Creamy, cheesy and delicious this Homemade Baked Mac & Cheese is a delicious weeknight dinner recipe that feeds a crowd and is completely addicting.
When it comes to Mac and cheese recipes we go big or go home. We adore macaroni and cheese around this house. I think if my daughter had her choice she would eat it all day every day.
Now I’m one who loves to add some hot dogs in their Mac and cheese, but this Homemade Baked Mac & Cheese doesn’t need any additions it’s just that good.
I hate how when you make Mac and cheese that it seems like the liquid all evaporates and you’re left with nothing but sticky and dry noodles with a cheese flavor.
When I was testing recipes for Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese I knew that I wanted mine super creamy and super cheesy and this recipe seriously fit the bill!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED?
- Elbow macaroni
- Cheeses
- Butter
- Flour
- Pepper
- Cayenne
- Paprika
- Milk
- Salt
We used three different cheeses in our recipe and those included Colby, cheddar and mozzarella. I mean how can you have Mac and cheese and just use one cheese?!? Amiright?
With this recipe I am going to tell you that it will look like a LOT of liquid, trust me that is the way that you want it! The noodles will soak up all that goodness and you will be left with a perfectly baked meal that is creamy and cheesy.
HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED MAC AND CHEESE?
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.
- In large pot melt butter and then stir in your flour, pepper, cayenne and paprika.
- Slowly add in your milk until slightly thickened.
- Add in your cheeses one at a time, making sure each is melted before the next addition.
- Stir in your noodles then add some salt and pepper to taste (this is a personal preference as to how much you want to add).
- Pour into a 9″x13″ baking dish and then sprinkle with more cheese.
- Bake in oven 30-40 minutes until thickened and cheese is melted.
This recipe is super easy and is the perfect weeknight meal. My kids absolutely adored it! They couldn’t stop asking for more. And if you really want to get fancy, go ahead and add those chopped up hot dogs, you now you want to.
I’m just kidding…or am I? So being from Minnesota we really love SPAM, I know I know there are so many opinions about SPAM but I’m going to tell you straight up that we love it!
We love it so much we make SPAM sandwiches, Mac and cheese and even put it in our fried rice. So if you’re feeling really adventurous add it into this Baked Mac & Cheese would be EPIC!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
Homemade Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 4 1/2 cup milk
- 8 oz Colby cheese shredded from block
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded from block and divided
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded from block and divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook noodles according to package directions, set aside.
- In large pot, melt your butter and then whisk in your flour, pepper, cayenne and paprika.
- Slowly whisk in your milk until slightly thickened.
- Add in your cheeses one at a time starting with 8 oz shredded Colby, then 4 oz shredded cheddar and lastly 4 oz shredded mozzarella and stir until melted and smooth.
- Add in your noodles and stir to coat.
- It will be really liquidy, it is supposed to be that way so don't worry about it!
- Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper to taste for your liking.
- Pour into a 9"x13" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until thickened and cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Cathy
Could I use preshredded cheese for this? My store doesn’t carry Colby in brick form but it is in the “Tex mex” preshredded cheese mix
Tornadough Alli
You can, it just melts better when you shred it yourself.
Lisa C
This just replaced my long standing family recipe! Yummm
Stephanie
Will it be OK if I don’t include the cayenne pepper?
Tornadough Alli
Yes you can absolutely leave that out.
Kelsy
My family (especially my husband) was very pleased with the recipe! This will be a new weekly meal/side for us.
JoAnn
Great recipe!
Heidi
Great recipe…
Made it and love it.
Marcia
Can I use evaporated milk instead of milk?
Tornadough Alli
I don’t think that would be an issue, I’ve never tried it, but well you really need is that liquid consistency.
Deedee
This recipe is a hit! I first made it for my boyfriends potluck at work. Made it a second time for my potluck at work. Both times all of it was GONE! Everyone loved it. I will be making it a third time for Thanksgiving and I am sure my family will love it! One for the keeps!
Tornadough Alli
Yay! I’m so happy that you guys all loved it! It’s a hit in our house for sure. Thank you for taking the time to come and comment and let me know!
Chyann
Found your recipe on Pinterest! Just made this for thanksgiving tomorrow. Any tips for rehearing it day of? Tastes and looks so yummy! Can’t wait to share it w/ my boyfriends fam…. who I’m meeting for the first time 😅
Tornadough Alli
So happy you stopped by to comment! We’ve never reheated it ourselves because it always gets devoured right away. I would suggest putting the oven on a low/warm setting until it’s heated through. I would think heating it at any higher level would soak up more of the liquid and make the noodles soggy. I hope that helps 🙂
Chyann
Thank you, I will give that a try! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Sarah
Made this and my family loved every bit! I’m curious if I could make this in a crock pot?
Tornadough Alli
I’m so happy you guys loved it! I haven’t made this exact recipe in a crockpot, but we do have a slow cooker Mac and cheese you might want to try, you can find it here: https://tornadoughalli.com/slow-cooker-mac-and-cheese/
Danielle
Can this be assembled in the morning and baked that afternoon? If so, any recommendations to ensure the same outcome as baking it immediately?
Tornadough Alli
I haven’t made it ahead of time, but my recommendations would be to undercook the noodles, the risk here would be the noodles soaking up too much liquid and becoming mushy. Also, it may take a little longer to bake since I’m assuming it will be refrigerated until ready to bake.
Esha
Turned out GOOD, my first time making Mac and Cheese.
Lori Bailey
Making this soon! My little nieces and nephews will love it!
Bree
This looks so tasty! My family loves Mac n cheese so we will have to try this!
Kimberly
Absolute perfection, I need a large serving of this right now!
Julie Blanner
There’s nothing better! I threw some Cheetos on top before baking and my kids were in heaven!
Jaide
Macaroni and cheese is my favorite! I know what I’m making for dinner!
Rachael Yerkes
Hello perfect fall comfort food! This is one the whole family loves!