Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Easiest ever baked macaroni and cheese! This is a go-to recipe for many of my readers and it will become the same for your family!
How long it takes: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking dish
Servings: 6
This is the easiest ever macaroni and cheese! And so delicious! Baked mac and cheese is a total crowd pleaser. This is a great recipe for busy weeknight meals but also for entertaining.
Enjoy one of our family’s favorite meals! I grew up eating this macaroni and cheese and it was always a special day when my mom prepared it. Now I love serving it to my family and I especially love how easy it is to prepare. I’m sure you will too!
easy baked macaroni and cheese
Classic mac & cheese. This baked macaroni and cheese is made like Grandma used to make it, the old-fashioned, baked-in-a-casserole-dish style. (If you’re looking for a creamy, non-baked recipe, you’ll probably love stovetop mac and cheese, crockpot mac and cheese, or Instant Pot macaroni and cheese.)
Crispy top. I just love this baked macaroni and cheese. It’s a little bit chewier, with lots of great cheddar cheese flavor, and I especially love the way the top crisps up in the oven. This type of macaroni and cheese can be cut into squares to serve.
So easy! You just boil pasta, mix with grated cheese, a couple tablespoons of flour, and seasonings, put it in a casserole dish, and pour the milk over it. That’s it! There’s no messing with white sauces or tricky steps.
Can be prepped ahead. You can get this macaroni and cheese ready to bake ahead of time, and refrigerate it overnight. It’s ready to bake when you want it. It’s perfect for potlucks!
“This is hands down my favorite mac and cheese recipe of all times…it always comes out delicious and my husband loves it.”
Ingredient Notes
This macaroni and cheese casserole has very simple ingredients and lots of room to adapt the recipe to make it your own.
- Elbow macaroni: Other shapes will work, as will whole wheat pasta. I haven’t tested this with a gluten-free pasta, but it would probably work although the texture would be slightly different.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: We like extra sharp cheddar but you can use what you like best. You’ll need 16 ounces of cheese, or about 4 cups.
- Flour: A couple tablespoons of all-purpose flour helps the mac and cheese thicken up.
- Milk: I’ve used whole milk, 2%, and nonfat milk. They’ll all work but I recommend whole milk for the best mac & cheese.
- Salt, black pepper, ground mustard: Simple pantry seasonings that are almost optional. You won’t need a lot of salt since the cheese is quite salty. Add black pepper if you like it. The ground mustard adds depth to the flavor but again, if you don’t have it, it can be skipped or you can even add a dash of Dijon mustard.
- Butter: A few dabs of butter on top of the casserole gives you that golden brown top on the macaroni and cheese!
How to make baked macaroni and cheese
This recipe is the best because it’s SO easy to make. There’s no fussing with a roux or a cheese sauce.
Here are the simple steps:
- Preheat your oven and spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (or rub with butter) for easy clean up.
- Cook pasta as directed on the package for al dente texture (don’t forget to salt your water!).
- While the macaroni cooks, combine 2 ½ cups of shredded cheese with the flour, ground mustard, and pepper.
- When the pasta is cooked and drained, mix it with the cheese mixture.
- Transfer it to your casserole dish, and pour the milk over the macaroni mixture. Top with remaining cheese and dot with butter. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes, taking foil off after 30 minutes if desired for a crispier top.
- Most of the milk should be soaked up by the time it is done cooking, but I find it’s best to let the mac and cheese casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
Choose the right kind of cheese. For this recipe, sharp cheddar is best. I actually use extra sharp cheddar because it provides this macaroni and cheese with the maximum amount of flavor.
Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives to prevent clumping in the bag but that also means the cheese shreds don’t melt as well. However, if all you have is pre-shredded cheese, don’t worry, your mac and cheese will still be tasty. It might be a little drier though.
Cover with foil. I recommend covering the casserole with foil for at least the first 30 minutes, or even the entire time. If you like a crispy, chewy top, then uncover it sooner.
