This easy baked mac and cheese recipe will quickly become a family favorite. A 5 star, homemade baked macaroni and cheese using real, simple ingredients. No velveeta! A creamy mac and cheese recipe using cheddar cheese, milk, eggs, butter, flour, and macaroni then baked in the oven.
Servings 12people
Prep Time 15 minutesmins
Cook Time 20 minutesmins
Baking Time 45 minutesmins
Ingredients
4cupsdry elbow macaroni
3TBSPsalted Butter
3TBSPall-purpose flour
2cupswhole milk
3cupsShredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
6eggs
1/2tspsalt
Also Needed:
3cupsShredded Sharp Cheddar Cheesehalved (for layering before baking)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F
Cook 4 cups dry elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
While the elbow macaroni is draining you will prepare the cheese sauce in the original pot that you cooked the macaroni in. First melt 3 TBSP salted Butter on low-medium heat. Then, whisk in 3 TBSP all-purpose flour and let cook for approximately 3 mins.
Whisk in 2 cups whole milk. Continue stirring on low-medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Don't Rush! Keep your heat low, if the heat is too high you will curdle the milk and not have a smooth cheese sauce.
Once your milk mixture has thickened, add 3 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and stir until melted.
Remove the cheese sauce from the heat. Add the drained elbow macaroni noodles to the cheese sauce and stir to coat all of the noodles.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese onto the first layer of macaroni in the casserole dish.
Add the rest of the macaroni and cheese mixture on top of the cheese in the casserole dish then top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes1. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the middle of the baked macaroni and cheese is no longer runny and the top has started to brown a little bit2.
Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
If assembling the day before and baking the next day cold from the fridge, you will need to add an additional 15-20 minutes to your baking time. Do not use a glass baking dish if baking cold from the fridge as the glass with shatter from the extreme change in temperature. A metal or disposable aluminum baking pan is best for this. Complete detailed instructions are written above the recipe card of this blog post.
Check for doneness by inserting a butter knife into the center of the baked mac and cheese. Push the macaroni over to the side just a bit, if the center hole doesn't fill with liquid then it should be completely cooked.