Oven Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe

Oven Baked Macaroni and cheese | 3 cheese macaroni

I call this an Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe because the oven truly does all the work. This macaroni and cheese is creamy and dreamy without boiling the pasta or making a cooked cheese sauce before baking it in the oven.

I have a confession to make. Until now my macaroni and cheese of choice came in a box from the store. Shocking right? It wasnt that I loved the taste of the boxed kind . Its just getting out two pots to boil some macaroni and then make a cheese sauce and then stir it together and then bake it seemed like missing the point of an easy side dish. But then I found this recipe and after doing some testing and revisions I think I have come up with seriously the best oven baked macaroni and cheese recipe.

My changes to the original recipe I am taking help from are based on reviews and my own personal taste preferences. Half and half makes the macaroni and cheese extra creamy. A combination of smoked gouda and medium cheddar cheese makes for a simply delicious flavor combination slightly smoky, tangy, cheesy and not grainy. Ive never been a fan of dried mustard or any other spices in my macaroni and cheese. A little yellow mustard and hot sauce rounds out the flavor profile.

This is the only homemade macaroni and cheese Ill make now. And its so simple that I will be kicking those boxes to the curb. Try it and tell me if you agree!

Can I Freeze Macaroni And Cheese

I get asked that a lot and my answer is always no.

As the pasta and cheese sauce sit, it will thicken and when you thaw it and bake it, the creamy consistency is just gone. Its thick and gloppy.

Plus if you freeze it and its still a bit warm, water crystals will form and then thaw into your dish and could make it separate when you bake it.

Besides, its so fast to make, theres not really a reason to freeze your macaroni and cheese.

Can Mac And Cheese Be Cooked On The Stovetop

Making macaroni and cheese on the stovetop is super easy and faster because it doesnt have the extra step of baking the macaroni dish.

Here are four tips that will help you make the perfect stovetop macaroni and cheese:

Melt butter over medium heat before adding flour or other thickeners.

Add milk or heavy whipping cream slowly while stirring constantly.

Add salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings after removing them from heat.

Stir in shredded cheddar until melted before adding other desired toppings.

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How To Store & Reheat Baked Mac And Cheese

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, or covered with foil.

To reheat, place mac and cheese in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Heat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through, about 20 minutes or so. Or microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, until warm.

How Did Mac And Cheese Become Soul Food

Hemings legacy of baked mac and cheese continued long after the Emancipation Proclamation in the 1860s.

Macaroni and cheese began to have new meanings and multiple identities in the Black community.

Mac and cheese became a celebratory dish, a convenient comfort food, and a meal stretcher for impoverished families.

We recognize this dish today as soul food!

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Dutch Oven Macaroni And Cheese

This Dutch oven mac and cheese is a staple in my home. I sometimes add burger meat or bacon to it to liven it up but it’s delicious enough on its own! Regularly served as the main course with just a veggie side, as it can be a bit heavy if you’re a mac and cheese lover who can’t resist seconds .

1 packageseashell pasta
4tablespoonssalted butter
1cupshredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1cupshredded medium Cheddar cheese
1cupgrated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
1cuppanko bread crumbs, or as needed
½teaspoonground black pepper
¼teaspoononion powder
¼teaspoontaco seasoning mix

Baked Mac And Cheese Ingredients

This easy mac and cheese calls for just a few simple, everyday ingredients! Heres what youll need to add to your next grocery list:

Elbow Pasta to start, youll need 12 ounces of dried elbow macaroni. We use THIS gluten-free option, but know that regular macaroni will totally work too!
Milk youll also need 3 cups of milk we used regular, whole cows milk, but feel free to use plain, unsweetened almond milk if youd prefer.
Salt + Pepper + Garlic Powder to season, well use 1 teaspoon of salt and a ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
Butter in order to really take the creamy, richness of this dish over the edge, youll also need 4 tablespoons of butter.
Heavy Cream + Cream Cheese 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 ounces of cream cheese help make this mac and cheese super creamy.
Shredded Cheese what is macaroni and cheese without cheese?! Its not mac and cheese, thats for sure! Youll need 3 cups of shredded cheese here! We used half sharp cheddar for flavor and half gouda for creaminess!
Breadcrumbs to add a little bit of texture and pizazz to our mac and cheese, well need a ½ cup of breadcrumbs to sprinkle overtop! Feel free to use gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs here.

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Why Is Southern Baked Mac And Cheese So Important To Black Culture

Baked mac and cheese is just one of the many soul food cuisines turned American dishes. And this yummy dish has a really old history.

Known initially as macaroni pie, baked mac and cheese was created by James Hemings, an African American enslaved and trained as a culinary chef in France.

Hemings was born in Virginia in 1765. At eight years old, he becomes one of Thomas Jeffersons many enslaved at his Monticello plantation.

