Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

It's hard to think of something more disgusting and inexplicable than Angostura bitters in mac and cheese.

This is classic mac & cheese, with an optional garlic clove, far superior to any boxed version. In my opinion it's unnecessary, even detrimental, to add other things if the ingredients are top quality. You want this to taste like CHEESE.

Unfortuately, Sam’s left out a whole bunch of M&C accoutrement. Add a tbs of Worcestershire Sauce, a squeeze of anchovey paste, a few dashes of Angastora bitters, a dollup of Dijon mustard, a tsp of hot sauce to the cheese sauce; not to mention bread crumbing the bottom of the cassarol pan and layering shredded cheese upon it before constructing gratin. Mac and cheese need not resemble a box of Annies...

I've found it best to remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheese, else you risk it becoming stringy. The residual heat in the bechamel is sufficient to melt the cheese.

You certainly can! Just don’t bake and don’t put the topping on. Take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you’re ready to bake it. Add the topping and bake. I use a 9x13 Pyrex. Hope this helps :)

I cut the recipe in half (used a small garlic clove and campanelle pasta) and baked at 350 for 35 minutes. Oh, and I buttered my baking my baking dish first. I think next time I will rub the cut garlic clove over the inside of the clean baking dish and then butter it, as one does for Gratin Dauphinois. This may be humble comfort food, but I'm planning a dinner party!

Sam's right on. Why hide the taste of those beautiful cheeses, especially gruyere with cheddar or fontina, with all those messy tastes like Worcester sauce. I love dijon but it was a strong favor that holds up well with lamb, steak or pork. Mac n cheese with a little cayenne or fresh ground black pepper is perfection.

What can be done in advance and how far in advance . Will be doubling it .

Superb comfort food on a cold, rainy Saturday in April. Used elbow macaroni, a blend of Westminster Royal white cheddar and Emmenthaler cave-aged Gruyere, and smoked paprika. Made topping with homemade bread crumbs, olive oil, and Parmesan. Did not bother using casserole and simply baked in Dutch oven used to make sauce. Superb and much appreciated on this cold April day.

Agreeing with a previous post that this really does not need much else. The only ingredient I added was about a teaspoon of Coleman's powdered mustard. Very good.

I know this may garner some strong feelings, but I did this recipe and substituted cauliflower for the pasta. I roasted 1 head of cauliflower it with a little olive oil s+p and added it where you would add the cooked pasta. Instead of bread crumbs I used crushed pork rinds with the butter and Parmesan. I still used the roux for the sauce because I wanted the sauce to have integrity. I have been asked to make it for 2 other parties. A huge hit!

Did you mix it in over heat? If so, that’s likely the problem. After your béchamel (milk and flour) has fully amalgamated, stir/melt in the room-temperature, grated cheese bit by bit, off the heat. If it stops melting quickly enough because it’s cooling off, put the pot back on very low heat, but you don’t want to let it sit there and simmer. If you use good quality cheese (no added stabilizer or other nonsense) and don’t expose the cheese to too much heat, it should not separate or go grainy.

The time it takes to bake is just enough time to clean up, and it's worth both the effort and the mess.

Well then! You’re not offering a review of this recipe for Mac & Cheese. Your recipe sounds like cauliflower gratin.

I like the bite--a little bite--of mustard. i just add some Coleman's powered mustard. No garlic. I think the mustard accentuates the cheese. Otherwise, the recipe is a good basic mac and cheese.

This is a perfect, simple mac and cheese recipe. You can easily swap out the cheeses depending on the desired effect. Use American and mild cheddar for a classic taste, or go with stinkier cheeses for a more "gourmet" version. Don't skip the breadcrumbs!

Delicious made exactly as written!

Well, this was fine, not great. But since it claims to mirror Stouffers', I am not complaining. I used gruyere and sharp cheddar and even a bit of fontina. It was kind of blah and not even really cheesy tasting. I had added per the comments some smoked paprika and mustard powder, but I guess not enough. It was much tastier the next day, re-heated (with a truffle oil drizzle, which of course can save many things!). I guess next time I need to try a recipe with a different blend of cheeses.

My dish lacked creaminess. I needed more milk or half & half. The flour mixture made matters worse because it sucked up the milk, adding to the dryness. Additionally, the recommended 9 x 13 pan created more surface area for the milk to evaporate & robbing me of needed moisture. Next time I would use a deeper & shorter baking vessel. The optional topping should not be optional but an absolute must. It made the dish beautiful. I would cook this again with the above amendments. Thanks.

Only had macadamia milk on hand, which wouldn't have been my first choice. It didnt combine as well with the cheese as regular dairy would have, but was still very tasty. Also subbed for the cheeses I had on hand so used half cheddar, a quarter feta, and a quarter manchengo. Added some cayenne and sage for flavour, plus a can of diced toms (drained), and a ton of wilted spinach to make it a bit more hearty. Great reviews all around and would definitely make again. Great for a cozy winter night.

Delicious! I didn’t have gruyere so used jarlsberg instead. Added zest of two small lemons to the bread crumbs mixture, and the brightness of the zest helps to temper the richness of the cheese. This one’s a keeper!

Garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, a generous scoop of Coleman's mustard, and LOTS of black pepper. Don't add salt- just use 12 oz parmesan instead of the fontina. My God this is good.

Delicious. Crispy top, just like you want. Fragrant w/ garlic. Following a comment, I left some of the cheese out. I think I'll use the full amounts next time. Could also use a bit more salt. I found it even better the next day, reheated in the oven.

Made this in a Dutch oven to save dirtying a pot unnecessarily. VERY classic flavor, super delicious, rich and decadent. YUM.

Absent 4 C. fresh whole milk, went to my pantry for this favorite, substituting 2 cans evaporated milk and 2 C. Almond Milk. Excellent!

Added sliced onion to the white sauce as well as Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce. No garlic

Sauté sliced onion with the butter in white sauce, added Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce to it not paprika or garlic.

Made it in the Netherlands with Sydney.next time:30 gr flour30 gr butter1l milk500 gr Cheddar250 gr Mozzarella or Gruyère1 teaspoon of Old Bay(1/2 teaspoon Cayenne)1 clove of Garlic

Unbelievably yummy! I added some hot sauce and it was a perfect addition. The breadcrumbs are definitely mandatory, and add some of the grating cheese in with it!

This recipe is delicious. We halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 pan. We used sharp cheddar and fontina, substituted a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour, and substituted gluten-free macaroni for wheat-based macaroni. We used sweet paprika (didn't have other types), and added 1/2 tsp of dry mustard with it. Rather than bread crumbs we topped this with sliced heirloom tomatoes from our garden before baking. Fabulous! My 13-year old said she would definitely make this again.