. This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by both children and adults.
My version uses a combination of cheeses for a gloriously cheesy dish! Everyone has their favorite baked mac and cheese recipe and this is mine. It uses a combination of cheeses, layered in the dish as well as melted into a rich and creamy cheese sauce, for the ultimate in cheesy deliciousness! Baked mac and cheese. It’s nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations! I have some other variations in the development stages, so expect them to come to the blog at some point 🙂 In fact, I almost didn’t post this recipe today, as there are SOOOO many mac and cheese recipes available, and most people already have their favorite way of making it.
But maybe you prefer a slightly soupier mac and cheese, and in that case, go for Garten's recipe. Because as we found in our celeb chef brownie battle, when both recipes are good, it really comes.
Of course, there’s no “right” way or “wrong” way, so I’m here sharing the way I like to make my mac and cheese (the way my family loves it too). It all starts with pasta, cooked about a minute shy of al dente. You don’t want to cook it all the way to al dente, since it will be baking a bit in the oven and will finish cooking there. You can use any shape you’d like. I kept it original here with the classic elbow shape, but I’ve done rotini, farfalle, cavatappi, etc.
Pick the shape you and your family love the most! I love to use a mixture of cheeses in my baked mac and cheese specifically a medium cheddar and Gruyere. The sharp tang from the cheddar and the creaminess of the Gruyere are a great combination!
But you could make this with white cheddar, all mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, etc. Even with the tang from the medium cheddar, my kids literally gobble this up!
Every time I make it, which is often, they have multiple servings and happily eat any leftovers the next day 🙂 Whenever my kids love a recipe, I consider it a winner! Now for the secret to making this baked mac and cheese SO cheesy and irresistible the layers. First, there’s the rich and creamy cheese sauce, made with part whole milk and part half and half, with 2 generous handfuls of grated cheese swirled and melted in. Seriously, when you’re cooking this sauce, you might find it incredibly hard to not lick the stirring spoon! Secondly, there’s an inner layer of grated cheese the secret weapon. Once you add half the pasta and cheese sauce to the baking pan, sprinkle on a generous layer of grated cheese, then top it with the remaining pasta and cheese sauce.
You could even be extra decadent and divide the pasta and cheese sauce into thirds and layer in 2 layers of the grated cheese! DO YOU COVER BAKED MAC AND CHEESE IN THE OVEN You could, but then you wouldn’t get that glorious bubbly cheesy “crust”. I don’t know about you, but it’s my favorite part! If you really love that crust, go ahead and broil it for several minutes after baking. HOW TO TOP BAKED MAC AND CHEESE.
Grated cheese (my personal favorite – and what I’ve done here in these photos). Buttered panko breadcrumbs (feel free to add some herbs to this as well). Bacon pieces/panko breadcrumb combo HOW LONG DO YOU BAKE MAC AND CHEESE This recipe doesn’t bake long at all, but I’ve actually baked it longer before, and it’s still every bit as delicious!
Most baked Mac and cheese recipes call for it to be baked 15-30 minutes. My kids aren’t huge fans of the cheesy “crust”, so I bake mine at 325, but 350 or even 375 work as well. It’s a very forgiving dish! Of course, you could alternately not bake this mac and cheese at all, and just combine the pasta with the cheese sauce if that’s what you prefer 🙂 I really hope you all give my family favorite mac and cheese a try I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we do! Recipe Notes Mac and Cheese can be made ahead:. Make as directed (but do not bake), transfer to baking dish and cool completely.
Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead. Before baking, let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes. Bake at recipe temperature for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. FIVE CHEESE VARIATION: Replace cheese amounts with the following:. 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded.
1 cup Colby cheese, shredded. 1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded. 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded.
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded FOR A CRUNCHIER TOPPING AND FIRMER CONSISTENCY:. Prepare recipe as directed but bake at 350 or 375 F degrees for 20-30 minutes. Broil at the end of baking for approximately 2-5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy. Just wanted to post a “thank you” to the author. I normally follow my own recipe but decided to try this one for Turkey Day.
I made 1-1/2 times the recipe for a dinner for 12 ahead of time the night before, putting a small amount in a dish in the oven to “sample” the evening before just to taste. I used mild cheddar, sharp cheddar and Gruyere cheese (lucky my local market had cave-aged Gruyere on sale for $5.00/lb!) Folks, shred your own cheese, don’t use the pre-shredded stuff.
