Michelle C.
- Jan 14
- 3 min read

Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Updated: Jan 29

Extra cheesy, if you pleasey!

Don't forget to post a photo and tag @boujeekitchen

Baked Mac n' Cheese, Macaroni, Cheese, White baking dish, bread crumbs, cheesy, mac and cheese — Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20-25 mins

Total Time: 40-45 mins

Yield: 4-6 servings

What You'll Need:

2 sauce pans
1 stock pot for macaroni
9 x 13 greased baking dish
12 oz prepared elbow macaroni

For the cheese sauce:

1 1/2 cups hot milk (warmed in its own sauce pan)
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
8 oz shredded white cheddar
1 oz shredded parmesan
1 oz shredded swiss
pinch nutmeg
pinch kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For the topping:

3/4 c panko bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp parsley flakes
2 Tbsp butter, melted
pinch kosher salt

How to Prepare:

*Heat your oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

1. Fill a large stock pot with water (enough for your pasta), then add in a generous splash of olive oil, a few generous pinches of kosher salt, give a stir and bring to a rolling boil. Cook according to package directions, being sure to stir often to avoid the noodles from cooking unevenly and clumping together. Rinse under cold water to ensure the noodles stop cooking once complete. Set aside in greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

2. To make your topping, whisk together the panko, parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp melted butter, paprika and dried parsley flakes into a small bowl and set aside.

3. Next, put your milk into a saucepan and heat until steaming (do not boil).

4. While your milk is heating, combine 2 Tbsp butter with 2 Tbsp of flour into a separate medium size saucepan and whisk constantly 5-7 minutes on low heat until roux is golden in color.

4. Slowly whisk in your hot milk, splash at a time until all is added. Whisk constantly another two minutes until the milk is the texture of heavy cream.

5. Now add in your cheese, one handful at a time until all 10 oz have been added. Keep heat on very low to avoid the bottom from burning.

6. Season the cheese sauce with pinch kosher salt, along with your pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Stir to combine.

7. Then, dump your cheese sauce on top of the prepared elbows and stir until all pasta has been coated evenly in cheese. Give a taste for seasoning and add more kosher salt if necessary.

8. Drizzle the heavy cream on top and give a stir.

9. Sprinkle on your crumb topping to coat the mac n cheese just enough.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and bubbly. Enjoy!

The Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe mixture already looks amazing before I'm about to bake it, can we just eat it like this?

Of course! If you prefer a much creamier mac n cheese, eat it up after it's all combined, skip the crispy topping and enjoy yo'self!

Can I sneak in some veggies?

Go for it! A handful of frozen peas, fresh broccoli, maybe even a little chopped kale action is totally fine to add before you pop it in the oven, and you don't have to worry about your flavors changing much. Plus, if the only way you can get your munchkins (or yourself, hehe) to eat more veggies is to have it with a bunch of carbs and oodles of cheese, by all means-knock your socks off and get those veggies!

Like many other 'mericans, my family and I live for a hot, cheesy helping of homemade baked mac & cheese recipe. My kiddos devour this stuff and a massive dish of it is enough to serve a small crowd! Enjoy with bbq ribs, buffalo chicken wings and/or a Caesar salad for a complete, scrumdiddlyumptious meal!