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Classic Macaroni and Cheese- Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

February 1, 2012

Is there a more beloved kid's dinner than macaroni and cheese? Combining two of the most kid-welcomed food stuffs -- pasta and cheese -- mac and cheese rarely requires moms to cajole, persuade or bribe their kids to eat at mealtime. Is it the healthiest dinner choice? Of course not. Would I recommend serving it more than once a week? Probably not. But when made well, perhaps with some veggies thrown in, mac & cheese is certainly a far better meal option than say, a Happy Meal.

Whenever my mom made mac and cheese, which wasn't often, it was cause for celebration in our house. The first smell of it cooking away in the oven would make my entire day. She lovingly made her's with tons of hand-grated cheddar and baked it until bubbly, golden and mouthwateringly delicious.

There are several different macaroni and cheese recipes on weelicious like Rice Cooker Mac and Cheese and Mac Chicken and Cheese Bites, but if you're feeding a crowd and want a more classic take on this dish, this recipe is spot on!

Classic Macaroni and Cheese- Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!  (8)

  • Prep Time:15 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes,
  • Total Time: 55 minutes,

Ingredients

  • topping:
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • mac and cheese:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni (you can also use campanelle, cavatappi, or shells)

Preparation

  1. 1. Place the topping ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
  2. 2. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  3. 3. Cook pasta in salted water* for about 3 minutes less than package directions call for, until al dente, reserving half a cup of the pasta water.
  4. 4. In a large pot melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking continuously over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make a roux.
  5. 5. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.
  6. 6. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until sauce is gently bubbling and starting to thicken.
  7. 7. Add reserved pasta water and cheddar cheese and whisk until melted.
  8. 8. Stir in the pasta.
  9. 9. Transfer to a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish.**
  10. 10. Sprinkle topping on macaroni and cheese.
  11. 11. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbling.
  12. 12. Serve.
  13. * Use about 2 Tbsp of kosher salt for 4 quarts of water.
  14. ** If making ahead, mixture can be cooled after this step to room temperature, covered and then refrigerated for up to a day.

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Comments






  1. Alicia

    February 12, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    I made this last night and it turned out better than I even expected! Constant wisking is certainly key to getting that cheese sauce creamy smooth. Instead of using Panko bread crumbs, I took original Ruffle Chips and crushed them up super small mixed with the recommended cheese. Delish! Next time I anticipate adding in sausage or a can of tuna. Great recipe!

  2. Hannah

    February 10, 2013 at 6:10 am

    Made this last night it was DELICIOUS!! The only change we made was add tuna, at my son’s request. First time, no leftovers :D

  3. Sarabeth

    October 5, 2012 at 11:54 am

    I was hoping to make a big batch of this for a friend who’s going back to work, but her kids have an egg allergy. Would this recipe be considered egg-free?

    • catherine

      October 8, 2012 at 11:55 am

      It is egg free! If it is a severe allergy, just make sure to use pasta that isn’t made with eggs!

  4. Beckie White

    October 4, 2012 at 9:25 am

    My kids will knock each other down for… Apples!!

  5. Lisa

    August 7, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    When I took mine out of the oven, the cheese sauce was kind of clumpy. Where did I go wrong? I’m sure it was my fault :) I use sharp cheddar and grated it myself. The kids still ate it (thankfully), but I wasn’t a big fan with all the clumps. Thanks for the advice!

    • catherine

      August 8, 2012 at 11:45 am

      When you cooked the sauce on the stove did you whisk continuously? And add the milk slowly while whisking? Those steps are to ensure that the flour and cheese don’t clump up and the sauce turns out smooth. The sauce should be smooth before mixing it with the pasta. :)

  6. Jennifer

    February 21, 2012 at 6:47 am

    I made this and my husband loved it – he is the mac and cheese fan in our house. I made it diabetic friendly for him by using whole wheat panko and the Barilla “yellow box” pasta. Also, this is more of a weekend recipe – takes a bit long for a weeknight.

  7. Heidi

    February 16, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    What happens if all you have it regular table salt?

    • catherine

      February 16, 2012 at 5:56 pm

      You can use table salt for boiling pasta water! I prefer the flavor and texture of kosher salt and always have it on hand so it is my preferred salt in cooking.

      • Heidi

        February 16, 2012 at 6:14 pm

        Oh good thanks! Sorry, probably was a silly question but I haven’t been cooking long ;) I used to cook food out of a box but when I had my son I wanted to change my cooking ways to healthy, wholesome food :)

  8. adry

    February 7, 2012 at 8:43 pm

    I made this for my kids today, the pasta was not tender enough, I had to take it out of the oven after 25 min because the top was burning, anyways my kids did not like it : ( i will try to fix the left overs tomorrow by putting them back in the oven covered with foil, but that might make it too dry. I don’t know : (

    • catherine

      February 8, 2012 at 2:03 pm

      Oh what a bummer! Putting it lower in the oven might help the top not brown too quickly. You could also cover it with foil for the first 20 minutes, remove the cover and let the topping brown for the final 10-20 minutes. How long did you cook your pasta before adding it to all the other ingredients? It should be al dente, which means it has just a little bite to it, firm but not hard, and then it will continue cooking in the oven. I hope you’ll try again and I hope it works out better for you!

