Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese – Creamy cheese sauce is added to pasta, topped with more shredded cheese and then baked. The best macaroni and cheese you’ll ever have!
If there’s something I’ve learned as a cook and self-proclaimed recipe researcher for almost 15 years, it’s that almost everyone has their own go-to recipe for the American food staples. And they all think theirs is the best. This is true for chocolate chip cookies, chili, grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, and today’s recipe….mac and cheese!
There are so many different ways to make macaroni and cheese. So when I went searching for a great mac and cheese recipe, I had some trouble narrowing it down. Every recipe was slightly different from the last. Yet, every single one claimed to be the best.
The main thing I managed to grasp from my search was that everyone has their own feelings about mac and cheese. Some love creamy cheese from a box, others want pure, shredded cheddar cheese.
Some love a cheesy crust on top, other want a crispy breadcrumb crust.
Some want a creamy stovetop mac and cheese, other want a baked mac and cheese.
Some like a classic elbow shape, others may want a penne or shells or, heck, even a rotini. The madness!
So what do I want? Here are my must-haves for a great mac and cheese:
- It has to be real cheese (sorry Velveeta fans!) and it (usually) has to be more than one kind of cheese. I don’t think the cheese flavor I crave can be carried by just one cheese.
- I love me a cheesy crust on top. I used to be a fan of the buttery breadcrumbs on top, but now it just gets in the way. I want all cheese and only cheese! Plus, that cheese on top just adds a level of gooeyness that is unmatched. Yummmmm.
- Stovetop mac and cheese used to be the only mac and cheese I knew. It wasn’t until I ate at my first BBQ joint that I tried the baked stuff. And I am never going back to the creamy stovetop! NEVER! Baked mac and cheese just has more bite and texture. And I am all about the texture.
- And last but not least, the pasta shape. I am bored of the elbow shape. Shells are so-so, but they just don’t hold up like a longer pasta does. So I was between a penne or a ziti. Until I saw the cavatappi (also called fusilli rigati) and I knew instantly that it was the one. It’s a longer pasta than the shells or elbow, about the length of penne. But it is a spiral shape. That shape, along with the textured exterior and hollow center make it perfect for holding all that creamy, cheesy sauce that we’ll make. That means, more cheese in every bite. Yes!
As soon as I saw this recipe from Cafe Delites, I knew it was the recipe I wanted. It looked so gooey and cheesy that I just couldn’t resist it.
She made her mac and cheese with a basic béchamel sauce (which is just a fancy word for cream sauce), added cheese and pasta, and then baked it. However, she did top hers with breadcrumbs so I decided to make it anyways and just adjust it a bit.
I also changed out the cheeses and the pasta shape. She made hers with mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan but I switched out the mozzarella for monterey jack. She used a classic elbow shape, whereas I would be using the best shape ever, cavatappi.
A couple tips before starting:
- I always, always, always recommend that you freshly shred your cheese instead of buying it already shredded. There are additives in the shredded cheese to keep them from melding back together. So I find that cheese tastes and melts much better when it’s freshly shredded. The only exception to this is for Parmesan. Grating Parmesan by hand is one of the most annoying things I have ever done in the kitchen. Even worse that sifting flour (gets everywhere) or trying to measure a tablespoon of honey (gets stuck in the spoon). It took forever, people. So I recommend just buying a good-quality grated Parmesan from the deli section. Not worth the hassle of doing it yourself.
- I usually recommend that you use full-fat milk for any béchamel sauce so that it thickens well. The fat in whole milk and cream helps that happen. But for this recipe, you can use skim milk if you want. Yes, I said skim milk! I was shocked too. You won’t need full-fat milk because we add a corn starch slurry (corn starch and milk whisked together) to help thicken the béchamel up.
- I use garlic powder for this recipe instead of minced garlic so that it mixes better into the sauce. I didn’t want chunks of garlic all up in my creamy cheese sauce. But if you don’t have garlic powder, feel free to use minced garlic. I suggest about 4 cloves for this recipes.
- Don’t be afraid to make this dish your own! If you want a different pasta shape, change it out. If you don’t want Parmesan, just add more cheddar. If you want a breadcrumb crust, go for it!
Check out the full recipe below to make this for yourself. I hope you love it as much as we do!
What are your must-haves for a great mac and cheese? Let me know in the comments below. I know we all have them!
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Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta small (macaroni, penne, ziti, etc)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 1/2 cups milk any kind (I used 2 %)
- 1 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more to taste)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces monterey jack cheese
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Boil pasta in a pot of salted water according to box directions until it is right at al dente! We are going to bake the mac and cheese so more so you don't want it to be overcooked or it will get mushy. Strain when done. Set aside while we make the cheese sauce.
- Prepare your casserole dish by greasing it with cooking spray or butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grate cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheeses and place into a medium bowl. Add Parmesan cheese. Split into two bowls: 1/3 of the cheese mixture into one bowl and 2/3 of the cheese mixture in another bowl. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic powder and flour. Whisk for 2 minutes. It should begin to thicken. This is the roux. It will make the sauce super thick and delicious.
- Reduce heat to medium low and gradually add 4 cups of the milk (leave 1/4 cup for the corn starch slurry), about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking between each addition. Once all the milk is added, increase heat to medium so that the sauce begins to boil and thicken.
- While the milk sauce is heating to a boil, make the corn starch slurry. This will help the sauce thicken even more. We need this since we're not using a heavy cream or high-fat milk. To make the slurry, mix corn starch with remaining 1/4 cup of milk until the lumps are gone. Add this to the milk mixture.
