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(327)
Comments
Read comments

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.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

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 monounsaturated 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.

Powered by

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.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
327 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

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.

Phil

Not a success. I used elbow pasta and it stuck to the bottom and scorched in places. The milk mixture formed almost a separate layer on top of the burnt, dry pasta. The bread crumb topping ‘caught’ in places lending another carbonized element to the dish. Cannot recommend.

thoughtful reader

I think the labor-saving tip to layer everything in an ungreased pan is a mistake. No fault to you if you don't want to try this again, but if you want to try, I suggest you mix the ingredients in a bowl, generously grease the pan, and reduce the temp by 25 degrees.

Mike Smith

This was a great recipe and it was a hit in out family! We did end up using sour cream instead of cream cheese, and hand mixed it because we did not have a blender. It worked out fine though, and tasted great!

thoughtful reader

Delicious and easy. I made a half-batch, and it was easily four servings for our "senior appetites." The pasta came out tender in a creamy sauce that belies how quickly this comes together. I stirred together the mixture in a big bowl to ensure everything was distributed well. Greased the pan. Added the crumb mixture halfway through only because I needed to get this in the oven. Next time I will keep the temp at 425 - too much "crust" (though tasty!). Looking forward to leftovers tonight!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.