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Homemade Baked Creamy Mac and Cheese
Hey everyone! A traditional mac and cheese recipe definitely screams comfort food to me. I've grown to love it so much! I just truly enjoy the combination of cheeses, that rich and thick bechamel sauce, and topping it off with buttery breadcrumbs and watching it bake in the oven. That crispy crust at the end really finishes this simple dish to an exquisite level. With that being said, I'm so excited to share this simple yet delightful baked mac and cheese recipe with bechamel sauce. We're not going to lay off on the cheesiness in this recipe! This will be absolutely super cheesy and satisfy you with every bite!
I didn’t have mac and cheese until I came to Canada. I had heard a lot about it and it always looked so delicious! I had always leaned toward a preference for baked mac and cheese than stove-top. I just love the crust that really completes the dish. Of course I love the sauciness and convenience of a stove-top mac, but I really enjoy making the baked casserole version!
This recipe will show you how to make mac and cheese that’s simple but so tasty! I use cheddar and mozzarella cheese for the sauce and make the crust using Panko breadcrumbs and some extra cheese and olive oil. These simple ingredients combined will give you the ultimate mac and cheese with so much flavor and so much cheese! Be sure to give it a try, you'll want this over and over again as your comfort food of choice!
Get ready to cuddle up with a bowl of this mac and cheese and make your new go-to comfort food with this baked mac and cheese with roux! For all the details, be sure to watch the video recipe! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! I’m so happy to share the videos to go along with the written recipes so you’ve got everything you need for guaranteed success in your cooking journey! Let’s get started!
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Ultimate Creamy Mac and Cheese
This recipe is a classic and doesn’t require anything you probably don’t already have at home! Let’s review what you’ll need for the best baked creamy Mac and Cheese at home! Don’t forget that the full PRINTABLE RECIPE is available for you to save for later at the bottom of this post! The recipe card is great because you can scale the recipe based on how many portions you want to make, and all quantities are automatically adjusted - no need for mental math on your end!
- Elbow macaroni
- Old cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Ground nutmeg
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
Tips for the Best Baked Creamy Mac and Cheese
Well Seasoned Water
A lot of people make the mistake of not seasoning the water before cooking their pasta. Seasoning it after the fact will result in a much less flavorful dish overall. The only time to season pasta is while it is cooking, so that the salt can disperse evenly throughout. It is definitely possible to over season the pasta water so it is important to have an idea of how much salt to add. For 1 pound of pasta, add about 2 Tbsp of salt to 4 quarts (16 Cups) of water.
A Smooth, Cheesy Bechamel Sauce
Bechamel sauce is so easy to make! For more details check out my Classic Béchamel White Sauce recipe! There is a misconception that a bechamel sauce also consists of cheese, which is inaccurate. The traditional French bechamel is just made with butter, flour and milk. The addition of cheddar cheese turns it into an English version of a classic French Mornay sauce (which is traditionally made with Gruyère). The secret to a smooth sauce is to sauté the roux until it smells slightly nutty and the rawness of the flour cooks off. Next, cold milk is crucial to ensure no lumps. Add the milk in parts and whisk to bring the mixture together until you have used all of your milk. Next, once the béchamel comes up to a simmer, gently cook until it thickens and evenly coats the back of a spoon. Then, take the pan off the heat and add the cheese in small batches. Mix well to ensure the sauce accepts the cheese and remains smooth and cheesy.
Lots of Cheese!
This is the dish where you go all out on the cheese, after all it is called a Mac and Cheese. The finished dish should be a rich, creamy and decadent casserole, so let the treat begin.
Variety of Cheeses
I always find myself using two of my favorite cheese for my mac and cheese, mozzarella and old cheddar, which some might say is not adventurous - but I like the flavor so much. Other cheeses I want to try include gruyère, Swiss cheese and Gouda, which from what I’ve heard are great in a Mac and Cheese. Let me know which one is your favorite down below!