- Keep whisking sauce until it has thickened to almost the texture of a gravy. Add salt and pepper. Taste it to make sure it tastes right. Add more seasoning if needed.
- Once thickened, remove from heat. Add the 2/3 of the cheese mixture and stir. The heat of the sauce will melt the cheese and make a delicious cheese sauce.
- Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, add the cooked pasta and combine. Give it a taste to make sure you have enough seasoning.
- Add mac and cheese to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese all over the top. Place in preheated oven to reheat and melt the cheese on top, about 15 minutes. If you want a crispier top, let it keep cooking until about 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let it cool for a couple minutes before serving.
Could you make this ahead of time? Think about making it a day or two before hand and then baking the extra cheese on top when I’m ready to serve. Do you think it would compromise the cheese or possibly make it gritty?
I’m so sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you can definitely make this ahead. However, if you are placed a chilled mac and cheese in the oven, it will take more time to heat up and melt the cheese on top. I’m guessing around 20-30 minutes. So just give yourself more time when reheating.
I am making your Mac n Cheese for my youngest grAnddaughter. I can’t wait for her to taste this yummy comfort food. Thank you!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear how she liked it!
Made this exactly like the recipe says and it came out delicious! ❤
Yay! That’s wonderful news. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Could you substitute milk for heavy cream? Or do half milk and half heavy cream? Just asking because I have a pint of heavy cream and I’m trying to use it up!
I wouldn’t recommend it. This recipe has only been tested with milk. A lot of milk, in fact. So you can’t simply sub substitute cream for the milk because it will be wayyy too rich. So I would just save the cream for something else. I have a Cajun Chicken Pasta that uses a cup of heavy cream, in case you’re looking for idea. On the sweet side, this Chocolate Raspberry Mousse uses a good amount of cream too.
I’m so excited to try this for our Christmas side dish. Don’t hate me, but I’ve never liked any kind of mac & cheese bc I’ve never had one that actually tasted like anything. So for my boyfriend, I’ve searched high & low for a recipe that looks like it’ll have flavor (garlic powder + several cheeses) & the creamy consistency I’d prefer. I’m excited to update after I’ve made it Thanks!!
Hi Michelle! I am so happy to hear that you’re giving this mac and cheese a shot. I really think you’re gonna love it! Let me know if you have any questions!
Ok ok you win. Lol I’m converted. This came out MARVELOUSLY! I added 1/4 cup grated red onion & 1 tsp dry mustard to the bechamel. Everything else I followed to the letter & this came out cheesey & most importantly FLAVORFUL! Thank you!
I love those additions! Genius! So glad I was able to convert you. I call that a win, for sure!!
Pinned this!!! Going to make for Thanksgiving…thank you!
Kayla
http://Www.runningwithstrollers.com
Yay!!! I hope you love it!
This looks amazing! I agree, the creamier and cheesier the mac and cheese, the better!!
Amen sister! Thanks so much for stopping by!
OMG Sharon this looks so delicious and I love how easy the recipe is. I am probably the worst cook in the world and I am trying to get better at it. I love how detailed your instructions are and how easy you make it look! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Don’t give up, Sabrina! Many times it’s not your fault when things don’t work out. You’d be surprised how poorly some recipes are written. I notice it a lot more now and get so annoyed by it. Like, this one recipe I read totally forgot to tell you when to put the sugar in the dough. If I didn’t know that it needed to be creamed with the butter, those cookies would have been sweetless! That’s why I try so hard to give detailed instructions and tips/tricks to help get it right. I am so glad you find them helpful! Keep practicing and you’ll get better at it!
This looks so good! I make my own mac and cheese all the time, but on the stove. I will have to try your version!
Thanks so much! I used to have stove top all the time. But then I tried baked and never went back. I hope you end up liking it too!
My mouth is watering- this looks too good to be true! Absolutely delicious!
Emily
http://darlingdearestblog.com
Thank you! It tastes so amazingly cheesy. Yumm!
ohhhh man!!! This is a PERFECT Fall dinner, and look at how CREAMY it is…Mmm!! Can’t wait to give your version a try, we love mac n cheese in our house!
Amen to grating your own cheese! And to everything else you mentioned in this post- with the exception no bread crumbs. 😉
I knew I was gonna lose some people with the “no breadcrumbs!” stance but I just feel that strongly about my cheese! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks SO good! I want to try it!
xo, Amanda | http://www.thegoldengirldiary.com
Thank you!!
Always looking for a good mac n cheese revipe! This one looks so cheesy and gooey and delicious! Yum
So oooey gooey! Thanks so much!
Wow! This looks absolutely delicious! And easy to make! I’m gonna need to try this recipe out! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!
I love a good mac and cheese, firmly in the camp that it should have plenty of sauce, a good grippy-type of pasta like fusilli or the spirals you mentioned, full of cheeddar and some parmesan, baked and topped with a little cheese and lot of breadcrumbs! It’s so funny how everyone makes theirs a little differently isn’t it? The one thing I can’t stand is boxed mac and cheese which my other half prefers over the real deal which is frustrating!
http://victoriaspongepeasepudding.com/
Oh I know! I can’t eat the boxed stuff anymore when I’m craving it from scratch. If anything, I’ll drive to a local southern restaurant and buy a few sides of it before I make it from a box haha.
Sounds so yummy! My son and husband are going to love it i pinned it. I will be using this recipie often.
Yay! I must admit, my husband was the driving force behind me making this 🙂
Mmmmm mmm mmm!! Great side for the holidays or any day. Yum!
Exactly! I even like it all by itself. Reminds me of being a kid 🙂