Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese (Stovetop or Baked)

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese (Stovetop or Baked)

How to make an easy, creamy stovetop mac and cheese in just 15 minutes—or bake it in the oven with a crispy breadcrumb topping! Starting with a simple roux-based homemade mac and cheese sauce for an extra-smooth, velvety texture.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch & Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Vegetarian

Keyword easy mac and cheese, gruyere mac and cheese, homemade mac and cheese, homemade macaroni and cheese, mac and cheese, mac and cheese on the stove, mac and cheese with roux, new orleans baked mac and cheese, stovetop mac and cheese

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Bake time (optional) 20

Total Time 15

Servings cups

Calories 472

Author Alyssia Sheikh

Equipment

8-inch baking dish (1.5-qt) for baked mac and cheese

Ingredients

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

8 oz elbow macaroni noodles uncooked (or your favorite noodle)
3 Tbsp butter cubed (1.5oz)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (23g)
½ tsp salt
pinch of black pepper to taste
2 cups whole milk or 2% milk (480mL)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded (1 cup)
4 oz gruyere cheese freshly shredded (1 cup)

Baked Mac and Cheese Topping

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (21g)
2 Tbsp grated parmesan (10g)
1 Tbsp butter

Instructions

Cook Noodles

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni or noodles of choice according to package directions until al dente, ~7-8 minutes. (While the pasta cooks, you can start the cheese sauce.)
Drain cooked pasta but don’t rinse. Set aside until cheese sauce is ready.

Make Cheese Sauce with a Roux

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt cubed butter.
Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk to integrate (~1 minute). It will thicken up quickly.
As soon as the roux mixture is integrated, slowly pour in cold milk a little at a time, whisking continuously so it doesn’t burn.
Continue whisking constantly as it cooks over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken and stick to the sides of the pan. It should be smooth & thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Once thickened, turn the heat to low and add freshly shredded cheddar and gruyere, or cheeses of choice. Stir until melted (2-3 minutes), then remove from heat.

Stir Noodles into Cheese Sauce

Add cooked macaroni noodles into cheese sauce and stir to coat completely.
Serve stovetop mac and cheese warm & enjoy! (Or transfer to a baking dish to make baked mac and cheese.)

For Baked Mac and Cheese:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Transfer stovetop mac and cheese to a 1.5-qt baking dish. (I used a round 8-inch dish, or you can use a small 10x6-inch casserole dish.)
In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, parmesan, and melted butter. Add breadcrumb mixture on top of macaroni casserole.
Bake mac and cheese for 20-25 minutes at 350°F, until browned & bubbly. (If you want it to brown more on top, broil at the end for 2-3 minutes.)

Storage

Once cooled completely, store homemade mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Or let baked mac and cheese cool completely in the dish, then cover and store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Nutrition for stovetop mac and cheese

Per 1 cup:

Nutrition for baked mac and cheese with breadcrumb topping

Per 1 cup:

Nutrition