  9. worldclock

    February 7, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    Classic Macaroni and Cheese | Weelicious â„¢ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family! – just great!

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  11. Kristi

    February 5, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    I currently have this in the oven as a side dish for our turkey burgers (they’ll be topped with avocado and tomato-no buns). I used parmesan and two kinds of cheddar cheese and added chopped broccoli. I don’t usually put a topping on my mac n cheese, but decided to give this one a whirl. I only had whole wheat bread crumbs, so I used those and combined the three cheeses to get the 1/2c. Maybe it’s because I used regular instead of panko crumbs or maybe because I’m not used to a topping, but I found it to be a little too much so I didn’t use it all. I think next time I will try chopped kale or maybe make it a one pot Mexican wonder by adding ground beef (organic), diced tomato, onion, a package of organic taco seasoning and make the topping out of tortilla chips! Endless possibilities with this recipe!! Thanks:)

  12. Meghna Grover

    February 3, 2012 at 2:21 pm

    I added one bag of fresh baby spinach and a package of diced pancetta for a one pot meal for the kiddos. They loved it!

  13. Karen

    February 3, 2012 at 10:16 am

    When I make a baked mac and cheese I add in some carrot/sweet potato puree (a few tablespoons) with the cheese sauce. It gives it a bright orange color that the kids like and adds a touch of sweetness that doesn’t hurt, either. I also try to make mac and cheese with 1% or skim whenever possible to reduce the fat a bit. Also, to pump up nutrition, I will often add ground flax seed meal to the panko crumb topping. It is my kid’s favorite meal.

  14. Karen

    February 1, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Does this recipe freeze well?

    • catherine

      February 1, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      I have not frozen it, but after assembling it and before baking it I have covered it and and left it in the fridge all day!

      • Katie @ Healthnut Foodie

        February 3, 2012 at 8:43 pm

        Yes, it will freeze fabulously! We always make two pans of mac n cheese at a time to have on standby. After stirring in the pasta, cover with foil and then freeze. Bake an additional 20ish minutes. :)

  15. Betsy

    February 1, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    Thank you for this! I tried to find a mac and cheese recipe just this weekend and failed to be inspired. This will do the trick!

  16. Esther

    February 1, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    yum! I’ve been on a crockpot craze lately and would love to see what weelicious has to offer for mac ‘n cheese in the crockpot! I’ve tried one recipe i found online (uncooked macaroni) which was good – but weelicious always knows how to make things better =D

    I’ll give this a try as soon as I can! yummmo!!

    • catherine

      February 1, 2012 at 2:14 pm

      I have been working on a crockpot version!

      • Brenda

        February 8, 2012 at 8:05 pm

        If I added veggies, should they be cooked/steamed before adding them to the pasta and cheese?

        • catherine

          February 9, 2012 at 1:07 pm

          That really depends on what you’re adding. Broccoli can go in raw because it will cook long enough in the oven. Carrot chunks take longer to cook so I would steam those first. What veggie are thinking about using?

    • Esther

      February 1, 2012 at 2:06 pm

      by the way, what does the flour do to the recipe? Just wondering~

      • catherine

        February 1, 2012 at 2:14 pm

        The flour thickens the sauce.

  17. Yvonne

    February 1, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    I think I’m going to give this a try this weekend! I would love to add a veggie to this…any reccomendations? Maybe finely chopped broccoli?

    • catherine

      February 1, 2012 at 2:13 pm

      Chopped broccoli would be wonderful in this!

  18. Heather @ Kids in the Sink

    February 1, 2012 at 11:25 am

    Don’t fall out, but my kid HATES macaroni and cheese. He always has. But I love macaroni and cheese and love to try new, different recipes. I haven’t found a great classic recipe yet, but this looks delicious!

    • miranda

      July 22, 2012 at 6:25 pm

      This does look yummy!!! My son hates mac- and cheese… so I like trying different recipies to see if maybe he might like one of them. He’s eight and has always hated it.. even in a baby food jar… but I’m a firm believer that he must have a spoonfull of everything that I cook….. so one night at dinner he stuffed it in his pockets lol

  19. Kirsten D

    February 1, 2012 at 9:05 am

    try adding a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the cheese sauce. It doesn’t taste mustardy but it does give it a nice flavor

  20. Julie

    February 1, 2012 at 8:48 am

    At which step do you add the pasta to the sauce?

    • catherine

      February 1, 2012 at 12:38 pm

      Oh no! Stir it into the cheese sauce after step 7. I have corrected it. Thanks! This Momma’s brain gets a little fuzzy sometimes. ;)

    • Lauren

      February 1, 2012 at 9:00 am

      I was thinking the same thing, but I’m pretty sure it’s after step 7 and before step 8.

    • Katie | Healthnut Foodie

      February 1, 2012 at 8:58 am

      I have a similar home style mac n cheese on my site and we stir in the pasta after all of the cheese has been melted in. It also helps to add the cheese a bit at a time to get a nice creamy sauce, not stringy or gritty. :)

  21. Maria Dupell

    February 1, 2012 at 8:38 am

    Oh this looks so good! My family already loves the rice cooker mac and cheese! Im sure we will love this one too! I am a fan of mac and cheese that does not come from a box! Thanks, keep up the awesome work ! :)