It melts better and is fresher, easy enough to do if you have a food processor with the blade. I really recommend you.don’t.
make it the night before. The sample dish we made was so much better. Don’t get me wrong, the dish we served drew rave reviews, one guest saying it was the best mac and cheese he ever had. It was very good, just not as good as the fresh test pan we made the night before. Next time I will top it with bacon and sauteed onions.
2 of my guests don’t eat pork so I had to omit. Amazing recipe! I tried it out (exactly per your recipe/oven) for my company’s potluck today. I am not kidding when I say everybody, and I mean anybody who tried it, ALL raved! Said it was fire, on point, amazing, delicious, and so much more! Thank you for posting this.
I was ready to buy the family size deluxe boxes of Mac ‘N Cheese and call it a day until I stumbled across your recipe, and boy am I happy to have stumbled. I learned A LOT from your recipe. Never have I ever used Gruyere cheese, which is now my fav thank you, and I must say it is magical regardless of the sticker price.
It was worth it. (I doubled the recipe for my potluck and am making it again for my family tomorrow.
I will also be doubling the recipe for my family, but I am making two of the double recipe which is why I say Gruyere cheese is pricey.) However, I would spend it all again because it was definitely worth it. I cannot wait to make it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing! This will now be apart of my family’s go to recipes.
I just made this recipe this morning for a work potluck and I made it in a crockpot. However, I made it slightly differently in order to keep the oven-baked goodness.
The stoneware from your crockpot may be oven-safe (Crock Pot brand ones are), though they aren’t broiler-safe. So, I made the recipe like normal, then poured it into the crockpot stoneware and placed that in the oven for about 20-25min @350degrees. Then, when I pulled it out of the oven I placed it into the heating base and took it in to work. Once at work, I plugged it in and left it on Low for a while, then reverted to Warm.
Based on comments from coworkers it was a success! The last few times I’ve made mac&cheese, I’ve done it this way to reserve the crunchiness, but still have it in a functional, travel container which can keep it warm. It’s become my go-to method these days, particularly if it’s not for a meal at home.
While I’ve not yet attempted this recipe (though I plan to tomorrow), with other baked mac&cheese recipes, I’ve used a Crockpot as well. However, I’ve done a variation from your suggestion. The stoneware portion of your crockpot “should” be oven-safe (Crock Pot brand says theirs are, maybe research to be 100% sure).
Chef Cam Picyk's Recipe For Mac And Cheese
I’ve made the recipe and just poured it into the crockpot stoneware then placed it into the oven for the desired length of time. Then, once it’s out of the oven, the stoneware can be dropped right into the heating base and you can turn it to warm or low to keep it warm and gooey for as long as you need. This has helped me out for potlucks and family gatherings where I wanted the baked texture but wanted to be able to keep it warm for a time as well. This recipe appears delicious and the desired “creaminess” I cannot find with others.
I intend to make this as a side for thanksgiving. A quick question. I make another mac and cheese with a smoked cheddar and smoked paprika as I like the smokiness taste.
Will this flow well with the Gruyere cheese? I’d plan to use 2 cups smoked cheddar, 2 cups sharp cheddar, and the 2 cups of Gruyere. One more thing – if I top with some Panko bread crumbs should I bake them with the dish or add them after baking? Thanks a lot! I have tried EVERY mac n cheese recipe out there to try and find the right amount of gooey cheesiness and pasta heaven. I even tried NYT recipe that used cottage cheese and mustard, etc.
But THIS recipe has been our favorite find and we will not use another recipe again. My children loved it. And they are picky teenagers. (One is even in culinary school). I made it last Thanksgiving and all the guests loved it.
The gruyere and half and half are the magic to this dish. The gruyere can be a bit stinky but it is oh so yummy!
Thank you, thank you for this recipe! I made this recently for my grandson’s birthday celebration and my son said it was the best he had ever had. My husband has requested it for dinner again tomorrow. I used a combination of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and parmesan cheeses, as that is what I had on hand. I grated the cheeses – – – did not buy packaged. I think this makes a big difference.
I also added 1 tsp. Garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. Onion powder to the spices and used a bit less milk than the original recipe. It came out creamy and perfect! I am a mac & cheese addict.
This is by far the best that I’ve made or had. When cooking the cheese sauce, it could look like something has gone wrong when the cheese starts to melt and pull together like a sticky glob. Not to worry! Keep cooking and stirring on low heat (I added milk and 1/2 & 1/2 as I needed). Until it is smooth and creamy!
This recipe totally filled a 9×13 dish. I am happy that I placed my dish on a sheet pan lined with foil because it definitely ran over (mostly oil from the cheeses). Of course, that made it less fattening & greasy too! I also added about a tablespoon of smoked paprika and used gouda as one of my cheeses for that smokey taste.