Crispy Crust
A crispy cheese crust is great to add an additional texture to the Mac and Cheese. I enjoy topping the casserole with additional cheddar, mozzarella and Panko breadcrumbs, drizzled with some olive oil. 30 minutes in the oven these toppings meld together into the most beautiful crust.
Go Crazy with Mac and Cheese Variations.
There are no rules when it comes to mac and cheese. Just remember 3 essential elements. Pasta, cheese sauce and toppings. I have use this simple rule to make so many delicious variations and fusion Mac and Cheese dishes. Check out some of these recipes here:
- Baked Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
- Ultimate Butter Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese with Chili Garlic Butter
How to Make Baked Creamy Mac and Cheese
How to Make Bechamel Sauce for Macaroni and Cheese
Heat a pan on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter melts, mix in the flour and whisk for 2-3 mins until the rawness of the flour is cooked out. The roux will begin to smell nutty, which is a good indicator
Pour in your milk, little bit at a time while whisking to work out any lumps. Once all your milk is mixed in, wait until your sauce starts to come up to a simmer.
As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Once the béchamel is thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Bring the pan off the heat and add in 4 1/2 oz of cheddar and 1 1/2 oz of mozzarella and mix until the cheese melts. Your cheese sauce is ready.
To Prepare the Mac and Cheese
Bring water to boil in a large pot for your pasta and add salt and cook macaroni as per packaged instructions.
Mix in your macaroni with the cheese sauce and transfer into an oven safe dish or casserole and sprinkle the rest of your cheese, Panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake in the oven at 350 F for 25-30 mins.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What cheeses make the best mac and cheese?▼
Sharp old cheddar is the backbone here, melted into the béchamel with a little mozzarella for that stretchy pull. For the topping I love a smoked applewood cheddar or Parmesan — the mix of a flavorful melting cheese and a sharp finishing one is what makes it taste so rich.
What pasta should I use?▼
About 1½ cups of elbow macaroni, cooked in well-salted water. The little curves catch and hold the cheese sauce, which is exactly what you want in a baked mac and cheese.
Why is there nutmeg in the cheese sauce?▼
Just a quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg goes into the béchamel with the salt and pepper. You won't taste it on its own, but it's a classic white-sauce touch that quietly rounds out and deepens all that cheese.
What temperature and how long do you bake it?▼
Bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes. Before it goes in, scatter the top with extra cheese, panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil — that's what gives you the golden, crispy crust over the creamy middle.
This Is a Bechamel Mac and Cheese - No Cream, No Eggs, No Evaporated Milk
Plenty of baked mac recipes lean on heavy cream, evaporated milk or a beaten egg to set the dish like a custard. Mine does none of that. The only liquid in the sauce is 1 1/2 cups of cold milk, whisked a little at a time into a roux of 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Whole milk gives the richest result, but skim milk works too - the bechamel will be thinner, so let it simmer a minute longer until it coats the back of a spoon. There is no dijon mustard in here either, and no parsley. The only seasonings are 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, salt and pepper. Nutmeg is the classic bechamel seasoning, and it is what makes creamy sauces like this one taste finished rather than simply cheesy.
Which Cheese to Use, and Why I Never Buy Pre-Shredded
This mac uses two cheeses in the sauce and three in the dish. Off the heat, 4 1/2 oz of old cheddar and 1 1/2 oz of mozzarella melt into the bechamel. Another 1/3 cup of old cheddar, 1/3 cup of mozzarella and a scattering of smoked applewood cheddar go on top before it bakes. Grate them yourself: pre-shredded cheese is dusted with starch so it does not clump in the bag, and that starch is exactly what turns a smooth sauce grainy.