At age 19, Jefferson takes young Hemings with him to France to train in the art of French cooking.

What Toppings Can You Put On Baked Mac And Cheese

Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

The options for macaroni and cheese toppings are endless.

From crunchy to creamy, spicy to sweet, theres a topping out there for everyone!

Take a look at some top favorite combinations.

If you want something creamy but not too heavy on the stomach, sour cream is your best bet.

Thinly sliced ham or bacon:

This will add texture and enhance the flavoring.

Creamy pesto sauce:

If you love pasta dishes that have pesto in them, then this topping may be just what youre looking for!

Pesto can add both flavor and color so keep that in mind when choosing toppings.

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What Type Of Cheese Should You Use

Cheddar is a classic choice for baked mac and cheese, and this recipe adds a bit of zing with an extra sharp version. Some other excellent cheeses include cream cheese, Parmesan, and Swiss, as the mild, buttery flavor and ideal melt make them great for this pasta dish.

Gruyere is a standout favorite for its creamy, nutty, and earthy flavor. Try half Gruyere and half Cheddar the next time you’re feeling like switching up your baked mac and cheese recipe.

Tips For The Best Baked Jalapeo Popper Mac And Cheese

Using block cheese is the way to go when youre making mac and cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is coated and wont melt properly. Grate it yourself for the best results.
Cook your pasta to slightly less than al dente, about one minute shy is perfect thats about 7 minutes for macaroni.The reason is that this is baked mac and cheese so the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
I used elbow pasta but really, any tubular, short pasta will work.
The roux is super important to getting the creamiest cheese sauce. Three things to look for:
The roux is whisked together until bubbly and golden.
Whisk in cold milk not warm to prevent the flour from clumping.
Cook the roux, stirring nearly constantly, until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes before adding the cheese. This will keep the sauce from turning grainy.

Youll notice this recipe calls for two jalapeños. I removed the seeds and membranes before dicing which cuts down on the heat a bit. I mean, this is Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese so a little heat should be expected. If youre like whaaaat? Bring on the spicy! Keep the seeds and membranes intact and dice away OR add another jalapeño.

I further tame those spicy jalapeños by sautéing in butter. This also serves another purpose as it gives the cheese sauce amazing flavor. I add back in a little heat and lots of flavor by adding in some TABASCO® Sauce.

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Creamy Baked Mac And Cheese

The Chunky Chef09/30/2019

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This baked mac and cheese is a family favorite recipe, loved by both children and adults. It uses a combination of cheeses, layered in the dish as well as melted into a rich and creamy cheese sauce, for the ultimate in cheesy deliciousness! Perfect for a comforting dinner or as a holiday side dish!

Looking for other comfort food dishes? Check out my Homemade Sloppy Joes, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Crockpot Meatloaf, and Homestyle No-Boil Mashed Potatoes!

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Baked mac and cheese. Its nearly the universal comfort food, and there are SO many variations! In fact, I almost didnt post this recipe, as there are SOOOO many mac and cheese recipes available, and most people already have their favorite way of making it.

Of course, theres no right way or wrong way, so Im here sharing the way I like to make my mac and cheese .

Why Bake Mac And Cheese At All

No Boil Mac and Cheese Oven Baked to Perfection

If you’ve ever opened a box of the instant stuff or made stovetop mac and cheese from scratch, you know there’s no real requirement to put it in the oven. You save time and get more or less the same thing without that extra step.

In my opinion, there are two arguments for baking it. First is the crispy topping. In some recipes, you put the mac and cheese in a baking dish and toss it in the oven until the top is bubbling and browned. In others, you take it a step further and add a crunchy topping of some sort. I prefer the latter approach: As long as we’re going for some crunch, we might as well go for maximum crunch. In my recipes, that means a buttery panko bread crumb topping, baked until golden brown.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The second reason for baking mac and cheese is that it transforms it into a make-ahead dish. You can assemble it in advance, refrigerate it, and then finish it in the oven when you’re ready to serve. Of course, the longer you try to hold it, the more moisture the pasta will gradually absorb from the sauce, which makes for a softer texture. But I don’t really mind that. In many ways, overcooked pasta is actually preferable to al dente in a cheesy baked dish like thisit’ll make for more of a cohesive, scoopable mass, not unlike a savory, Americanized kugel.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Cooking Tips For Baked Mac And Cheese

Boiling the pasta cook the pasta less than you normally would. I like to boil my elbow pasta for between 4 and 5 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you dont want it to get mushy.
Use room temp liquids if you can cold liquids generally take longer to thicken than warmer ones. I usually set my milk and half and half out while the water for the pasta is coming up to a boil.
The cheeses use your favorites! Our personal favorites are the cheddar and gruyere used in this recipe, but you can be very creative with the cheese selection here. Mozzarella, gouda, smoked gouda, swiss, monterey jack, colby jack, colby. There are plenty of reader comments down below the recipe that talk about the cheeses they used!
Shred your own I know its a pain, and its SO tempting to use the pre-shredded cheese in the bags. But those bags of cheese contain a starchy substance that keeps the cheese from clumping which also prohibits it from melting as well as it should.

