The Ultimate Mac & Cheese
This is the mac and cheese recipe that nearly made me cry—after years of searching, tweaking, and tasting, I finally landed on a version that blends creamy comfort and golden-baked goodness. Here you’ll find the secret tips, kitchen-tested steps, and answers to all your burning mac and cheese questions. Whether you want a Southern holiday showstopper or weeknight cozy classic, this is your new go-to.
The Search for “The One”
Is there anything more comforting than that first bite of homemade mac and cheese? Over the years, my table has witnessed countless attempts to get the balance just right: stove-top softness versus oven-baked crust, the perfect cheese blend, and seasoning that sings in every layer. Each recipe taught me something—sometimes it was too dry, sometimes not rich enough. Some nights, I thought I nailed it, only to be let down when the leftovers didn’t pass the cold-day test.
But this time, after batch upon batch, note after note scribbled in a flour-dusted kitchen notebook, I think I’ve finally found the one. It’s a recipe built on love, patience, and more taste tests than I care to count. That first forkful nearly brought tears—creamy, rich inside, a golden, barely-there crust. Mac and cheese like you’ve always dreamed of, made to comfort and delight.
If you’ve ever wanted the mac and cheese recipe everyone hopes you’ll bring to Thanksgiving, Sunday suppers, or just a regular Tuesday, pull up a chair. This walk through the ultimate baked mac and cheese will guide you to pure comfort food bliss.
Can I use pre-shredded cheese?
Freshly grated cheese melts better and gives a creamier sauce, but pre-shredded works in a pinch. For special occasions, grating your own is worth it!
What’s the best cheese combination?
A blend of sharp cheddar and Gruyère yields the dreamiest texture and taste. Monterey Jack or Parmesan make fun swaps for variety.
How do I keep the sauce creamy?
Don’t overbake! Bake for only 10 minutes, then finish with a brief broil for that perfect crispy top without drying out the base. The mix of milk and a splash of cream helps, too.
How can I avoid grainy or lumpy sauce?
Add your milk slowly, whisking continuously with low heat, and make sure to let the roux cook for a bit before adding liquid. Take your time—the sauce rewards patience!
Can I make it ahead?
Yes! Mix everything ahead, refrigerate, then bake and broil right before serving for fresh flavor and texture.
Is it okay to use other shapes of pasta?
Absolutely! Elbows are classic, but twists, shells, and bow ties all work beautifully—just cook to al dente.
Ultimate Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or any pasta shape you love
- 1 teaspoon salt for pasta water
- 4 cups cheddar cheese mix of orange & white, freshly grated
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese freshly grated (or substitute Monterey Jack or Parmesan)
- 1/4 cup butter half a stick
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt for sauce
- 3 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce adjust to taste
- Nonstick spray for pan
Instructions
Prep Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions until just al dente.
- Drain and set aside.
Start Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in the same pot over medium heat.
- Sprinkle in flour and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring to create a roux—cook until it looks like wet sand.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream—start with a bit, whisk well to avoid lumps, then add the rest.
Season & Thicken
- Add garlic powder, ground mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Whisk gently; let sauce thicken until just starting to bubble.
Add Cheeses
- Reserve about 1 to 1.5 cups of cheddar for the topping.
- Stir in remaining cheddar and all Gruyère until sauce is smooth and melty.
- Remove from heat.
Combine & Assemble
- Pour drained noodles into the cheese sauce and mix well.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish, pour everything in.
- Sprinkle reserved cheddar evenly across the top.
Bake + Broil for Perfection
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Switch oven to broil and cook for 2 minutes—no more! (This gives that golden-brown cheesy crust. Watch closely!)
Serve & Savor
- Let the bubbly mac rest for a few minutes.
- Scoop up both creamy centers and crisped edges onto every plate—don’t forget a little kindness for yourself or the lucky folks you’re serving!
Tips From Mary Katherine
- Season every layer for deep flavor: salt the pasta water, season the roux, taste as you go.
- Always grate your own cheese for meltiness—bagged cheese works, but fresh melts best.
- Combining stove-top creaminess with a short bake and quick broil gives you the best of both worlds:
Video
Bring Joy to Your Table
Every bite of this mac and cheese is layered with hard-won lessons, southern hospitality, and the little tips that finally brought the comfort food dreams to life. Whether you’re bringing a casserole dish to the family table, feeding your friends after a long week, or just treating yourself—this is mac and cheese for memory making. Don’t forget: show kindness at your table and to yourself, every chance you get.
