Creamy Scratch-Made Baked Mac and Cheese

A simple stovetop roux builds a smooth base for Creamy Scratch-Made Baked Mac and Cheese without relying on heavy cream. The butter and freshly grated cheeses provide enough fat on their own. This setup yields four main servings and finishes in the oven at 350°F (180°C).

Setting up the kitchen

You need a large pot of boiling water and a hot oven to begin. Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) right away. This temperature gives the casserole a light golden top without drying out the center.

Preparing the pasta

Elbow macaroni is the standard choice, but short shapes like penne, ziti, or twirls work just as well. You need to cook the noodles for one minute less than the package directs.

Drain the water and immediately toss the hot noodles with butter. The butter creates a protective film over the pasta. This barrier stops the noodles from bloating. You must let the butter-coated pasta cool before you mix it with the sauce. If you mix hot pasta directly into the cheese liquid, the noodles absorb too much moisture.

The cheese sauce

Shredding your own blocks of cheese guarantees a smoother sauce. Packaged shreds are coated in powders to stop clumping, and these additions will make the final liquid grainy. Gruyere yields a strong flavor and melts smoothly. Mozzarella provides a stretch effect when melted. If you want to use other melting cheeses, you can swap out the Gruyere or mozzarella for cheddar, tasty, Emmental, or Swiss.

A traditional roux thickens the base.

Melt your butter in a 9-inch (26 cm) pan over medium heat and stir in the plain flour. Cook this mixture for exactly one minute while stirring constantly.

Pour warm milk into the pan slowly. You must whisk the liquid constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the sauce for five to eight minutes. The liquid is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon. You should be able to draw a clear line through the sauce with your finger.

Take the pan off the heat entirely before you add the shredded cheese. Stir the cheese in gently. You do not need heavy cream here. The butter and cheese supply all the necessary fat, and adding extra cream makes the dish overly heavy.

Right before pouring the cheese base over the cooled pasta, you can stir in a few optional extras. Feel free to mix in bacon, bell peppers, hot sauce, dried herbs, sautéed onions, or shredded chicken.

Choosing the baking dish

To get the correct depth for one normal recipe, use a 2.5-quart baking dish. Pouring this standard amount into a 9x13-inch pan makes the casserole layer far too thin. You should only use a 9x13-inch pan when you multiply all the ingredients by two.

Pour the cheese liquid over the cooled noodles and stir them together quickly. Scrape the entire mixture into your baking dish.

Panko breadcrumbs create a crunchy topping because of their large size. You can swap in normal breadcrumbs if you do not have panko. Scatter the breadcrumb and melted butter mixture evenly across the surface.

Bake the assembled dish just until the top turns light golden. This takes about 25 minutes. Do not leave the pan in the oven for too long. If you leave the pan in the oven for too long, the moisture evaporates and the pasta dries out completely.

Make-ahead steps and leftovers

You can assemble this meal ahead of time. Mix the cooled pasta with the sauce and the breadcrumb topping. You can then refrigerate or freeze the dish without baking it.

When you are ready to cook, bake the refrigerated or fully thawed dish covered with foil. Keep the foil on for 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Store any baked leftovers in the refrigerator for three to five days. You can reheat individual portions by warming them in the microwave. Spray the top with a little oil or butter and place the portion under a broiler to crisp the breadcrumbs again.

What to serve with it

You can divide this recipe into six servings as a side dish or four servings as a main dish.

• Serve the main course portion with a side of vegetables or a basic leafy salad.
• As a side dish, offer this alongside steaks, heavy roasted meats, or oven-cooked pork chops.
• Avoid serving this alongside very light meals like raw seafood.

Garnish the plates with fresh chopped parsley just before eating.