Easy Baked Mac and Cheese

By Melissa Clark

Updated November 19, 2024

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
4(300)
Comments
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You don’t have to boil the pasta ahead to make this easy baked macaroni and cheese. The noodles will absorb enough moisture from the milk to cook through while the pan is in the oven. Enriched with cream cheese (or cottage cheese, ricotta or sour cream, depending on what you have), and topped with plenty of Cheddar and a crunchy, Parmesan-spiked bread-crumb topping, it’s a simple, adaptable and crowd-pleasing recipe that you can probably even make from what’s already in your pantry.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

FOR THE MACARONI

  • 4 ½ cups milk

  • 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese (or use 1 cup cottage cheese, ricotta or sour cream)

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder or mustard (optional)

  • Pinch of ground cayenne or nutmeg (or both)

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or another small pasta shape

  • 1 pound/5 cups grated Cheddar (or a mix of cheeses)

FOR THE TOPPING

  • ¼ cup butter

  • 1 ½ cups bread crumbs, preferably panko

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping if needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

61 grams carbs; 120 milligrams cholesterol; 753 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 43 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 717 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In the blender, combine milk, cream cheese, 1½ teaspoons salt, garlic, mustard powder (if using), a lot of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne, nutmeg or both. Blend until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Put pasta in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and scatter Cheddar on top.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni and cheese in the pan.

  5. Step 5

    Make the topping: Melt butter in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave, and stir in bread crumbs and Parmesan. Scatter the mixture over the top of the macaroni.

  6. Step 6

    Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 450 degrees and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving; this gives the pasta a chance to absorb all of the milk.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
300 user ratings
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Comments

Bert

I cooked exactly as written, with raw pasta, and ricotta instead of cream cheese, and it all worked out fine. I will grease the pan next time though, the pasta stuck to the pan.

Kim

Yes, also wondering if this could be prepared a day in advance and then reheated for Thanksgiving.

regina s.

cooked this exactly as described, including the “pinches,” and it was fantastic. this will be my new go-to mac recipe, perhaps switching up the shredded cheese layer if i’m feeling adventurous.

l paxton

really good and really easy. to reheat bring to room temp, add a bit of milk, cover well, and set oven for 350....

Marie Ringel

This was a hit! I followed the recipe exactly but added about ½ tsp of smoked paprika, 1 extra tsp of ground mustard (I love the flavor in Mac & cheese), and a little extra salt to the milk mixture. Followed the advice of others & cooked covered for the first 20 and uncovered for the second half- I made a double batch for a party and it was almost completely gone! Multiple people asked for the recipe- a total winner! Oh, and I made the milk mixture & grated the cheese the day before for easy assembly day-of. Just keep the liquid in a separate container from the cheese- makes assembly mid-party super easy!

Emma

I was a bit disappointed with the recipe. I followed the process of pouring the raw pasta in the pan, adding a layer of cheese, then the milk. I cooked it as described at 425 for 20 minutes then 450 for 30 until the top was golden. The bottom layer of pasta was crispy and burnt and the pasta wasn't well incorporated into the milk and cheese, it really was just on the bottom. I think everything probably needed to be stirred before the topping was added and maybe it should have been cooked less?

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