Recipe For Mac & Cheese Bake
The top was crusty, inside very moist & cheesy. It sliced instead of being runny and it was soooo good! I found my love, this is it for Me!
Robert minster Greater Pittsburgh Area Controller at LSG Sky Chefs Food Production Skills: Financial Analysis, Budgeting, Inventory Management, Accounting, Supply Chain, Financial Reporting, Forecasting, Budgets, Cost Accounting, Finance, Process Improvement, Business Process., SAP, Auditing, Business Planning, Cross-functional Team., Internal Controls, Analysis, Variance Analysis, Managerial Finance, Leadership, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, ERP, Cash Flow, Mergers & Acquisitions Education: University of Pittsburgh - Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business 1989 – 1991 mba, MBA Robert Morris University 1971 – 1978 bs, accounting Experience: LSG Sky Chefs January 2015 – Present Marcegaglia-USA May 2013 – December 2014 Sensus, Inc. October 2011 – April 2013 Sensus Metering Systems August 2007 – April 2013 Sensus January 2010 – October 2011 Sensus August 2007 – October 2011 Resources Global Professionals 2007 – 2008 Stahls' 2003 – 2007 Stahls' Hotronix 2005 – 2006 Heinz U.S.A. Michael Meltzer Austin, Texas Demand Supply Sr.
MARGARITA KOSTENKOVA Greater New York City Area Sterling Realty, Broker Real Estate Skills: Real Estate, Real Estate Transactions, Buyer Representation, Investment Properties, Auditing, Property Management, Leases, Selling, Listings, Financial Analysis, Rentals, Sales, Valuation, Accounting, US GAAP Education: St John's University, NYC 2013 – 2015 Master of Science (M.S.), Accounting, GPA 3.5 Queens College 2010 – 2012 Bachelor's degree, Finance, GPA: 3.49 (major GPA: 3.88) Saratov State University of N.G. Chernishevskiy, Russia 2004 – 2008 Bachelor's degree, Major: Applied Informatics in Economics, GPA: 4.53/5.0 Experience: Sterling Realty Solutions Inc 2010 – Present BDO USA, LLP January 2014 – April 2014. Gregory Demas New York, New York Director of Finance & Strategic Planning at Popular Community Bank Financial Services Skills: Corporate Finance, Strategic Planning, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Business Intelligence, Team Building, Financial Reporting, Leadership, CRM, Analysis, Finance, Competitive Analysis, Strategic Financial., Salesforce.com, Financial Planning Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2001 – 2005 Finance Experience: Popular Community Bank August 2014 – Present J.P. Morgan August 2011 – August 2014 Rewards Network November 2009 – August 2011 Rewards Network April 2006 – November 2009 Wells Fargo Financial May 2005 – April 2006.
Preya Patel Bhakta Orange County, California Area President at P.S. Lets Eat, Inc. Josue Estrada-Laboy Cape Canaveral, Florida College graduate, reaching for the stars! Apparel & Fashion Skills: Alterations, Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction, Mathematics, Microsoft Word, Spanish, Window Displays, Store Layouts, Fashion, Fast Learner, Social Media, Problem Solving, Microsoft Office, Retail, Visual Merchandising Education: Art Institute of York 2010 – 2014 Bachelors, Fashion and Retail Management York County School of Technology 2006 – 2010 Diploma, Fashion/Apparel Design Experience: Finish Line August 2014 – Present Applebee's January 2014 – June 2014 Mister Car Wash March 2013 – January 2014 McDonald's August 2010 – January 2013.
Nadjoua moumen Portland, Oregon Area Sr. 14nm Layers process Engineer at Intel Corporation Semiconductors Skills: SPC, Design of Experiments, Semiconductors, Semiconductor Industry, Failure Analysis, Silicon, JMP, IC, Product Engineering, Yield, MEMS, Characterization, Etching, Photolithography, CMOS, Process Integration, Metrology Experience: Intel Sr.
14nm Layers process EngineerIntel CorporationApril 2014 – Present Intel Corporation August 2012 – Present Intel Corporation December 2010 – August 2012 Intel Corporation June 2006 – December 2009. Dianne O'Konski Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area Project Manager at Regions Hospital Hospital & Health Care Skills: Change Management, Project Management, Strategic Planning, Employee Relations, Process Improvement, Healthcare, Leadership, IT Management, Matrix Management, Employee Engagement, Management, Hospitals, Analysis Education: Coach U 2009 – 2009 CEG, Professional/Life Coaching University of St. Tony Yankovich Overland Park, Kansas Director at Mercury Associates, Inc. Dave Galvin Tampa/St.
