Food

Baked Mac and Cheese

By Lauren Medeiros On November 3rd, 2026

“Make sure to use plenty of sauce and cover the pan for most of the baking to allow the noodles to absorb enough moisture to cook through. Then to add a crispy layer, I sprinkle panko and more cheese over the top and run everything under the broiler.” — Melissa Clark

Ingredients

Serves 6

Mac and Cheese

Softened butter, for baking dish
5 cups coarsely grated cheddar, any sharpness level (1 lb.)
3 cups coarsely grated Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Gruyère (or a combination; about 10 oz.)
4 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
4 tbsp (2 oz.) unsalted butter
½ cup flour
6 cups whole milk
1¼ tsp fine sea/table salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg or onion powder (optional)
Pinch cayenne or black pepper
1 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni

Bread Crumb Topping

2 cups panko bread crumbs
½ cup finely grated Parmesan (2 oz.)
6 tbsp (3 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
Pinch salt

Directions

Make Mac and Cheese

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter large baking dish or 9″ x 13″ baking pan at least 2″ deep (or use individual ramekins or other baking dishes).
In large bowl, toss together ½ cup each of cheddar and Colby Jack.
In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture smells nutty and looks pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk in steady stream, making sure mixture is smooth before adding more. Bring to a boil (keep whisking). Reduce heat and simmer (still whisking!) until sauce is thick enough to coat back of a spoon, 1 to 3 minutes.
Turn off heat and add remaining cheddar, Colby Jack and Parmesan a handful at a time, letting it melt between additions. Stir in salt, mustard powder, nutmeg (if using) and cayenne. Stir uncooked pasta into cheese sauce. Mixture will be very loose but will get absorbed by pasta as it bakes. Pour mixture into baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Set baking dish on rimmed sheet pan.
Bake for 55 minutes.

Make Bread Crumb Topping and Serve

Meanwhile, make Bread Crumb Topping: In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients.
Remove foil from baking dish and stir, making sure to scrape bottom and corners of pan. Taste piece of macaroni. It should be al dente but almost cooked through (it will continue to cook). If it’s still very crunchy, re-cover pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Once pasta is al dente, scatter bread crumb mixture on top (it will look like a lot but should all fit). Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and crumbs are crisp and lightly golden in spots, about 20 minutes. (If using Pyrex or another glass dish, do not broil; see Rules & Variations below.) Turn on broiler and broil until dark brown in spots and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes.
Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. As it sits, sauce will thicken and residual heat will finish cooking noodles.

Melissa’s Rules & Variations

Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Boil 8 oz. macaroni in large pot of well-salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water. Return drained pasta to pot and stir in 1¼ cups grated cheddar (5 oz.), 2 tablespoons cream cheese and reserved pasta water. Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and sauce has emulsified. Fold in 3 tablespoons Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. You can also add a pinch of grated nutmeg and mustard powder or a spoonful of Dijon mustard for extra kick. If you want to add an easy, crispy topping, crush up some Ritz crackers or potato chips to sprinkle on top.

Karen’s Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese
My friend Karen Rush inspired me to add 5 oz. Gorgonzola dolce to the bechamel in this baked mac and cheese, and it is fantastic.

Colby Jack or Monterey Jack gives this an especially creamy texture. Gruyère makes it nutty and more complex tasting. Use either one or a combination along with the cheddar.
It’s important to add the cheese slowly as you make the béchamel sauce, to allow the mixture to emulsify properly. If you add it too quickly, the sauce might break, which gives it a slightly grainy texture. Not terrible, but not ideal.
Pyrex or other glass pans are not broiler-proof, so after baking covered for 55 minutes, uncover, stir, top with bread crumb topping, and bake until browned, another 30 to 40 minutes. Do not broil or the pan might crack.

Written By