Best 20 Baked Mac And Cheese Recipes

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente; drain., In a Dutch oven, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat; saute onion until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in macaroni. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., In a microwave, melt remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 30-35 minutes.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE WITH SOUR CREAM AND COTTAGE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.
• Reserve 1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese for later use
• Mix mild Cheddar cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, and egg together in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Stir cooked macaroni into cheese mixture. Pour macaroni mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ELSIE'S BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine Cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk and half & half. Stir constantly, until mixture boils and thickens (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add cayenne and black peppers, and 2 cups of the reserved cheese mixture; stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
• Stir cooked macaroni into the sauce and season to taste. Place in the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with additional butter, if desired. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

SOUTHERN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until 3 minutes less than fully cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled; drain well. Add the cooked pasta back to the pot.
• Put the eggs, heavy cream, Cajun seasoning, ground mustard, nutmeg and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
• Toss together the Cheddar, mozzarella and Gouda in a large bowl. Add the cheeses to the pot and stir to evenly combine. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Bake until the center of the mac and cheese is set and the top is golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE FOR ONE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an oven-proof soup crock or 1 cup baking dish.
• Fill a small saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni; boil until cooked but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well, and reserve.
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and milk; whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in 1/3 cup cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the macaroni is heated through, about 10 minutes.

SUNNY'S EASY CHIPOTLE CHICKEN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the chicken and pasta: Remove 4 to 5 chipotle peppers and a bit of adobo sauce from the can and rub it all over the chicken; measure out 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce and set aside for later (reserve any remaining chiles and adobo sauce from the can for another use). Rest the chicken in a bowl or on a plate for 2 hours total, refrigerated first for 1 1/2 hours, then at room temperature for an additional 30 minutes.
• In a large pot, add the garlic, chicken and the chipotle peppers from the marinade. Add just enough water to cover, then bring to a boil on medium high. Once boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and poach the chicken until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and rest (reserve the poaching water for cooking the pasta). Fish out the peppers and discard them; place the garlic cloves in a large bowl and smash them with the back of a spoon or your hands. Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, shred it by hand into bite-size pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use the butter or cooking spray to coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish.
• In the same pot used to poach the chicken, add more water to the poaching water and a nice pinch of salt and bring the pot back to a boil (watch the water; it may foam up a bit from the poaching process). Add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package suggests. Drain the pasta in a colander.
• For the sauce: In the large bowl with the garlic, add the heavy cream, cheese, crema, flour, pepper, scallions, eggs, reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, shredded chicken and cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Pour into the prepared dish.
• For the topping: In a medium bowl, toss together the crushed chips and cheese. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dish. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

DECADENT BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream, half-and-half, and garlic salt. Add Gruyere cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Oaxaca cheese. Stir into cream until melted. Drain pasta and add to the sauce; stir to coat.
• Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and pour in pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN BAKED MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over Medium/High heat. Add chicken to the pan and saute until done, seasoning with salt and pepper if preferred.
• If broccoli florets are not already cooked and chopped, do this now. You can buy frozen chopped broccoli to save time.
• Add chicken and broccoli to the already cooked macaroni pasta. Toss to make sure it is well mixed.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cheddar cheese soup, evaporated milk, sour cream, milk, Parmesan and seasoned salt. Add the butter after everything else is mixed.
• Cover with plastic wrap and cut a few slits in the top to vent.
• Microwave for 4 minutes to melt butter and heat the rest of the soup mixture. Make sure butter is melted when finished. If not, stir and microwave for another minute or two.
• To assemble the macaroni, layer 1/2 of the macaroni/chicken/broccoli mixture in the bottom of a sprayed 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with half of the cheese soup mixture. Top with half of the shredded cheese.
• Repeat all three layers one more time.
• Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese on top is melted. If the top is already browned, skip the next step.
• Turn oven to BROIL and allow macaroni to remain in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned. You may even want to keep the oven door open a crack to watch the top and make sure it doesn't burn.
• You can make this a day or two ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Just remove it from the fridge about 45 minutes before baking so it comes up to room temperature and cooks evenly.

BAKED "NOT FRIED" MAC AND CHEESE BALLS

Steps:

• The night before you would like to make this dish, cook the box mix of mac and cheese according to the directions on the box. Pour the mac and cheese into an 8 x8, 9x9 or and flat pan in the refrigerator to set overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Line three bowls on the counter.
• In the first bowl, combine flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
• In the second bowl, break the egg and slightly scramble it.
• In the third bowl, place the breadcrumbs and wheat bran.
• Take the chilled mac and cheese out of the refrigerator and cut into 1 x 1 inches blocks. Don't try for perfection, because it won't happen. Just as long as the noodles are sticking together it will work out fine.
• Now drudge the mac and cheese ball into the flour mixture, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and place on a pan.
• Continue the process until you have created as many mac and cheese balls as you wish.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending upon how crusty you like them. And remember to flip the balls around every 10 minutes to make sure all sides cook evenly.
• Enjoy!

