Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This easy baked macaroni and cheese combines cheese, butter, and a creamy bechamel sauce all baked together in one delicious side dish!

A bowl of baked macaroni and cheese with a spoon in it

Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes that can be enjoyed for pretty much every occasion, during all times of the year, and by everyone. Kind of like Instant Pot fettuccine Alfredo.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer picnic, you name the theme and baked mac and cheese is a good fit. Plus, it’s just amazing for dinner or when you’re craving something cheesy.

This recipe is super easy to make – you just combine a few ingredients, add it to a pan, and bake with lots of yummy cheese on top. Kids will love it. Adults will love it.

And if you somehow have leftovers, the family can enjoy it warmed up the next day! Serve it with garlic parmesan wings and crescent rolls for a full meal!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Macaroni – you could also make this recipe with something like small shells, but I don’t recommend using pasta larger than that.
Cheese – as long as you keep the same amount, you can use any cheese that melts well. I just like the cheddar cheese to keep it as kid-friendly as possible.

Instructions

Okay so this recipe really just takes a few steps – cooking your macaroni, making your cream sauce and baking. I mean it is baked macaroni and cheese after all!

1 – Cook your macaroni

Unlike with this baked ziti, the first thing you want to do is cook your macaroni just like the package says. It’ll likely take somewhere around 10-15 minutes.

While the macaroni is cooking, you can work on the butter cream sauce.

2 – Make Your Sauce

The best part of this recipe is the butter cream sauce that you put on top of the macaroni while it bakes. This combined with the cheese makes for the most creamy and delicious dish.

To make the sauce, melt 2 TBS of butter in a large saute pan. Watch it closely and move onto the next step as soon as it’s mostly melted – you don’t want it to brown.

Melted butter in a pan with cheese around it

Once the butter is heated, reduce the heat to low and add your flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper.

Use a whisk and stir until the mixture is bubbly.

Then add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring the mixture constantly.

Woman's hand pouring milk into a pot with butter

Once it’s boiling, stir for one more minute then remove the mixture from heat. You should have a cream base that’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Woman's hand holding a whisk over a pan with milk and butter

3 – Bake

Before you bake, you’re going to create your layered mac and cheese. It’s kind of like a lasagna but macaroni and cheese instead.

Place half the cooked macaroni on the bottom of a squash baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp garlic salt.

Top with half the shredded cheese.

Repeat the layers again – the other half of the macaroni noodles and the other half of the cheddar cheese.

Shredded cheese on top of macaroni in a white baking dish

Pour the white bechamel sauce over the top of the final cheese layer.

Add the cuber butter on top and ocver with foil.

White baking dish with cubed butter and bechamel sauce

Bake for 30 minutes covered then remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Baked macaroni and cheese with bechamel sauce on top

Serve warm with your favorite main dish, as a side to a holiday feast, or just as a stand alone dinner on its own (like these coconut chicken tenders)! It’d be really good paired with these roasted root vegetables or some honey roasted carrots!

A pan of baked macaroni and cheese with a scoop taken out

Expert Tips

Double the recipe by simply doubling the ingredients and baking it in a 9×13 casserole dish instead. This is a great meal for a crowd, a party, or a holiday feast!

Stir the bechamel sauce constantly while you’re cooking it. You don’t want any part of it to burn or brown or it’ll change the flavor of the sauce.

Cook the macaroni to al dente since they’ll get cooked a bit more in the oven and you don’t want them to end up totally mushy.

Up the salt in the recipe by 1/2 tsp if you like your macaroni and cheese a bit salty. We like to salt to taste since my husband and I have different salt preferences – if you like a bit more salty, go for 1 1/4 tsp salt instead.

Recipe FAQs

Does mac and cheese have to baked?

This baked mac and cheese has to be baked or the cheese won’t melt and the bechamel sauce won’t combine into the cheese properly. There are plenty of other regular mac and cheese recipes out there, but this one needs to be baked.

How long does macaroni take to cook?

Macaroni typically takes somewhere between 7-10 minutes depending on what kind you’re using, if it’s organic, etc. Follow the directions on whatever package you’re using to cook the pasta to al dente.

What is the best cheese for mac and cheese?

Mac and cheese traditionally uses cheddar cheese but you can really use anything that melts well – white cheddar, gruyere, mozzarella, fontina, provolone are just a few others.

Can baked mac and cheese be made ahead of time?

You can definitely make this ahead of time and just reheat when you’re ready to serve. Keep it in a covered container in the fridge then heat back up in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

Can you freeze baked mac and cheese?

This also freezes extremely well, as do most baked pasta dishes. Freeze it in a freezer safe, airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat in the oven.

A bowl of baked macaroni and cheese with a spoon above it

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Print Rate

5 from 2 votes