Baked Macaroni and Cheese

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Total: 50 min
  • Active: 25 min
Advertisement

Ingredients

Macaroni:

Unsalted butter, for the dish

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 pound elbow macaroni with ridges 

Cheese Sauce:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 cups milk 

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar 

Topping:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted 

Directions

  1. For the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
  2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
  3. For the cheese sauce: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
  4. For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened.
  5. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Anonymous

I made some changes based on others reviews. I doubled the sauce recipe and used 2cups sharp cheddar, 2cups Gouda, 2cups half n half, 2 cups 1%milk. I used only 1/2tsp salt because I used salted butter and that seemed like plenty. I put in a little nutmeg and dry mustard. I also doubled the bread crumb topping. With these modifications my family rated it 10/10.

See All Reviews