Add a topping if you like. Instead of, or maybe in addition to, the layer of melted cheese on top, you can add a crispy breadcrumb topping. Mix 1 cup of panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. You could also add a couple tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the top of the casserole before baking.
The mac and cheese casserole can be prepped a day ahead (up to baking). Cover it with foil and refrigerate it. Bake according to the instructions. You might need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time since the casserole is chilled.
Refrigerate/Freeze: If you have leftover mac and cheese, cover it and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw before reheating.
Reheat: Microwave the mac and cheese at medium heat. Watch out, it heats up quickly!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
Easiest Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 ounces) elbow macaroni (4 cups)
- 16 ounces sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 cups low-fat milk (whole milk or 2% milk are fine, too)
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in the center. Spray or grease a large casserole dish or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Cook macaroni in salted water, as directed on the package, until tender; drain.1 box (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
- While macaroni is cooking, combine 2 ½ cups shredded cheese with flour, salt, pepper, and ground mustard.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- In a large bowl, mix cheese mixture into the hot macaroni. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Pour milk over macaroni. Top with remaining 1 ½ cups cheese. Dot with butter. Cover tightly with foil.2 cups low-fat milk, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Bake for 45 minutes (taking the foil off after 30 minutes if desired) or until firm and golden brown. You want to make sure there isn’t a lot of runny milk in it; poke a knife in the center to check. Some of the milk will soak in as it cools but it should be mostly absorbed.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to firm up.
Notes
- Cheese: Use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar for best flavor.
- Variations: Whole wheat elbow macaroni can be substituted. If desired, add 3 tablespoons minced onion.
- Bread crumb topping: If you want to add a crispy topping, mix 1 cup panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers with 2 tablespoons melted butter. You can add a couple of tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, too. Add on top of the casserole before baking.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
If you make ahead of time do you pour milk on the night before or right before cooking? Thank you!
I put it on ahead of time but if you’re worried about it being dry you might want to wait until just before cooking.
Hi Rachel, I made this a loooong time ago but I forgot one little detail. Do I butter the Mac and cheese after straining it so it doesn’t stick together? Or will it not matter since it’s being cooked in the oven?
No need to butter before mixing with everything!
ok…i am an airhead…the combining of the cheese and flour is cooking it on the stove so it melts, right?
Nope! That’s why this recipe is so easy! It will melt when you bake it.
Just made this, it is delicious!
Thank you!
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This is always my go to recipe ! I always top it with either cracker crumbs or bread crumbs. It’s very yummy !
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Should I use salted or unsalted butter? Thank you!
Either one will work! I usually use unsalted.
I made this and everyone loved it! Making it again this year. Can I bake this and freeze it? How would you bake it frozen or would you let it thaw?
It should freeze really well! For best results, I would let it thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. But even if you baked from frozen, it would probably still turn out, it will just take longer. I would recommend baking it covered so it doesn’t dry out and/or get too brown/crispy on top (especially if baking it straight frozen).
I found this on your site a couple years ago and it’s my go to always for mac & cheese now! It’s just as good as my old recipe that would take me forever to put together.
tThank you
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So glad to hear it! Thanks for leaving a review!
This is amazing! It’s delicious and couldn’t be easier. It has become my go-to for everything from kid gatherings to dropping off meals to neighbors who need a little help. It’s great because I can mix the macaroni and the cheese ingredients together and drop it off with instructions to pour hot milk over it and bake whenever they’re ready for a dose of comfort food.
That’s such a great idea! Your neighbors are lucky to have you! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot.
Phenom recipe, make it all the time, always a crowd pleaser
You can do this turbo fat style for a little different feel:
1 cup milk instead of two
When mixing the drained macaroni w/ the cheddar, after integrating, stir in 8 oz sour cream and 8 oz cottage cheese of your fat choosing, stir w/ the macaroni til smooth and pour into dish
w e w
Sounds so yummy!