Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Creamy mac and cheese built on a stable cheese sauce, finished with a crisp breadcrumb top. Smooth, not grainy—never greasy.
Equipment
- Equipment
- Heavy saucepan + whisk
- Oven-safe skillet (enameled cast iron works well) or 2-quart baking dish
- Microplane or box grater
- Wire rack or trivet for resting
Ingredients
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 oz elbow macaroni or cavatappi/shells
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk warmed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 8 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated (about 2 cups)
- 4 oz fontina or Monterey Jack freshly grated (about 1 cup)
Topping
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 10–12 inch oven-safe skillet or a 2-quart baking dish.
- Boil pasta in salted water: bring water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook 12 oz pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Drain well.
- Make the roux: in a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup flour and cook 1 minute, whisking постоянно, until smooth and no longer smells raw.
- Build the base: slowly whisk in 3 cups warmed milk. Cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, 3–5 minutes.
- Season: whisk in 1 teaspoon Dijon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika if using.
- Add cheese off heat: remove pan from heat. Stir in 8 oz cheddar and 4 oz fontina/Jack in handfuls until melted and smooth.
- Combine: fold drained pasta into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to prepared skillet/dish and level the top.
- Top: mix 1 cup panko with 2 tablespoon melted butter and 2 tablespoon Parmesan if using. Sprinkle evenly over mac and cheese.
- Bake: bake 15–18 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
- Rest: rest 5 minutes before serving so the sauce sets slightly.
Notes
Notes
Grainy sauce → cheese was added over heat or sauce boiled; always add cheese off heat.
Greasy mac → sauce overheated or cheese ratio too high; keep heat moderate and use a melt-friendly cheese.
Too thick → add 2–4 tablespoon warm milk and stir before baking or reheating.
Best cheese rule: grate your own. Pre-shredded cheese can make sauce dull or pasty.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk. Avoid high heat, which encourages separation.
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