I’m giving it 5 stars
It just came out of the oven
It’s so delicious
My vegetarian husband will love this when he gets home from work !
Thank you !! ❤️
So you glad you tried this out. Would love to hear how your hubby likes it.
I am not able to share your mac and cheese recipe. It says there is an error. Also, is there a way to save on Pinterest?
I am not sure why it would not share. Just tried with my laptop and was able to share from the facebook button. You may have to be logged into facebook. I’ll look into what we would need to do to add a Pinterest option. You could always just copy the browser link and paste it where you want to share. Sorry I cannot be more help here.
Do you salted or unsalted butter?
I typically use salted butter. Either would work, though!
Does this dish stay creamy after it cools for a bit? So often it’s creamy at first then sets up too much.
The fats in the dish do solidify as it cools. This will be the case with almost any mac & cheese. In order to retain creaminess, add some milk or cream and stir into it prior to reheating!
You have Cornbread for Oct. 29 and Cornbread for Oct. 30. Which one did you use?
I usually make the one called Mary Katherine’s favorite cornbread! This is also the one I typically use in my cornbread dressing, although sometimes I will leave the corn out of it for that. It’s good in dressing either way, though!
Would like to make this as a side for Thanksgiving for 16 adults and 3 children. How many servings does this make? Do I need to double it?
This is a very large casserole! It probably serves 10-12 easily. It would probably depend on how many other sides you have and if people will be taking a full serving of this. With the size you crowd you’ll have, you might want to make a double batch. I hope you enjoy it! (Side note: it is best served fresh baked. If you need to make ahead and reheat, you’ll want to add extra milk or cream and stir into it to bring it all back together).
When I make side dishes, like mac and cheese ahead of time, I do everything except bake. I put it covered well, in the refrigerator and pull it out to bake before we are going to eat. It works well for me, and you don’t have to worry about the consistency changing!
I love making casseroles ahead too! It’s a real time saver! The only issue I have with a pasta dish is that the fats will solidify when chilled. Because of this they can also tend to separate from the pasta a bit. Adding some milk or cream and stirring into it while heating can help pull it all back together and create that creaminess again!
I haven’t made it yet, but, your tutorial sure MAKES ME WANT TO!!!!
I will report back AFTER I try this recipe. Thx, Mary Katharine 💛🧡
So glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you enjoy the Mac & cheese too! 🙂
How can make this dish for an 8×8 pan?
I would simply cut all the ingredients in half. That should work perfectly for an 8×8 pan!
She explains things so well.
Aww, thank you, Margaret! So glad to have you here! 🙂
I want to make this for Thanksgiving, but we are travelling. If I make it at home and refrigerate. How long should I heat it when we get to our location?
If you can wait to bake it when you get there that would be best. Just a note that once chilled the fats in a pasta dish will solidify and separate from the pasta. When reheating, you should add some milk or cream to help pull it all back together! If it’s still cold when you get to your destination, you’ll probably need to leave it in the oven 25-30 minutes to make sure it’s warm in the middle! You could still do the 2 minutes broil at that point to give the crispy top!
This recipe is fantastic! I live in Puerto Rico and my family loves pasta dishes but this one takes the cake! I’ve subscribed to this wonderful channel for its recipes and easy to follow instructions. Thanks!
Thank you for the very kind words and welcome!
Fantastic recipe! I live in Puerto Rico and we eat a lot of pasta. Subscribed to this wonderful channel for easy recipes and very clear instructions. Love it!
I would love to make this for Thanksgiving. Can you please tell me how many people this recipe serves?
This would easily serve 12 people. If you have lots of sides, it might even go farther than that since everyone would take smaller portions.
This really is a fabulous recipe. I used Aminos & some balsamic vinegar instead of Worcestershire sauce (total 1 tsp each). The started broiling on low but had to switch to “high” and cook an additional 2 min. Thank you Mary Katherine. I am a new subscriber & an experienced cook but I love watching your videos for new ideas.
Oh wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Will be making this for our first Thanksgiving without my son and his wife who were murdered by a crazy neighbor who tried killing all his neighbors with a gun. My son loved macaroni and cheese and will make this in honor of him. Their 9 year old daughter will love this. ❤️
Oh how heartbreaking! Prayers for you all that you can find peace that passes all understanding despite this tragedy. I hope this dish brings a small bit of comfort to you all!
