Sprig Recipes / Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese
By Ben · cooked up in Sprig
Still the best Baked Mac and Cheese I've ever had, with a stunning white creamy cheese sauce and a buttery breadcrumb topping. This is THE Macaroni Cheese recipe that's wildly popular every Thanksgiving and Christmas! Perfect in every way, this has a stunningly white, ultra creamy cheese sauce with a beautiful crunchy, buttery topping.
Ingredients
Macaroni
- 250g / 8 oz macaroni (elbow pasta)
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter (or 2 tsp oil)
Topping
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
Sauce
- 4 tbsp (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 (followed by cheddar and Colby)
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, or more other cheese of choice
- 3/4 tsp salt
Seasonings (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add macaroni and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Toss in butter: Drain, return pasta to pot, add butter and toss until melted. Set aside to cool while making the Sauce (Optional – Note 3).
Topping
- Mix together Topping. Set aside.
Sauce (video is helpful)
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Make roux: In a large saucepan or in an ovenproof skillet (I use my 26cm/9" Lodge cast iron skillet), melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add milk: Add about 1 cup of the milk and mix to dissolve the paste into the milk. Then add remaining milk and mix until lump free (use whisk if required).
- Add Seasonings: Mix in salt and Seasonings if using.
- Thicken sauce: Cook, stirring/whisking regularly, for 5 – 8 minutes until thickened to a cream consistency. When the Sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, you should be able to draw a path with your finger.
- Add cheese: Remove from stove, add cheese and stir – cheese doesn't need to melt.
- Check salt: Adjust salt to taste (if you use recommended cheeses, you won't need more).
Assembling
- Assemble: Pour Sauce into pot with Macaroni. Stir quickly, then pour back into the skillet (I did this) or a baking dish (Note 4). Sprinkle with breadcrumb topping.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until top is light golden. Don't bake too long otherwise you'll bake away the Sauce!
- Serve: Serve immediately! I sprinkled mine with a bit of fresh parsley. See notes for best make-ahead method.
Chef's tips
- Use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-shredded - the anti-caking agents in store-bought cheese can create a grainy texture in your sauce.
- Cool the cooked pasta slightly before mixing with the sauce, and toss with butter first - this prevents the pasta from absorbing too much liquid during baking and becoming bloated.
- Pour the milk slowly while constantly stirring to avoid lumps, and switch to a whisk if needed to smooth out any stubborn lumps in the sauce.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
668calories
28gprotein
63gcarbs
36gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
Made with Sprig
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