Macaroni cheese comfort dish (Printer-Friendly)

Tender pasta enveloped in creamy cheese sauce with a golden crispy topping, perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz elbow macaroni

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk, warmed
05 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
06 - ½ cup Gruyère or mozzarella cheese, grated (optional)
07 - ½ tsp mustard powder
08 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
09 - ½ tsp salt

→ Topping (for baked version)

10 - ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
11 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F if preparing baked version.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook macaroni until just al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour continuously for 1–2 minutes until smooth and pale, avoiding browning.
04 - Gradually whisk in 2 cups warmed whole milk until smooth. Continue cooking and stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles, about 3–4 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups grated sharp cheddar and ½ cup grated Gruyère or mozzarella if using, until melted and smooth. Add ½ teaspoon mustard powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
06 - Fold drained macaroni into cheese sauce until every piece is thoroughly coated.
07 - For stovetop serving, plate immediately and optionally garnish with extra cheese.
08 - For baked version, transfer mixture to a lightly greased baking dish. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Evenly sprinkle over pasta.
09 - Bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's faster than you'd expect—creamy, restaurant-quality mac and cheese in under an hour without any fuss.
  • The cheese sauce coats every noodle evenly because we're building it from scratch, not stirring mystery powder into milk.
  • You can eat it straight from the stovetop or bake it crispy on top, depending on your mood.
02 -
  • Don't skip warming the milk before adding it—cold milk cooling your roux creates lumps that no amount of whisking fixes.
  • Remove the pan from heat before adding cheese so it melts smoothly instead of breaking into greasy strings from being too hot.
  • The pasta keeps cooking as it sits in the hot sauce, so undercooking it slightly in the pot prevents mushy results.
03 -
  • If your sauce breaks or gets lumpy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and start fresh with whisking—it usually comes back together.
  • Make the sauce while the pasta cooks so everything comes together hot, keeping the flavors bright and the texture creamy instead of stiffening as it sits.
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