I absolutely cannot WAIT to make this!!!! It looks divine! This will be perfect for our Thanksgiving table …..my sweet husband LOVES baked Mac&cheese cheese with that layer of cheese on top while I love the creamy Mac&cheese. This video came up at just the right time -almost like a divine intervention! Blessings to you, thank you for sharing, & HAPPY (early) Thanksgiving!❤️
Wonderful! Hope you both love it! 🙂
How many days ahead can you make before baking?
This is best fresh! If you must make it ahead, you’ll need to keep in mind that with any pasta dish the fats will solidify when chilled. Because of this they tend to separate from the pasta when reheated. You can add some extra milk or cream to help pull it all back together when reheating.
Yha is for the thorough instructions. I am going to make this!
I haven’t made this yet. I just found your yeast rolls and continued on and found this. I’m going to make it soon. TY for your awesome videos.
You are so welcome! 🙂
Brilliant Mary Katherine. Many thanks for the recipe, very delicious.
Enjoy!
Hi Mary Katherine
I just printed out your recipe and plan on making it for Thanksgiving can I put it all together in a slow cooker I know I can’t broil the top, limited oven space.
Yes, I think that would work! I always find I need to gently stir mac & cheese a time or two in the crock pot to keep it from sticking/burning to the sides. You could even lightly toast some panko breadcrumbs on the stovetop and sprinkle over the top just before serving in order to give that little bit of crunch on the top!
thanks so much and i love I can add the bread crumbs on top my grandson love the crunchy bits on the top
Mary Katherine, I am so excited about trying this recipe! It sounds delicious. A few questions:
1. Do you use sharp or medium cheddar cheese, or maybe a mixture?
2. What is the equivalent in lbs for your 4 cups cheddar and 1 cup Gruyere?
Working on grocery list and need to know what size blocks to purchase for each cheese.
Thanks so much!
I used sharp for both! I believe 16 ounces should give you 4 cups of cheddar and my gruyere was between 6-7 ounces. It might have equalled just a little over one cup, but was pretty close!
Mary Katherine, the local grocery store that I frequent has only smoked Gruyere cheese. I do know that another one across town has the plain Gruyere. Do you think the smoked with pair well with the amount of cheddar cheese, or do you think that I should stick to the plain Gruyere?
Oh, I think the smoked would be deicious in it too! Use whichever is more convenient!
Would it be too crazy to make the macaroni and place in an air tight container, make the Bechamel type sauce and place that in another air tight container. Refrigerate and tomorrow put it all together and bake?
I think this might work. What I would probably do is leave the sauce in the pan, let it cool enough to cover with plastic wrap direcly onto the top. Then when you’re ready to put it together, take the plastic off and slowly heat the sauce up before combining with the macaroni! Then bake as recipe directs!
Can evaporated milk be used instead of cream?
Also, can the Gruyere be replaced by Velveeta?
Yes, the milk substitution would work just fine. If you prefer Velveeta, you can also sub that.
I’m making this for a Christmas. I’ve never made mac and cheese and don’t know how much time to allot. How long does it take from start to finish to make? Thank you.
You can have the whole dish put together in about 20-25 minutes. Then just add your baking time, which should take no longer than 15 minutes for baking and the quick broil at the end – so 40 minutes should allow the time you need!
Can I shred the cheese the day before?
Oh yes! You could shred the cheese several days before and it would be fine!
Thanks so much for your quick replies.
I’m allergic to cheese so I won’t be able to try it, I think my husband will love it.
I enjoyed watching your video and you were very thorough with instruction. I thought it was funny how you said it almost made you cry. Well, I cried because I wasted all of those ingredients. It just didn’t work out. It’s quite bland and the sauce separated. Perhaps the butter/flour ratio is wrong? 1/4 stick butter, 1/3 cup flour? I thought they should be equal parts. I followed this recipe to a T, don’t know how it went wrong. Any advise on how to rescue it?
I’m not sure if you made this dish ahead and refrigerated it prior to baking, but that will make a difference. With any pasta dish like this, the fats will solidify when chilled and then tend to separate when heated. If you add more milk or cream and gently stir into the dish during the heating this will help to ‘bring it all back together’ from that separation.
Hi Kelly,
In the video, Mary Katherine mistakenly said to use 1/4 STICK of butter ( at time stamp 5:26) The written recipe says 1/4 CUP. That might be why your butter-flour ratio was off? Just a thought.
Oh yes! Thank you, I think you’re right! I believe this is the one where I was correcting myself in the video, but it didn’t necessarily come across that way! The written measurement is correct!