What Is The Difference Between Baked Ziti And Baked Penne

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Because the Ziti Pasta has square angles, it looks longer and perfectly tubular. Because of the sharp angle at which the pasta is cut, it is impossible to catch a glimpse of the pasta. Furthermore, in many cases, penne has a ridged texture on its outside, but it is available in specialized stores.

When you use the proper pasta in a dish, you can improve the food experience. The word penne is derived from the Italian word for qull, which is roughly translated as the shape of a penne. Penne is cut diagonally, whereas zit is cut at a square angle. Pasta from Naples, Italy, is referred to as ziei. The term ziti, derived from the Italian word for bride, is used to describe a wedding gown. Ziti is initially made up of a long tube with a diameter of about 10-inches. Following that, small tubes of about 0.6 inches in length are formed.

Because the ridged and sharp edges of penne make it a better match for melted cheese than ziti, which is chunky and chewy, penne holds onto melted cheese better. The texture of rigatoni makes it a good choice for thick, chunky sauces with a strong ridge or curve. A good thick layer of cheese on top of ziti will help to achieve the desired thickness. Baking pasta with penne absorbs and retains sauces and various flavors. If you dont have ziti at home, you can substitute penne or rigatoni.

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Should You Give Your Mac And Cheese A Topping

You can certainly top your mac and cheese with some Ritz crackers , or you can leave it ungarnished. But if you’re going to top that mac and cheese, it’s best to leave the dish without a topping in the oven to allow a crispy crust of cheese to form first, and then add the topping a few minutes before it’s done baking.

But to be honest, for this baked mac and cheese, we like it without a topping. The creamy interior is oh-so-satisfying with some crunchy corners and crisp bits.

Special Equipment Used In This Recipe

Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese: Easy Recipe (Fast Bake)

Box Grater remember, the best mac starts with freshly shredded cheese!

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS COMMENTS!

AND DONT FORGET, IF YOUVE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING!

Post has been updated in September 2019 with new photos and additional information.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

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Tips For The Best Baked Macaroni And Cheese

Grate your own cheese. Yes, it’s worth the extra time to take a block of cheese and grate your own. Shredded cheese is handy, but it’s often coated with a very fine powder to keep the shreds from sticking together in the bag. That powder coating also happens to keep the cheese from melting as well as it could. But freshly-grated cheese will melt like a dream.

Cook the pasta to al dente. Since the mac and cheese has to bake for a bit longer in the oven, you don’t want to risk the pasta turning to mush. Cook the pasta to al dente so that it finishes cooking to the perfect texture while the mac and cheese bakes.

Warm the milk. Don’t skip the step of warming milk before you add it to the flour and butter mixture. Cold milk with make the flour mixture seize and turn clumpy. It will be difficult to get it smooth again before the next step.

What Type Of Cheese

This classic mac and cheese recipe is made with cheddar cheese. I particularly love medium or sharp cheddar cheese but any type will do. If you want a more luxurious mac and cheese or youre really trying to impress a crowd, you could use a combination of different cheeses. Just be sure to select a type of cheese that is good for melting, like white cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, brie, goat cheese, mozzarella, or fontina.

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Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese

There are many variations of the classic dish macaroni and cheese. One such variation is Southern baked mac and cheese the soul food way!

This recipe is made with rich, creamy cheese sauce and Southern comfort soul food flavorings baked til the edges are crispy and browned to taste like someone stewed over it in the kitchen all day!

We call this Black folks baked mac and cheese an authentic soul food dish easy for anyone to make and everyone to love!

Variations Of This Recipe

PROTEIN Feel free to add in some shredded chicken, pulled pork, or some crispy bacon for an extra protein punch.
VEGGIES Trying to get your veggies in? Stir in some steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
TOPPINGS If you love a topping on your mac and cheese, transfer the cooked cheesy mac to a baking dish and top with either some extra cheese, buttered panko breadcrumbs, or buttered crushed Ritz crackers. Broil a few minutes until crispy.
COOKING LIQUID If you prefer to use all chicken broth, or all water feel free to do that. Just make sure there are 4 total cups of liquid.
DIFFERENT CHEESES Gruyere, Gouda, Fontina, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby, or all Cheddar. These are all good melting cheeses and will give you a smooth sauce. However, feel free to play around with different combinations that you like!

Oven Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipe

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