Petersburg, Florida Area Dir. Network and Telecommunications at Pinellas County Schools Education Management Skills: Technology Integration, System Administration, Instructional Design, Windows, Troubleshooting, Instructional Technology, Network Administration, Network Design, Telecommunications Education: Florida State University 1979 – 1980 B.S., Management & Marketing University of South Florida Computer Programming/Programmer, General Experience: Pinellas County Schools July 2012 – Present Pinellas County Schools September 2000 – August 2012.
Ben Mixon Palm Bay, Florida Parts Sales Manager at Blue Diamond Parts Automotive Skills: Automotive, Customer Satisfaction, Parts, Vehicles, Automobile, Automotive Aftermarket, Warranty, Automotive Parts, Automotive Repair, Customer Retention, Dealer Management, Dealers, Fleet Management, Inventory Management, Profit Education: Cocoa Beach High School 1997 – 2001 Graduated with Honors Experience: Blue Diamond Parts June 2011 – Present Percepta April 2009 – June 2011 Percepta Creating customer loyalty for 15 years! May 2007 – April 2009. Bradford, Ph.D. Conesus, New York Philosopher. Marketing and Advertising Skills: Social Networking, Public Speaking, Teaching, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Publishing, Training, Social Media Marketing, Creative Writing, Copywriting, Project Management, Facebook, Marketing, Community Outreach, Advertising, Technical Writing, Copy Editing, Research, Critical Thinking, Stress Management, Treatment, Meditation, Proofreading, Content Development, SEO, Website Design Education: University of Iowa 1971 – 1977 Ph.D., Philosophy Ottawa Hills 1958 – 1963 Blair Blair Experience: Ironox Works, Inc. March 2004 – Present Ironox Works, Inc. January 2009 – Present SUNY Geneseo 1977 – 2009.
Darci Powell Charlotte, North Carolina Forensic Interviewer at Pat's Place Child Advocacy Center Mental Health Care Education: Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies 2007 – 2009 Postdoctorate, Health Policy University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2002 – 2007 Doctorate and Master's Degree, Sociology, Minor in Public Policy Williams College 1998 – 2002 Bachelor's Degree, Sociology Major with Honor's, Double Major in English Experience: Pat's Place Child Advocacy Center May 2014 – Present Thompson Child and Family Focus December 2012 – May 2014 Seneca Center 2010 – 2012 Seneca Center 2009 – 2010 Seneca Center 2008 – 2009 Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco 2007 – 2009 Visions Residency, Inc. 2008 – 2008 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2002 – 2007 Urban Institute Health Policy Center 2004 – 2004.
Laura Cejka Parkersburg, West Virginia Student at West Virginia University at Parkersburg Skills: Microsoft Office, Customer Service, Microsoft Excel, Management, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, Research, Project Management, Leadership, Mentoring Education: West Virginia University at Parkersburg 2015 – 2018 Regents Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Sociology, Communications, Cumulative 3.86 Lincoln Learning Center 2013 – 2013 Medical Office Practice, Medical Transcription, Billing, Coding, 4.0 Experience: AmeriCorps February 2015 – Present. Jamie Selfridge Fort Fairfield, Maine Teacher at Fort Fairfield Middle High School Primary/Secondary Education Skills: Classroom Management, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Development, Differentiated., Elementary Education, Educational Leadership, Literacy, Teaching Education: St. Joseph's College 2009 – 2013 Master of Science in Education, Administrative Leadership University of Maine at Presque Isle 2005 – 2007 Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Elementary Education and Teaching Acadia University 2001 – 2005 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology Experience: Fort Fairfield Middle High School August 2007 – Present. Powers San Antonio, Texas Area Executive Director Nonprofit Organization Management Skills: Event Planning, Program Development, Fundraising, Non-profits, Leadership, Event Management, Project Planning, Organizational.
