in The decorvow Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Her easy-to-make version is popular for good reason. It uses two cheeses: sharp white cheddar and Gruyère. Cheddar is the cheese most often used for macaroni and cheese, and Gruyère is one of the best melting cheeses. The recipe is broken down into simple steps, guiding you through making breadcrumbs, stirring up the cheese sauce, cooking the macaroni, assembling the dish, and baking.

perfect macaroni and cheese — Credit: Bryan Gardner

Baked vs. Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese means different things to different people. There’s the quicker stovetop version and the baked casserole-like version, like this recipe. Each has its fans.

Stovetop: Stovetop mac and cheese tends to be creamier; it has more sauce to pasta than baked versions. On the downside, it can be mushy if overcooked and lacks the textural contrast found in baked mac and cheese.

Baked: Baked macaroni and cheese can lay claim to being the original dish. The first known recipe appeared in Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book The Experienced English Housekeeper. There is a great deal of variation within the category of baked mac and cheese. Recipes use a variety of cheeses, from cheddar to Fontina to Monterey Jack to Gouda to Parmesan. Many use a combination of cheeses because each cheese brings something different to the dish.

And despite the recipe's name, not all versions use macaroni—some substitute other types of short pasta. Some skip making a béchamel sauce to flavor with cheese; instead, they use evaporated milk as a shortcut. Adding a crunchy breadcrumb topping, like in this recipe, is popular for bringing a crunchy contrast to the dish—it also insulates the pasta underneath, preventing it from drying out.

Making Mac and Cheese Ahead

You can make this mac and cheese ahead and reheat it, but our preferred make-ahead method is to assemble the dish beforehand and only bake it when you are ready to serve it.

To do so, after completing step 9, cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. To cook, remove the plastic wrap, replace it with aluminum foil, and bake until bubbling in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven (about 60 to 70 minutes). Remove foil and continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Directions

Macaroni and Cheese ingredients — Credit:
Grant Webster

Preheat oven, prep dish, and melt butter:

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Butter breadcrumbs:

Place bread in a medium bowl. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Heat milk:

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Melt remaining butter and whisk in flour:

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

Credit:
Grant Webster

Credit:
Grant Webster
Add hot milk and whisk until sauce is thick:

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Credit:
Grant Webster

Credit:
Grant Webster
Stir in cheeses and seasonings:

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Cook macaroni:

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

Credit:
Grant Webster

Undercook the macaroni: Be sure to read the instructions on the box regarding cook time because different brands of macaroni cook at different rates.
Add macaroni to sauce:

Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Transfer to prepared dish and top with cheese and breadcrumbs:

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Bake:

Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Credit:
Grant Webster

For a Smaller Mac and Cheese

You can divide this recipe in half. Simply halve the ingredients and bake it in 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put too much cheese in mac and cheese?

Yes, you can put too much cheese in mac and cheese. It may seem that adding more cheese than a recipe calls for will make it more deliciously cheesy, but it will not improve the dish. Too much cheese will result in a dish that is heavy and greasy.
What is the best cheese for mac and cheese?

The best cheese for mac and cheese is one that melts. We like to use a mix of cheeses for this mac and cheese, such as sharp white cheddar cheese and Gruyère cheese. The cheddar has a strong flavor and the Gruyère is nutty and rich—and both melt well.
Should I bake my mac and cheese covered or uncovered?

Macaroni and cheese is generally baked uncovered so the topping browns and crisps. Some recipes call for covering the dish at first and then removing the foil to allow the top to brown, but it's best to follow the recipe—don’t cover the casserole dish if the recipe doesn’t call for that.
What can I do if the mac and cheese is browning too fast?

If your mac and cheese is browning too fast on top or catching around the edges, you need to protect it while it finishes baking. As noted above, generally mac and cheese should not be covered during baking. The exception is if the dish is in danger of burning or drying out on top, then you should cover it with foil.