This Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese is an all time family favourite and a must make dinner. This recipe is kept pretty simple with just the pasta, cheese sauce and a bread crumb mixed with extra cheese for a topping. Great for dinners and potlucks!
I think it’s probably safe to say that everyone has their own favourite Macaroni & Cheese recipe, right? Well, I have been making variations of this dish for close to 30 years. Yes, I’m old…lol. As much as I love Stove Top Mac and Cheese, this one is my favourite. We grew up with a version of this one and I’ve made a few small changes to make it my own. Let’s see how to make it below!
What Is This Macaroni & Cheese Like
- Difficulty – The only slightly more difficult part is making the cheese sauce. Just follow the instructions in the recipe card and you should find it pretty straight forward. Also, this dish does not require many ingredients!
- Taste – This is creamy, cheesy and decadent!
- Serving – This easily makes about six servings. If you would like to make a bigger serving, you can adjust the serving size in the recipe card at the end of the post. Just remember to use a larger casserole dish.
Ingredients
- Pasta – It’s best to use either elbow macaroni or small shell pasta.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter to make the roux sauce for the sauce.
- Flour – Regular wheat flour is used as a base with the butter to make the cheese sauce.
- Milk – I used regular whole dairy milk to make the sauce. It’s gives a rich texture.
- Cheddar cheese – I opted for sharp cheddar the the cheese sauce. It melts well, has a great flavour and makes the sauce creamy.
- Seasonings – This sauce uses garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Bread crumbs – For the topping, I added Panko bread crumbs to a little cheddar to give the macaroni and cheese a nice crust when baked.
NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Instructions
- Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and have ready a 8 inch oval/round/square deep sided baking dish. An equivalent size will do.
- Cook pasta – Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.
- Make cheese sauce – In a medium sized saucepan set over medium to high heat, melt butter until sizzling. Whisk in flour until you have a paste and it has an aroma. This will take about 2 minutes. Gradually start whisking in your milk. Continue doing this until you have added all the milk and you have a slightly thickened sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and add most of the cheese, reserving about 1/2 cup for the top. Stir really well until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
- Combine bread crumbs and remaining cheese – In a bowl combine the bread crumbs with the remaining cheese and set aside.
- Assemble macaroni and cheese – Pour the pasta into the prepared dish and evenly pour over the sauce. Stir and cover with the bread crumb topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Serve – Remove from oven and leave few minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Cook pasta al dente – For baked pasta dishes, cook the pasta al dente. It will continue cooking in the oven.
- Making cheese sauce – Don’t burn the butter at the beginning, this will give the sauce a burnt taste. Keep and eye on the sauce as you whisk it to ensure you get a really creamy sauce.
- Prep ahead – You can make this and keep it in the fridge the morning of the day you are going to pop it in the oven.
Substitutions
- Cheddar cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese. Feel free to use mild or aged cheddar. And if you’d like a different flavour, try Gouda or even parmesan.
- Panko bread crumbs – You can omit the bread crumbs if you prefer. And if you don’t have bread crumbs, any packaged bread crumbs you can find at your local supermarket will be just fine.
How To Serve Macaroni & Cheese
As great as this dish is on it’s own, it would be great served with the Italian Style Stuffed Chicken, Dry Rub Oven Barbecue Ribs or the Oven Barbecue Chicken Wings. And if you’d like some fresh sides, try out the Marinated Cucumber Onion and Tomato Salad or the Bacon Tomato Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheese for macaroni and cheese?
The great thing about macaroni and cheese, is that many types of cheese work great. My personal favourites for macaroni and cheese are sharp Cheddar, Parmesan cheese, Gouda cheese and Gruyère. All of these melt really well and stay creamy in pasta dishes.
What type of cheese does not work in macaroni and cheese?
It’s best to cream cheese, creme fraiche, goat cheese, feta cheese or any soft type cheese.
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Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese is an all time family favourite and a must make dinner. This recipe is kept pretty simple with just the pasta, cheese sauce and a bread crumb mixed with extra cheese for a topping. Great for dinners and potlucks!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 427kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb shell pasta or macaroni or whatever short cut pasta you have
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cup Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and have ready a 8 inch oval/round/square deep sided baking dish. An equivalent size will do.
- Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan set over medium to high heat, melt butter until sizzling. Whisk in flour until you have a paste and it has an aroma. This will take about 2 minutes. Gradually start whisking in your milk. Continue doing this until you have added all the milk and you have a slightly thickened sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and add most of the cheese, reserving about 1/2 cup for the top. Stir really well until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
- In a bowl combine the bread crumbs with the remaining cheese and set aside.
- Pour the pasta into the prepared dish and evenly pour over the sauce. Stir and cover with the bread crumb topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and leave few minutes before serving.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Nutrition Facts
Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 427
Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 62mg21%
Sodium 756mg33%
Potassium 257mg7%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 684IU14%
Vitamin C 0.01mg0%
Calcium 388mg39%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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