Baked Mac and Cheese

Name: Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound dry elbow macaroni ((1 box)); 5 tablespoons unsalted butter ((⅝ stick)); ¼ cup minced onion; 2 cloves garlic (minced); ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 3¼ cups whole milk (room temperature); ½ cup sour cream (room temperature); 4 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 2 cups freshly shredded Swiss cheese; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ((⅜ stick)); 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Posted by Krista Teigen

on Jul 10, 2024

5 from 3 votes

Pin Recipe Jump to Recipe

Everyone has their favorite baked mac and cheese recipe, and this one is mine. I dug through the archives (aka: mom’s cupboard) to bring you my family’s secret recipe for the gooiest, cheesiest baked macaroni and cheese with the crispiest topping. My recipe is made with cheddar, Swiss, and a secret ingredient– sour cream! I hope you love it as much as I do.

overhead view of a spoonful of baked mac and cheese resting in a casserole dish.

This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.

It’s not often that I get permission to share a family recipe with the whole of the Internet, so I’m taking advantage. As soon as I got the green light from my mom, I got right to work perfecting this baked mac and cheese recipe to share with all of you. This macaroni and cheese is thickened with a classic roux and made with two kinds of cheese for a super cheesy flavor. The Panko topping gets soooo crispy in the oven… I’m drooling just thinking about it!

What’s in This Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe?

Pasta: I love classic elbow macaroni, but any short pasta shape will work.
Butter: Unsalted butter adds flavor to the mac and cheese and helps create a crispy topping.
Onion + Garlic: Create a savory base of flavor for the cheese sauce.
Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the cheese sauce.
Whole Milk: Creates a rich and creamy sauce.
Sour Cream: My secret weapon for an extra rich, creamy, and slightly tangy sauce.
Cheese: I used a mixture of freshly shredded sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese. Any combination of cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, gouda, or Swiss cheese would work.
Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs create the crispiest topping.
Garlic Powder: Adds savory flavor to the topping.

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Cookie Rookie.

Tips for Success

I recommend generously salting your pasta water; it adds a lot of flavor.
Cook the pasta al dente; it pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
I like to rinse the pasta thoroughly to remove excess starch and prevent the pasta from overcooking.
Use room-temperature milk and sour cream to avoid curdling the sauce.
Shred your own cheeses for the best consistency. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in starch to keep them from sticking, but that also makes them more difficult to melt, and the starch can affect the consistency of the sauce.
When adding the cheeses, stir constantly to avoid a lumpy sauce.
You can prepare (but not bake) up to 2 days ahead. Cover the unbaked casserole tightly with aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, let the casserole sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
At the end of baking, I like to broil the casserole for a few minutes for an extra crispy crust.
I recommend letting the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving to give it time to set.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover baked mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating covered with aluminum foil in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

lifting a scoop of baked mac and cheese from a casserole dish with a wooden spoon.

Serving Suggestions

I’m not gonna lie, I sometimes curl up with an extra-large bowl of this baked mac and cheese for dinner. It’s just that good! It’s on my Thanksgiving table every year, but I also love it with St. Louis Ribs, grilled chicken, and this Cracker Barrel style meatloaf too!

How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese Step by Step

Boil the Pasta: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a pot of salted water, boil 1 pound (1 box) of elbow macaroni to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Sauté the Onion: While the pasta cooks, melt 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large oven-safe skillet. Add in ¼ cup of minced onion and a sprinkle of salt and sauté for a couple of minutes until softened. Then, add in 2 cloves of minced garlic.

sauteeing onion in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the Flour: Stir in ¼ cup of all-purpose flour until the mixture becomes pasty.

flour-coated onions in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pour in the Milk: Gradually pour in 3¼ cups of room-temperature whole milk while whisking the mixture over low-medium heat. Continue whisking until the mixture has thickened.

pouring milk into an onion roux in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Add the Sour Cream: Whisk in ½ cup of room-temperature sour cream. Then, take the skillet off the heat.

thick and creamy white sauce in a pan with a whisk.

Melt in the Cheeses: Combine 4 cups of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 2 cups of freshly shredded Swiss cheese. Reserve 2 cups of the mixture. Add the remaining 4 cups of cheese to the skillet and stir until melted and combined.

stirring shredded cheeses into white sauce in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the Pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking pan.

stirring cooked macaroni into cheese sauce in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Toast the Breadcrumbs: In a small saucepan or skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add in 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and stir until combined.

toasting breadcrumbs in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Top the Casserole: Top the macaroni with the reserved 2 cups of cheese and the breadcrumbs.

breadcrumbs and cheese sprinkled over mac and cheese in a casserole dish.

Bake the Casserole: Bake for 15 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown. Top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

overhead view of two servings of baked mac and cheese on plates.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try!

Chili Mac (One Pot Recipe)

Chicken Mac and Cheese Soup (Macaroni Soup)

Loaded Mac and Cheese

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Mexican Mac and Cheese

Filed under: Casserole Recipes, Cheese, Cooking Basics, Dinner Recipes, Freezer Meals, Holiday Recipes, Kid Friendly Recipes, Lunch Ideas, Oven Baked, Pasta Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Meet Krista Teigen

In 2014, after a decade of work in the HR and Technical Communication fields, Krista Teigan decided to follow her passion for healthy cooking by starting food blog. Along the way, she honed her recipe development and food photography skills, and today, she is thrilled to be helping others in the food blogging space to develop and photograph mouth-watering recipes. Krista lives in Shoreview, Minnesota with her husband and two children. Outside of the kitchen, she enjoys exploring the Twin Cities food scene, cheering for her fave Minnesota sports teams, sweating on her Peloton, and jamming out to 90s and 2000s hits.