Baked macaroni and cheese, a classic comfort food, is a delightful dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With its creamy, cheesy sauce, crunchy topping, and versatile add-ins, this one-dish meal is perfect for busy weeknights, potlucks, or special occasions. Whether you prefer a traditional recipe or something more creative, there is a baked macaroni and cheese recipe out there to satisfy your taste buds. In this article, we will explore some of the best recipes for baked macaroni and cheese, providing you with step-by-step instructions, tips for achieving the perfect texture and flavor, and suggestions for customizing the dish to your liking. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a culinary journey to discover the ultimate baked macaroni and cheese recipe.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BEST ONE POT CHEESE AND MACARONI
This recipe uses less milk and no thickener what-so-ever! Very cheesy, too! You can either serve it from the pot, or top with buttered crumbs and put in 350 oven to brown for half an hour, but we like ours fine without.
Provided by Jill Faucher-Ross
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Pour water and salt into a medium pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the water has cooked down a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the milk, and continue boiling for another 5 minutes. Add the Cheddar, Parmesan, pepper, and mustard; stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is thick and creamy. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce as the pasta cooks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 518.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30.7 g, Cholesterol 92.8 mg, Fat 30.8 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 30.1 g, SaturatedFat 19.1 g, Sodium 930.4 mg, Sugar 3.5 g
MACARONI AND CHEESE FOR ONE
The movie "Home Alone" served as inspiration to this macaroni and cheese. Although it says it's meant for one, it will serve two if you're feeling generous!
Provided by thedailygourmet
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 20m
Yield 1
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until mixture is smooth. Slowly add half-and-half, whisking as it is poured in. Stir until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese, salt, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, pepper, and turmeric; whisk to combine.
- Drain macaroni and add to the cheese sauce. Stir until evenly coated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1082.8 calories, Carbohydrate 103.7 g, Cholesterol 159.2 mg, Fat 55.8 g, Fiber 4.1 g, Protein 41 g, SaturatedFat 34.4 g, Sodium 2138.2 mg, Sugar 12.6 g
ONE-PAN OVEN MAC AND CHEESE
Remember the viral TikTok Feta Pasta? We're giving the same place-and-bake pasta method new life in the form of a decadent, four-cheese mac and cheese. In just under an hour, you'll get a creamy, crowd-pleasing side that's even easier to throw together than the box you grab off the shelf (but so much tastier). Feel free to mix in some truffle oil or top with crushed Ritz® crackers.
Provided by anncamp
Categories 100+ Pasta and Noodle Recipes Pasta by Shape Recipes
Time 55m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place blocks of Fontina and sharp Cheddar cheeses in the center of an ungreased, 9-inch square baking dish. Pour pasta into the dish, spreading evenly around the cheese. Pour half-and-half directly on top of the pasta and stir until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with shredded white Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, spreading evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Pull the dish out of the oven, stir in milk, and mix until noodles, cheese, and sauce are evenly combined. Return to the oven and cook until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes more.
- Stir and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 398.4 calories, Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Cholesterol 73.5 mg, Fat 22.3 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 18.8 g, SaturatedFat 13.7 g, Sodium 360.9 mg, Sugar 2.4 g
ONE STEP BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
I found this recipe on Walmart.com...they said it was under $1 per serving if using all Great Value Brand products! This is a one-dish meal that is quick and easy to put together, cooks in about an hour, and is homemade!
Provided by Lola926
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h5m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven 350°F.
- In bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and sugar (optional).
- In 2-quart oblong baking dish, combine remaining ingredients, reserving some cheese for later, if desired.
- Carefully pour milk mixture over macaroni and stir well.
- Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes or until all liquid is almost absorbed.
- Uncover, add remaining cheese, and continue baking about 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 189.2, Fat 2.2, SaturatedFat 1, Cholesterol 22.2, Sodium 76.2, Carbohydrate 34.3, Fiber 3.2, Protein 10.2
BAKED MAC AND CHEESE FOR ONE
This is a fast, easy to prepare, and filling meal. Once you try homemade mac and cheese, you'll never want the boxed stuff again. I cook mine in a soup crock.
Provided by amydoll
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 30m
Yield 1
Number Of Ingredients 13
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 468.7 calories, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 88.6 mg, Fat 30 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 19.8 g, SaturatedFat 18.7 g, Sodium 1046.2 mg, Sugar 6.5 g
ONE-DISH BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
I like this recipe because I can mix it together, put it in the oven and not worry about noodles boiling over while taking care of our twins. The timing for stirring the dish while baking isn't critical. This recipe was inspired by some other macaroni and cheese recipes I found on RecipeZaar while looking for something to do with cottage cheese (#251829 and #107973). It's a hit with our kids and my husband enjoys it, too. I use gluten-free noodles, you'll have to adjust the liquid and timing if you use standard wheat noodles. The cottage cheese will liquefy while baking so don't add too much liquid at first. I use a 10" square Corning Ware dish, a slightly larger dish would be better because sometimes it bubbles over a little before I remove the lid.
