Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Baked mac and cheese with cheddar, Gruyère, and a crispy panko topping. An easy, creamy baked macaroni and cheese that’s a comfort-food favorite.
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I’m a corner-piece person when it comes to baked mac and cheese. I want the creamy pasta, of course, but I also want as much of that panko crust as I can get. I usually make it as a side, but we’ve definitely eaten it out of the baking dish and then realized it’s dinner. I used to make baked macaroni and cheese with just cheddar, and I had no complaints. Then I added Gruyère, and now I don’t want to leave it out. The sauce is creamier with both, but I still get the cheddar flavor I want. I add a little Dijon, too. Not enough to taste mustardy, just enough that the cheese sauce tastes a little flat without it.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
I liked the flavor of cheddar on its own, but the sauce wasn’t quite as smooth as I wanted for this baked mac and cheese. Adding Gruyère got it there, so I’m keeping both. I also grate the cheese myself. I know the bag is easier, but that coating on pre-shredded cheese can leave the sauce a little grainy, and I’d rather spend a few minutes grating than deal with that.
I let the sauce boil too hard after adding the cheese once, and it split and went grainy. There wasn’t any creamy cheese sauce happening at that point. So I turn the heat way down or take the pan off the heat before stirring in the cheese and give it time to melt.
The pasta still needs a little bite when I drain it because it’s going into the oven next. And I liked panko better than regular breadcrumbs for the top. It gets lighter and crunchier, which is what I want if I’m going after that corner piece.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Baked Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients
- Macaroni: Elbow macaroni is classic for mac and cheese, but you can also use shells or another small shape. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time according to the box instructions.
- Cheese: I use a combination of cheddar and Gruyére. If you can’t find Gruyére, fontina is a good substitute. For the smoothest sauce, shred the cheese from blocks rather than using pre-shredded.
- Sauce base: Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and 2% milk make the base of the cheese sauce. You can also use whole milk.
- Dijon mustard: You can use regular yellow mustard if that’s what you have.
- Breadcrumbs: I use panko breadcrumbs, but you can also use homemade breadcrumbs or even crushed-up butter crackers.
- Seasoning: Just salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Baked Macaroni and Cheese
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make easy, creamy Baked Mac and Cheese. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Baked Mac and Cheese recipe below
1. Whisk the butter and flour
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour until the mixture is combined and golden.
2. Pour in the milk
Slowly add the milk while whisking, breaking up any flour clumps so the mixture looks smooth. Then, add the Dijon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, whisking occasionally until the sauce thickens.
3. Add the cheese & seasoning
Once the milk mixture thickens, add the shredded cheddar and Gruyère.
4. Stir until smooth
Keep the heat low and stir until the cheese melts and there are no visible shreds left in the sauce.
5. Add the cooked macaroni
Add the cooked, drained pasta into the cheese sauce. It should still hold its shape rather than being soft.
6. Coat the pasta
Fold everything together, reaching the bottom of the pan so all the macaroni gets coated.
7. Transfer to Baking Dish
Spread the pasta and sauce in the buttered baking dish, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the surface.
8. Bake the Mac and Cheese
The topping should be golden, with sauce bubbling around the edges. Add parsley before serving if you’d like.
Full Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for buttering pan
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 11-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool.
- In another large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, then add the flour to make the roux. Whisk the flour and butter until they are combined and golden, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour the milk, whisking as you pour. Add the Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, whisking occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5–7 minutes.
- Stir in the cheeses, then fold in the pasta. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden and the edges are bubbly, about 20–25 minutes.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Broccoli. Fold in 1 cup of lightly steamed, well-drained broccoli florets with the macaroni. Cut them small, so they’re easy to scoop with the pasta.
- Chicken. Add 1 cup of cooked shredded chicken when combining the pasta and sauce. It should already be cooked before going into the baking dish.
- Peas. Stir in ½ cup of thawed, drained peas with the macaroni before baking.