ALL-CHEDDAR BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the panko, melted butter and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.
• Whisk together the cream, mustard, cayenne, eggs, evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Reserve 2 cups of the grated Cheddar for topping. Stir the remaining Cheddar into the sauce.
• Pour the cheese mixture into the pot with the macaroni and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is warm but not hot, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the reserved Cheddar. Top with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake until the center of the casserole is set and the top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

BAKED GNOCCHI MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float to the top, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole dish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until incorporated and foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk, cream, salt, and pepper; stir constantly until thickened and gently bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese and mozzarella.
• Drop gnocchi into the prepared casserole dish and cover with cheese mixture. Mix together bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl; sprinkle over the casserole. Top with remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned and cheese is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

MOM'S FAVORITE BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, salt, mustard and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• To the milk mixture add the Cheddar and American cheeses; stir until cheese melts. Combine macaroni and cheese sauce in a 2 quart baking dish; mix well.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

FRENCH ONION BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the thyme, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and bouillon cube and stir to dissolve the bouillon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar and 2 cups of the Gruyere until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with the melted butter. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Top with the onion mixture in an even layer, then cover with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere.
• Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 20 minutes. Top with the French fried onions and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chives before serving.

YUMMIEST EVER BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook pasta according to pasta directions just until done - you don't want it mushy, because it will absorb a little of the cheesy liquid in the oven.
• Combine soup, evaporated milk, butter, salt, and pepper in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a small vent, and cook for 6-7 minutes until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm-to-hot throughout. (If making a half batch, 4 minutes in the microwave should do it).
• In a large baking dish (minimum 9x13, smaller if halving the recipe), spread 1/3 of the cooked noodles. Top with 1/3 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheddar.
• Repeat layers twice, ending with the cheese.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes.
• When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with a little dried parsley if desired. This gives it visual interest, and you can also pretend it's healthier.
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente.
• Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
• Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes.
• Add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden brown and the mixture is well combined.
• Whisk in milk and chicken broth and raise heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted.
• Add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well.
• Pour into prepared baking dish.
• Mix together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of pasta.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add onion and garlic and sweat over medium heat for 3 minutes with a pinch of salt until vegetables are translucent and aromatic. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated with the vegetables, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock 1/3 cup at a time, stirring vigorously to ensure no lumps form. Bring to boil and reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the half-and-half, Cheddar, mascarpone, and egg. Toss sauce with macaroni and place in a 2-quart casserole pan. Mix bread crumbs and parsley in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle on top of pasta. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

LOWER FAT BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 and coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
• Cook pasta according to box directions until just done. Drain briefly, then return pasta to the cooking pot (it should still be warm).
• Add Smart Balance, Velveeta, milk, and 1/2 c cheddar cheese and stir until the cheeses melt. You may need to put the pan back on a burner for this.
• Pour pasta mixture into greased pan and bake for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c cheese on top and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the top is as crunchy as you like it :).

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle flour into butter and whisk constantly until you have thick, smooth paste, about 5 minutes.
• Add mustard, red pepper and Worcestershire. Gradually whisk in milk and continue stirring until sauce thickens and returns to simmer.
• Reduce heat to low. Add 3 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Add macaroni, stirring until well coated. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over top, followed by crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden on top.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE WITH HIDDEN CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater or chop it into chunks and pulse to rice-size pieces in a food processor.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the grated cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, another 5 minutes. Add the flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Gradually add the milk while stirring constantly, then increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
• Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheddar, Colby Jack, French onion dip, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt until the cheese and dip melt. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Top the pasta with the crushed potato chips. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes (be careful, the potato chips can burn easily).

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE FOR ONE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• 2. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and let boil about 8 min or until the pasta is cooked but still firm. Drain & set pasta aside.
• 3. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• 4. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and onion powder and stir until combined.
• 5. Add milk and whisk until smooth. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until mixture thickens.
• 6. Reduce heat to low. At this point, if using add the ground mustard, Worcestershire, or hot sauce.
• 7. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the pasta.
• 8. Spoon into greased, oven-proof ramekin, soup crock, or small gratin dish. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese, or bread crumbs if you wish (I use both!).
• 9. Place on a small baking sheet (in case it bubbles over), and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is heated through.
• 10. *Note: There are so many ways you can vary this. You could use sauteed onions instead of the onion powder, or add bacon, etc. Let your imagination run wild! :)