Description
The ultimate creamy baked macaroni and cheese with a rich three-cheese sauce and golden buttery breadcrumb topping. This classic comfort food recipe delivers restaurant-quality results with straightforward homemade techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Mac and Cheese:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 12 oz)
- 2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded (about 8 oz)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the Topping:
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Cook the Pasta: Add elbow macaroni to boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes, about 2 minutes less than package directions (it should be slightly underdone). Drain in a colander but don’t rinse—the starch helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Set aside.
- Make the Roux: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Once melted and foaming, add flour and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is golden and smells slightly nutty. This is your roux—it removes the raw flour taste and creates the thickening base.
- Add Liquids: Slowly pour in the warm milk and cream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth. Increase heat slightly and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add Cream Cheese: Reduce heat to low. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until completely melted and incorporated into the sauce. This creates extra creaminess and helps prevent graininess.
- Melt the Cheeses: Add the shredded cheddar and gruyere one handful at a time, stirring until each addition is fully melted before adding more. Don’t rush this step—gradual addition prevents the cheese from clumping or becoming grainy.
- Season Perfectly: Stir in salt, black pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder, cayenne (if using), and paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce should taste slightly over-seasoned at this point since the pasta will dilute the flavor.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and fold everything together with a rubber spatula until every piece of pasta is thoroughly coated. The mixture will seem very saucy—this is correct, as the pasta absorbs liquid during baking.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the mac and cheese mixture into your prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Give the dish a gentle shake to distribute everything evenly.
- Prepare the Topping: In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, ½ cup shredded cheddar, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Mix with a fork until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated with butter.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the entire surface of the mac and cheese. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil (to prevent the top from browning too quickly).
- Bake: Place in the preheated oven and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crispy, and the edges are bubbling.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken slightly and makes serving easier. The mac and cheese will be very hot, so be careful!
Notes
- For extra crispy topping: Broil for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Make it saucier: Add an extra ½ cup of milk to the sauce if you prefer a more liquid consistency.
- Cheese substitutions: You can replace gruyere with fontina, gouda, or extra white cheddar. Each creates a slightly different flavor profile.
- Spice it up: Add diced jalapeños, hot sauce, or increase the cayenne for heat lovers.
- Mix-ins: Fold in cooked bacon, ham, lobster, or roasted vegetables before baking.
- Storage: Leftovers keep for 4-5 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (based on 10 servings)
- Calories: 565
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 625mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 105mg