If you’re looking for a side dish that is classic and perfect for a special occasion, look no further than this Classic Macaroni and Cheese recipe!
Is there a more beloved kid’s dinner than Macaroni and Cheese? Ooey gooey and super cheesy, it combines two of the most kid-welcomed foods — pasta and cheese! This dish rarely requires moms to cajole, persuade or bribe their kids to eat at mealtime. I love this recipe because it’s so easy to make and always gets a big “yay!” from my kids when they find out I’m making it!
Is Mac and Cheese 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, like this Green Mac and Cheese, it’s certainly a far better meal option than say, a Happy Meal.
Whenever my mom made mac and cheese, which wasn’t super 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. I love seeing the same level of excitement on my kids’ faces when I make it for our family!
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! It’s super easy to make and bakes until perfectly golden and bubbly. Plus the panko topping adds the perfect crunch and is simply delicious. You’ll have all of your guests asking for this recipe after they try it!
Let me know in the comments what you think and tag me on social media if you make this dish!
Classic Macaroni and Cheese
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)
Instructions
- Place the topping ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- 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.
- 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.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until sauce is gently bubbling and starting to thicken.
- Add reserved pasta water and cheddar cheese and whisk until melted.
- Stir in the pasta.
- Transfer to a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish.**
- Sprinkle topping on macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbling.
- Serve.
- * Use about 2 Tbsp of kosher salt for 4 quarts of water.
- ** If making ahead, mixture can be cooled after this step to room temperature, covered and then refrigerated for up to a day.
Made this again….I’m not sure who loves it more — me or my kids 😀
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!
Made this last night it was DELICIOUS!! The only change we made was add tuna, at my son’s request. First time, no leftovers 😀
It is egg free! If it is a severe allergy, just make sure to use pasta that isn’t made with eggs!
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?
My kids will knock each other down for… Apples!!
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. 🙂
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!
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.
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.
What happens if all you have it regular table salt?
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!
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 : (
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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:)
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!