Making homemade mac and cheese is a culinary milestone, perfect for soul-soothing meals and winning over guests at cookouts. This fan-favorite dish, featuring undercooked elbow macaroni, a rich cheese sauce made from freshly grated sharp cheddar, and a touch of paprika, will impress both children and adults alike.
Homemade baked Mac and Cheese
There comes a time in your life when you need to how to make homemade mac and cheese. Not only because it is good for your soul, but because it is an honor to make mac and cheese that satisfies everyone and gets you invited back to the cookout.
In my mind, being responsible for the macaroni and cheese is a big responsibility. If I am going to be in charge of this fan-favorite dish, it needs to meet both the children’s and adults’ expectations.
What Ingredients do I need for baked macaroni & Cheese?
If you are like me you have a specific idea of what ingredients you need to make a good baked macaroni and cheese. You might be like my boyfriend and be perfectly okay with Kraft Mac n Cheese from out of the box, which I’m not going to judge him for that. There is a time and a place for everything but for holiday dinners or comfort food side for dinner.
In my opinion, I like my mac and cheese to be baked and have a bread-crumby feel without being too dry or using bread crumbs and achieve that with these ingredients you probably already have in your fridge:
- Elbow Macaroni Noodles – You will want to undercook the noodles as they will continue to cook while baking in the oven. Consider the size of your noodles too. I prefer to use the simple elbow noodles because using the larger elbow noodles that often have ridges requires more sauce/roux.
- Butter, Flour, Milk, & Eggs – to make your roux or the base of the mac & cheese. Make sure the milk is cold to make the roux smoother.
- Salt – for cooking your noodles and to taste in your roux
- Block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese – I say a block because freshly grated cheese melts better. Don’t be lazy and use the bagged stuff for this. You are going to put in a little elbow grease with your box grater.
- Paprika or Chilli Powder – A dash of this on top of your mac & cheese before going in the oven will bring added color and a touch of flavor.
What is the best kind of cheese to use for mac & Cheese?
Steps to Make Mac & Cheese (The Right Way)
There is no right or wrong way how to make your mac and cheese. And nobody’s mac and cheese will probably taste as good as your mom’s! While there are a bazillion mac and cheese recipes out there, like this one, I’ve tried this one on my extended family for holiday celebrations several times and it has officially won me the right to prepare everyone’s favorite side dish.
However, it’s not complicated at all and relies mostly on using the right ingredients and executions. Let’s break down the steps I take to nail homemade, baked macaroni and cheese every time.
- Prepare the Noodles: Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente (undercooked). Avoid oversalting the cooking water, because your roux will be salted separately to taste. Rinse and drain well, then set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C): Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Grate the Cheese: You better not skip this part!!
- Make the Cheese Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour to create a roux, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir. Increase heat to medium and gradually add cold milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes bubbly. Stir in salt and freshly grated cheese until the cheese melts smoothly. Gradually add a lightly beaten egg mixture, stirring constantly.
- Assemble the Dish: Place the cooked noodles into the greased baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles, stirring lightly to combine. Sprinkle the top with a dash of paprika or chili powder.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbly.
What to Serve with baked mac & Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1 package elbow macaroni noodles (16-ounces)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cups freshly shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 beaten eggs
- Paprika or Chili Powder (optional)
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Cook macaroni noodles according to package direction, without salt until al dente. Rinse and drain well before setting aside.
- Spray baking dish with cooking spray and set aside
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Add flour to create the roux, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute and continue to stir.
- Turn the heat up to medium and gradually add the milk. Continue to stir constantly until the sauce is thick and bubbly.
- Stir in the salt and cheese until the cheese melts.
- Gradually add in the egg mixture, stirring constantly.
- Place al dente noodles into a greased baking dish.
- Pour cheese sauce into the macaroni and stir lightly.
- Sprinkle the top of the mixture sparingly with Paprika or Chilli Powder
- Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