If you want to use a different cheese, keep one sharp one and one stretchy one and you will not go wrong. Sharp cheddar or white cheddar stand in for the old cheddar directly. Gruyere melts almost identically and tastes slightly nuttier, aged gouda is sharp and melts well, and parmesan cheese works if you use a little less because it is saltier. Monterey jack, colby-jack cheese and fontina are all mild, generous melters in place of the mozzarella, and pepper jack does the same job while adding heat. That flexibility is a large part of why this is the best mac in my rotation, and why so many readers tell me this homemade mac became a keeper.
Elbow Pasta, Al Dente, and How to Get a Crispy Top
Use 1 1/2 cups of elbow pasta and cook it in properly salted water. Pull it al dente, a minute short of what the packet says, because it carries on cooking in the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes. Drain it well, as water clinging to the pasta will thin your sauce. Stir the macaroni through the cheese sauce off the heat, then transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish, scatter over the remaining cheese and 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake uncovered at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not reach for foil: it traps steam and you will lose the crispy top entirely. If you would rather have a stovetop mac, simply stop once the macaroni is stirred into the sauce, because it is already creamy at that point. No panko in the cupboard? Regular breadcrumbs give a denser, less crisp crust, and crushed crackers such as ritz crackers deliver a similar crunch with a little extra salt.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Move leftovers into an airtight container, or press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface of whatever is left in the baking dish, and keep it in the fridge for three to four days. The bechamel tightens as it chills, so when you reheat a portion in the microwave, stir in a splash of milk first and it will loosen straight back to its original texture. If you want the crust crisp again rather than soft, reheat it in a 350 F oven instead.
What I Serve With Baked Mac and Cheese
This recipe makes four servings, which is a generous side portion rather than four dinners. It is very good next to a seared steak, and it holds its own beside roast chicken or a tray of crisp potatoes. If you want to turn it into a main, crumble cooked bacon over the top along with the panko before it goes into the oven, because the smokiness plays off the smoked applewood cheddar already up there.
If you liked this recipe please let me know in the comments. Tag your post on social media using #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Creamy, cheesy, and baked to golden perfection — this mac and cheese recipe is pure comfort food bliss. Get the ultimate baked mac and cheese that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Oven-baked
5.0 · 3 ratings
5 min
Prep
50 min
Cook
55 min
Total
4
servings
medium
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the béchamel cheese sauce
Instructions
For the béchamel cheese sauce
- 1
Heat a pan on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter melts, mix in the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until the raw taste of the flour is cooked out. The roux will begin to smell nutty, which is a good indicator
Heat a pan on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter melts, mix in the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until the raw taste of the flour is cooked out. The roux will begin to smell nutty, which is a good indicator
- 2
Pour in your milk, little bit at a time while whisking to work out any lumps. Once all your milk is mixed in, wait until your sauce starts to come up to a simmer.
Pour in your milk, little bit at a time while whisking to work out any lumps. Once all your milk is mixed in, wait until your sauce starts to come up to a simmer.
- 3
As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Once the béchamel is thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Once the béchamel is thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- 4
Bring the pan off the heat and add in 4.5 oz of cheddar and 1.5 oz of mozzarella and mix until the cheese melts. Your cheese sauce is ready.
Bring the pan off the heat and add in 4.5 oz of cheddar and 1.5 oz of mozzarella and mix until the cheese melts. Your cheese sauce is ready.
To prepare the mac and cheese
- 1
Bring water to a boil in a large pot for your pasta and add salt and cook macaroni as per packaged instructions.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot for your pasta and add salt and cook macaroni as per packaged instructions.
- 2
Mix in your macaroni with the cheese sauce and transfer into an oven safe dish or casserole and sprinkle the rest of your cheese, Panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix in your macaroni with the cheese sauce and transfer into an oven safe dish or casserole and sprinkle the rest of your cheese, Panko breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
- 3
Bake in the oven at 350 F for 25-30 mins, serve immediately.
Bake in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 25-30 mins, serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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2 comments
Can I use regular mild shredded cheddar cheese instead of old cheddar?
hey Hailey, of course you can if that's what you prefer! Let me know if you have any other questions!
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