Provided by klwg6808
Categories Cheese
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a large covered baking dish.
- Put the milk, dry noodles, cottage cheese, mustard, salt and half the cheddar cheese in the dish and mix well.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees F, add rest of cheddar cheese, stir well and return to oven for 15 minutes more.
- Remove from oven, stir well, mix in optional vegetable, and top with shredded Parmesan if desired.
- Return to oven without lid and bake about 15 minutes more, until browned on top.
- Remove from oven and let cool maybe 10 minutes before serving, will be very hot out of the oven.
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Make and share this Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by ladyautumn
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h
Yield 1 casserole, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cook macaroni, drain, and place in casserole dish.
- Cook butter, salt, pepper, and flour.
- Add milk and boil for 1 minute.
- Add cheese a few cubes at a time until it all blended.
- Pour over macaroni.
- Bake at 350 until a "crust" is formed, about 30-45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 450.3, Fat 30.9, SaturatedFat 19.4, Cholesterol 90.3, Sodium 573.9, Carbohydrate 27.5, Fiber 1, Sugar 0.7, Protein 15.9
THE EASIEST BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE
There may be lots of recipes out there for macaroni and cheese, but this is the first one I ever found that you don't have to cook the macaroni before you bake it. It is also really simple to put together - all in the casserole dish you are baking it in! I got this from a newsletter of an organization. I take this to potlucks all the time and I always come home with none of it left. It's a dish I'm constantly handing out the recipe for; be sure not to use cheese that has been frozen and thawed because it will ruin the consistency of the dish. You can also cut down on the butter if you would like to lose some of the fat. This is not a real creamy cheesy type of macaroni and cheese, which can sometimes be a little too rich for our tastes. I've made those, but my family prefers this kind over any other.
Provided by CookingONTheSide
Categories Cheese
Time 1h10m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in microwave.
- Pour macaroni in 2-3 quart casserole dish. Pour butter over macaroni. Stir well to coat.
- Add salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Add cheese. Sometimes I may use a mixture of monterey, colby and cheddar, depending on what I have at the time. Mix well.
- Add milk. Do not stir.
- Bake uncovered in oven for 60 minutes. I do think this tastes best when it is still hot from the oven.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 704, Fat 37.3, SaturatedFat 23.1, Cholesterol 116.4, Sodium 1131.8, Carbohydrate 61.2, Fiber 2.1, Sugar 2, Protein 30.7
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Everytime there is a potluck I get requests to make this dish! The trick is having the ingredients ready to mix into the macaroni while it is hot.
Provided by Chefs Ivy
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h5m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix 1 cup of mild and 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheeses and set aside.
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, cook according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large bowl.
- In smaller bowl, combine butter, milks, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sugar, mix well
- Stir into macaroni making sure all macaroni is coated. Add colby jack, velveeta and mild/sharp cheese mixture. Stir well to distribute cheeses.
- Pour mixture into 9x11 glass baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly hot.
- Remove from oven sprinkle top with paprika and return to broiler for 3 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
- Macaroni may be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated over night or frozen 30 days before baking. If refrigerated increase baking time to 90 minutes. If frozen allow to thaw in refrigerator 8 hours or over night and increase bake time to 1 hr 45 minute Always place cold Pyrex into cold oven to prevent cracking.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 887.1, Fat 55.9, SaturatedFat 35, Cholesterol 198.5, Sodium 1625.5, Carbohydrate 54.5, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 7.1, Protein 41.4
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the macaroni and cheese will be. Use a good quality cheddar cheese, and make sure the milk and butter are fresh.
- Cook the macaroni al dente: This means cooking it until it is just tender, but still has a slight bite to it. Overcooked macaroni will make the dish mushy.
- Make a roux: A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken the cheese sauce. It helps to create a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Use a combination of cheeses: Using a blend of cheeses will give the macaroni and cheese a more complex flavor. Some good options include cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyère.
- Season the dish well: Don't be afraid to add salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. This will help to bring out the flavors of the cheese and macaroni.
- Bake the macaroni and cheese until it is golden brown: This will give the dish a crispy top and a gooey interior.
Conclusion:
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a versatile dish that can be customized to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it simple or loaded with toppings, there is a macaroni and cheese recipe out there for everyone. So next time you are looking for a quick and easy meal, give one of these recipes a try.
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