This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is the best and easy to make. The bread crumbs on top and creamy comfort food underneath are proof that homemade tastes infinitely better than that store-bought stuff in the blue box. Here's how to make it.

A cast iron skillet filled with baked macaroni and cheese

With this baked macaroni and cheese that's creamy and homemade and honest-to-goodness soul food, there's no reason to eat the stuff in the blue box from Kraft. Not when the real deal is so easy to make from scratch. You're going to want to use a Cheddar cheese with some character. You know, the sorta expensive, hauntingly sharp Cheddar from someplace where they know what they're doing, like England or Vermont or Wisconsin.And you're not going to want to forget those satiatingly buttery bread crumbs sprinkled on top.–David Leite

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

  • Quick Glance
  • (20)
  • 25 M
  • 1 H
  • Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Salt a large pot of water generously, so it tastes like the sea. Bring the water to a boil and then add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Still whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the milk. If the sauce gets lumpy, don't worry; just keep whisking until it becomes smooth again. Lower the heat and simmer (yes, still whisking frequently!) until creamy and smooth, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and the mustard and/or nutmeg, if using. Take the pan off the heat and add 2 1/2 cups Cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more seasonings, if you like.

Drain the macaroni and return it to the pot. Dump the sauce on top of the macaroni and toss thoroughly to coat. Turn out the macaroni mixture into a large cast-iron skillet, a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or another generously sized casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan.

One last thing. Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet. (Use 2 tablespoons for uber-buttery bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon for swimsuit-season bread crumbs.) Drizzle the butter over the bread crumbs in a bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the macaroni.

Bake until the crumbs are browned and the macaroni is warmed through, 20 minutes if you're in a hurry or, if you're in no rush and prefer a creamier sauce, up to an hour or so. You will need to cover the dish after 15 minutes or so to prevent the crumbs from browning too much.

Let the macaroni and cheese rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping it out in heaping portions.Originally published May 10, 2011.

    Tuxedo and T-Shirt Variations

    • While the classic is always welcome, try mixing things up on occasion…

    • Smoky Green Chile Version
    • Tux variation

      Add a 4-ounce can diced mild green chiles, drained, to the macaroni mixture before turning it into the baking dish. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika to the buttered crumbs.

    • "Tuna Melt" Version
    • T-shirt variation

      Substitute 1 cup grated Havarti or Fontina cheese for 1 cup of the Cheddar when you make the sauce (you'll still need a total of 3 cups cheese plus the 1/2 cup Parmesan or pecorino). Add two 5-ounce cans tuna, drained, and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest to the macaroni before turning it into the baking dish.

    Recipe Testers' Reviews

    Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe © 2010 Sur La Table. Photo © 2010 Johnson Rauhoff. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.

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