Recipe Tips
- Cook pasta al dente, or two minutes shy of the recommended cooking time. You want the pasta to be slightly undercooked because it’s going to continue to bake in the sauce in the oven. If you overcook it on the stovetop first, it will likely get too mushy and break apart while baking.
- Cool the pasta before tossing it in the sauce. Normally, you want to immediately coat the warm pasta in the sauce. But doing so for baked macaroni and cheese can cause the elbow macaroni to absorb too much of the sauce and get soggy after cooking. I recommend rinsing the pasta after cooking, draining it, and letting it cool while you make the cheese sauce.
- Add the milk a little at a time. Whisk the first splash into the butter and flour until smooth before pouring in more. This makes it easier to catch lumps before the pan fills up.
Serving Ideas
- Add a vegetable side: I usually keep it simple with air fryer broccoli, air fryer asparagus, or air fryer Brussel sprouts. I like using the air fryer because the mac and cheese is already using the stovetop and the oven!
- Pair with a salad: I like having something cool and crunchy alongside the hot pasta, like my Mediterranean chopped salad or green bean salad.
- Serve with bread: Everyone likes having something to sop up the extra cheese sauce! Try my garlic cheese bread or air fryer bread.
Troubleshooting
The heat may have been too high when the cheese went in. Let the thickened milk mixture settle to a gentle simmer before adding the cheese, and keep the heat low as you stir. Freshly shredded cheese also tends to melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
You may have baked the pasta for too long, or let the sauce thicken too much on the stove. Stop simmering once the sauce thickens and transfer all of it to the baking dish with the pasta. Start checking the dish at 20 minutes.
Yes! Assemble the pasta and sauce in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Leave the panko off until you’re ready to bake. The cold dish will need extra baking time; cover it loosely with foil while it heats through, then uncover so the topping can brown. Follow your baking dish manufacturer’s guidance about moving a cold dish into a hot oven.
Comments
simple and fantastic taste
Yay! So happy you liked it!!
Mine did not come out creamy. I followed the directions exactly, but the cheeses and sauce did not emulsify together.
What could I have done wrong to cause this?
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear that. Any chance you used store-bought shredded cheese? Packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents, which can prevent the cheese from melting efficiently and sticking together in the sauce.
Did this recipe last night and the entire family loved it!! Will be doing this recipe for all holidays now
So glad it was a hit!
i stumbled upon some sharp white cheddar in the fridge and decided to use it up on this recipe and it was amazing! i added some garlic, onion, and white pepper powder to the roux and used half n half w heavy cream and it was amazingly creamy and delicious! thanks yumna! ❤️
OO love this!! Sounds so good!
Hi – can this recipe be doubled? Should it cook similarly to recipe?
Hi there! Yes, this should be fine to double but I would recommend dividing it between two separate 8 by 12-inch baking dishes so that it bakes evenly in the directed time.
It was so amazing! Everyone loved it! I couldn’t find gruyere but substituted it with Swiss cheese as one of the tips stated, and it worked so well!
Thank you so much, Latifeh!
Delicious and classic. I really appreciated the tips you gave -had no idea about the difference in packaged shredded cheese and hand shredded. I think it made a real difference in how tasty it turned out. Thanks!
You’re so welcome!
not a very good cook but im going to attempt this recipe will let you know result good or bad haha ,ps good or bad by me not you
You’ve got this Eddie! I am sure it is going to turn out great!
I never had bake macaroni and cheese before
Let me know what you think if you give this recipe try!
Just made this. I used whole wheat pastry flour because that’s what I had. Or so I thought. I remembered that I did have all-purpose flour after I had already added the pastry flour to the melted butter. I also used unsweetened almond milk instead of 2% milk. Despite the fact that it smelled like I was baking cookies, it still came out delicious. Excited to try it again using the right ingredients.
That’s perfect! I’m glad to hear it works with whole wheat pastry flour too. Let me know what you think the next time you try it!
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