Baked Mac and Cheese
A stunningly white, ultra creamy cheese sauce coats every piece of elbow macaroni, finished under a crunchy, buttery panko topping. Extra-saucy straight out of the oven and built to hold up at a gathering without drying out.
- 250g / 8 ounces macaroni (elbow pasta)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter (or 2 teaspoons oil)
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour, plain / all-purpose
- 3 cups milk, warmed (low or full fat)
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheese (gruyere best, or cheddar and Colby)
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, or more of the main cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions, but pull it about a minute short of the recommended time. The pasta will keep cooking slightly once it's combined with the hot sauce and baked, so slightly undercooking now keeps it from turning mushy later.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, then add the butter and toss until it's fully melted and coats every piece. Set the buttered macaroni aside to cool while you make the sauce — this light butter coating and the cooling time both help keep the pasta from bloating and going soft once it's baked in the sauce.
- Stir together the panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and salt in a small bowl until the crumbs are evenly moistened, then set the mixture aside until you're ready to assemble the dish.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Melt the butter in a large saucepan or an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Cooking the flour briefly like this removes its raw, pasty taste before any liquid goes in.
- Pour in about a cup of the warmed milk and stir until the flour paste dissolves smoothly into it, then add the rest of the milk and whisk until the mixture is completely lump-free.
- Whisk in the salt and the garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder if you're using them. Cook the sauce, whisking or stirring regularly, for 5 to 8 minutes, until it thickens to a cream-like consistency — you'll know it's ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and holds a clean line if you drag a finger through it.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the shredded gruyere and mozzarella; the residual heat is enough to melt the cheese into the sauce without needing to cook it further. Taste and adjust the salt if needed, keeping in mind that different cheeses vary in saltiness.
- Pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the cooled macaroni and stir quickly to combine everything evenly, then transfer it into your skillet or a baking dish. Scatter the breadcrumb topping evenly over the surface.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the topping turns light golden brown. Keep an eye on the clock rather than judging by color alone — baking much past this point will cook away the extra sauce that makes this version so creamy.
- Serve immediately while the sauce is at its silkiest, with a scatter of fresh parsley on top if you like.
Chef's Note: The extra steps that separate this from an average mac and cheese are small but deliberate: tossing the cooked pasta in butter and letting it cool before it ever meets the hot cheese sauce keeps it from soaking up too much liquid and going soft in the oven. Grating your own cheese rather than buying pre-shredded bags matters more than it sounds like it should — the anti-caking starches on packaged shredded cheese can leave the sauce grainy instead of silky.
If you want to get ahead, assemble everything up through the breadcrumb topping, then cover and refrigerate or freeze it unbaked (thaw fully in the fridge first if frozen). Bake covered in foil for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 25 minutes until golden — cold, fridge-chilled mac and cheese will simply need a few extra minutes either way. Leftovers reheat best in the microwave until warm, then finished for a minute under the broiler with a light spray of oil to bring the top back to crisp.
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