Education: The University of Texas at San Antonio 2006 – 2007 Nonprofit Management University of Houston 1979 – 1982 BS, Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Mgmt Experience: Pay it Forward Ministries December 2010 – Present The Columbia Institute February 2010 – June 2010 Dress for Success San Antonio October 2008 – October 2009 San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce January 2006 – October 2008 MPSA, Inc. Wayne Picyk Vancouver, Canada Area Director Enablement Business Continuity at TELUS Telecommunications Skills: Telecommunications, Vendor Management, Project Planning, Cross-functional Team., Change Management, Network Design, Call Centers, VoIP, Team Building, Telephony, Process Improvement, Program Management, Project Management, Networking, Integration, IP, Customer Experience, Wireless, Managed Services, Team Leadership, Product Management Experience: None May 2012 – Present TELUS January 2006 – May 2012 TELUS January 1997 – December 2005. Pamela Zimmer Phoenix, Arizona Area Sr. Emma Taddeo Greater Boston Area Grant Writer / Development Nonprofit Organization Management Skills: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Healthcare, Data Entry, Outlook, Event Planning, Public Speaking, Research, Community Outreach, Nonprofits, Fundraising, Volunteer Management, Teaching, Event Management Education: Crewe and Alsager College, UK Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Performing Arts 1989 – 1992 West Cheshire College, England 1987 – 1989 A levels, Psychology, Theatre & Dance.
Jeff Hassel Reading, Pennsylvania Area MD at Reading Hospital and Medical Center Hospital & Health Care Skills: Medicine, EMR, Internal Medicine, Hospitals, Healthcare Information., Clinical Research, Healthcare, Healthcare Management, Family Medicine, EHR, Pediatrics, Physicians, Healthcare Consulting, Patient Safety, Physician Relations, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Epic Systems, Medical Education Education: Temple University School of Medicine 1972 – 1976 Doctor of Medicine (MD), Medicine Experience: Reading Hospital and Medical Center. Matthew Golder San Antonio, Texas Area Graduate of the University of Texas and Alumnus of Sigma Pi Fraternity Marketing and Advertising Skills: Quick Study, Customer Service, Microsoft Office, Social Media, Teamwork, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel Education: The University of Texas at Austin 2008 – 2012 Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Advertising The University of Texas at San Antonio 2007 – 2008 Experience: Chevron August 2015 – Present Apache Corporation September 2014 – October 2014 West Corporation May 2014 – June 2014. Steven Kraft Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area Sales at Select Biomedical Medical Devices Skills: Advertising, Marketing, Account Management, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Cold Calling, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Communications, New Business Development, Email Marketing, Customer Service, B2B, Social Media, Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, Lead Generation, Strategic Planning, Microsoft Office, Market Research Education: The University of North Dakota 2005 – 2010 Bachelor's degree, Marketing Experience: Select Biomedical January 2012 – Present Minuteman Press February 2011 – January 2012. Brady Bedingfield Greater Atlanta Area Advanced Business Analyst at AGCO Corporation Information Technology and Services Skills: Project Management, Training, Learning Management., E-Learning, Databases, SQL, Technical Support, CSS, Visio, Cross-functional Team., Business Analysis, HTML, Integration, Management, Process Improvement, SharePoint, Human Resources, Security, SDLC, ETL, Requirements Gathering, Change Management, Product Development, ERP, Business Process. Education: Clayton State University A.A.S., Computer Network Technology Georgia Institute of Technology Certificate, IT Project Management Georgia State University B.B.A, Computer Information Systems Experience: AGCO Corporation July 2013 – November 2014 AGCO Corporation September 2010 – July 2013 AGCO Corporation March 2007 – September 2010 AGCO Corporation June 2006 – March 2007 AGCO Corporation November 2003 – June 2006 Standard, AGCO Corporation March 2002 – November 2003.
Colin Stage Griffith, Indiana Guitar Instructor at Columbia College Chicago/Andy's Music Education Management Skills: Teaching, Music Education, Music Theory, Guitar, Music, Composition, Teachers, Public Speaking, Guitarist, Classical, Songwriting, Recording, Singing, Band, Music Production, Improvisation, Piano, PowerPoint, Elementary Education, Research, Lessons, Jazz, Rock, Bass, Ensemble, Event Planning, Vocal, Finale, Classical Guitar, Lesson Planning, Music Performance, Blues, Musical Theatre Experience: Columbia College Chicago/Andy's Music May 2009 – Present. Ray Rickards Greater New York City Area President at Oak Hotels, Inc. Hospitality Skills: Marketing Strategy, Hospitality Industry, Food & Beverage, Resorts, Revenue Analysis, Hotel Management, Hospitality, Hospitality Management, Yield Management, Hotels, Sales, Pre-opening, Tourism, Front Office, Catering, Leisure, Restaurant Management, Banquets, Restaurants, P&L, Meeting Planning, Trade Shows, Food, Fine Dining, Menu Development, Food Service, Customer Satisfaction, Cost Control, Event Management, Hiring, Budgets Experience: Oak Hotels, Inc. PresidentOak Hotels / Days Inn - Scottsdale2004 – Present Oak hotels, Inc 2000 – Present.