Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe is creamy comfort food your whole family will love and will be the hit at every potluck, Sunday supper and holiday! It’s extra velvety, luxuriously creamy and bursting with flavor, thanks to the homemade cheese sauce made with three different cheeses and my secret seasonings. This recipe for baked macaroni and cheese is also easy to customize by adding veggies or protein like chicken, bacon or sausage. Best of all, this post includes tips for the SILKIEST Macaroni and Cheese Casserole ever – no grainy, gritty or dry pasta here! Serve it up with Caesar Salad and Garlic Butter Breadsticks for the ultimate cozy homerun!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi/cellentani pasta (may sub rigatoni or penne)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon (see notes)
- 1 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded Gruyere cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded smoked Gouda cheese, room temperature, divided (substitute young Gouda or cheddar if you don't like smoked; do NOT use aged Gouda)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
PANKO TOPPING (OPTIONAL)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.
- Roux: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a very large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat (a pot large enought to later combine pasta). Whisk in the flour and cook/whisk for a full three minutes until very smooth.
- Sauce: Reduce heat to low, then gradually whisk in the milk. Whisk cornstarch into evaporated milk, then gradually add to the pan followed by chicken bouillon, Dijon mustard and all remaining spices/seasonings.
- Thicken Sauce: Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking often, until thickened (but not overly thick becasue it will thicken significantly with the cheeses).
- Add cheeses: Remove from heat and whisk in sharp cheese until melted, followed by 1 cup Gouda until melted, followed by Gruyere until melted. Add pasta and toss until evenly coated (it will seem like a lot of extra sauce which is a good thing).
- Assemble: Pour pasta into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Gouda and Parmesan cheese.
- Panko topping: Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add panko and stir to coat. Continue cooking until crumbs turn golden brown. Evenly sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Watch towards the end, and cover with foil if the top is browining too much. Cool 10 minutes to set before serving.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Tips
- Gouda: I recommend smoked Gouda verses young because it's rich and smoky whereas young Gouda is mild and sweet. Do not, however, use aged Gouda because it is hard and crumbly and does not melt as well. If you want a mellower smoked flavor, then swap some of the Gouda for cheddar.
- Shred all cheeses yourself: Avoid bagged, pre-shredded cheeses as they contain anti-clumping chemicals designed to prevent them from clumping in the bag – these same chemicals prevent the cheese strands from melting and will leave you with gritty, lumpy, sad Macaroni and Cheese.
- Evaporated milk: This secret ingredient adds creaminess without the fat of heavy cream. Evaporated milk is canned, stabilized homogenized cow’s milk from which 60 percent of the water has been removed. This means it is thicker than just milk and more stable than heavy cream and less likely to curdle or separate.
- Chicken bouillon: Please do not skip! It is a secret ingredient that adds tons of flavor. You can use chicken bouillon, bouillon powder or better than bouillon – all in equal amounts. If you are using bouillon cubes, just mash them up a bit before you add them to the sauce – don’t dissolve in water first. You will need 3 cubes.
- Variations: See post for lots of vitiations including bacon, sausage, broccoli and more!
Make Ahead
Baked Macaroni and Cheese is best not assembled ahead of time because the pasta soaks up the moisture in the sauce, leaving you with dry mac and cheese. However, you can still make the pasta and sauce three days in advance and keep separate until ready to bake:- Sauce: Make as directed, cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a large skillet before using, adding additional milk, as needed, to thin to desired consistency.
- Pasta: Cook al dente, drain, then toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cool completely before transferring the to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, add the cold pasta to the warmed sauce, no need to reheat.
Storage
- To store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing tips: If making this recipe specifically to freeze, I suggest using all evaporated milk and reducing the pasta so the recipe remains creamy. The cheese can become a little grainy, but still delicious – just not fresh of-the-stove perfection.
- To freeze: Let the casserole cool to room temperature, cover with a few layers of plastic wrap followed by foil; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before baking.