The Creamiest Baked Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese comes in many forms, each with its own charm — from quick stovetop and one-bowl microwave versions to the beloved boxed variety with powdered cheese. But there’s something undeniably satisfying about a classic baked mac and cheese, with its rich, creamy sauce nestled under a golden layer of buttery breadcrumbs. It’s the perfect dinnertime companion during your Thanksgiving meal or Christmas feast. 

Though it’s a simple dish, baked mac and cheese has common pitfalls, like curdled or grainy sauce, or a dry, bland bake. The biggest culprit is high heat. Cheese melts when its fats soften into a luscious sauce, but excessive heat causes proteins to seize and clump, leaving you with a grainy mess. The key to flawless mac and cheese every single time is achieving a sauce temperature between 160 to 170°F — hot enough to melt cheese’s fats yet cool enough to keep its proteins smooth.

Finely grating the cheese before adding it helps too, as it has more surface area and melts faster and more evenly than large chunks. However, since this sauce is finished in the oven, there’s no need to achieve a full melt on the stovetop. Those lumps will magically transform into pockets of extra cheesiness for the creamiest mac and cheese around.

• It’s ultra creamy. The proportion of sauce to pasta leans more heavily toward sauce so the pasta doesn’t become dry after baking.
• The key to the perfect cheese sauce. Avoiding high heat and prolonged heat keeps the sauce creamy and cohesive, not at all grainy. Plus, a combination of sharp white cheddar and Gruyère makes it extra delicious.

• Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs have a light, airy, and delicate texture that helps the crumbs crisp up atop the mac and cheese. They’re mixed with melted butter, Parmesan, and seasonings for a flavorful topping that’s never greasy.
• Macaroni: Macaroni is famous for starring in cheesy baked mac and cheese for a reason. As the name implies, elbow macaroni are small, c-shaped tubes that cook up soft and pillowy, perfect for capturing cheese sauce. 
• Butter and flour: Equal amounts of melted butter and all-purpose flour are whisked together to create a roux.
• Whole milk: Whisk milk into the roux to make a creamy cheese sauce. Whole milk is fatty enough to make the sauce rich but not too rich, like heavy cream would.
• Cheeses: There’s little else in this recipe but bland milk and pasta, so for the best flavor, head to the cheese counter and away from the refrigerator case. You’ll be able to taste the difference. Get the best sharp white cheddar and aged Gruyère you can buy.

1. Make the breadcrumb topping. Mix panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, melted butter, garlic powder, and paprika to top the mac and cheese for a textural contrast to the creamy, cheesy pasta.
2. Boil the pasta. Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente and drain.
3. Make a roux. Whisk equal amounts of melted butter and all-purpose flour over medium heat to create a roux, which makes the sauce thick, creamy, and stable enough to hold together through the volatile baking process, 
4. Make the cheese sauce. Slowly whisk milk into the roux until it thickens into a creamy béchamel sauce. Add shredded cheese to a not-too-hot béchamel to transform it into a mornay sauce.
5. Bake the mac and cheese. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a baking dish, top it with the breadcrumbs, and bake until golden brown but not bubbling over.

• Other small pasta shapes would work in baked mac and cheese, such as springy cavatappi, corkscrew-like fusilli, and shells.
• Swap the sharp cheddar and Gruyère for other high-quality buttery cheeses like fontina and havarti. Cheaper cheeses tend to be rubbery and don’t melt well. Monterey Jack and American melt well but lack flavor. Also avoid pre-shredded cheese, which is coated in anti-clumping ingredients that prevent the cheeses from melting properly.

To prep ahead, just assemble your mac and cheese without the panko topping, cover it with foil, and pop it in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight if frozen. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake it at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden.

For leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The mac and cheese might lose a little creaminess after chilling, so just add a splash of milk when reheating to bring the sauce back to life.

Baked mac and cheese can be a meal in itself, but there are many recipes that pair perfectly with this cheesy casserole. 

• Roasted Turkey
• Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs
• Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
• Kale Slaw
• Buttery Green Beans