Baked mac and cheese with breadcrumb topping
Creamy Southern-style baked mac and cheese with sharp cheddar, evaporated milk and a buttery golden breadcrumb topping. Never dry or grainy.
23% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 15 min
- Cooking
- 40 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Serves
- 10
- Calories
- 610
- Protein
- 28 g
- Per serving
- $1.41
Why this recipe works
Baked mac and cheese is the side that disappears first at every holiday dinner: tender macaroni in a rich cheddar sauce under a crisp, golden crust. This version is made a little saucier than you'd expect, so it's still creamy when it comes out of the oven.
- Undercooking the pasta by 2 minutes means it finishes absorbing sauce in the oven instead of turning soft and soaking it all up, which is what makes baked mac dry.
- Evaporated milk keeps the cheese sauce smooth and stable, so it stays creamy in the oven without breaking or turning grainy.
- Adding the cheese off the heat, a handful at a time, melts it gently; boiling cheese makes it seize and turn oily.
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the topping
You will need
- Large pot
- Large saucepan
- Whisk
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Cook the pasta
Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Boil the macaroni in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says, so it's still firm in the center. Drain.
Make the sauce
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, then the milk, and add the mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer, whisking, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes.
Melt in the cheese
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in 3 cups of the cheddar and all of the Monterey Jack a handful at a time until smooth. The sauce should look loose; it thickens in the oven.
Assemble
Stir the macaroni into the sauce and pour it into the dish. Scatter the remaining 1 cup cheddar over the top, then the panko tossed with the melted butter.
Bake
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce settles.
Techniques in this recipe
White, 1–2 min: sauces and casseroles Blond, about 5 min: gravies Brown, 15+ min: gumbo (thickens less) Make a smooth roux
Cook flour in melted butter for a minute, then whisk in the liquid gradually. It thickens sauces, gravies and casseroles without lumps.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking starch that makes the sauce grainy.
- To make ahead, assemble without the topping, cool, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Add the topping and bake 35 to 40 minutes from cold.
- Leftovers dry out in the fridge; stir in a splash of milk before reheating.
Nutrition per serving
610 calories
$1.41 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 18% of calories | 28 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 31% of calories | 47 g |
| Fat | 50% of calories | 34 g |
| Fiber | 2 g | |
| Sodium | 690 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How do you keep baked mac and cheese from drying out?
Undercook the pasta, make the sauce looser than you think you need, and don't overbake: pull it as soon as the edges bubble. It thickens as it rests.
Why use evaporated milk in mac and cheese?
It has less water and more milk proteins than regular milk, which keep the cheese sauce smooth and stop it splitting or turning grainy in the oven.
What cheese is best for baked mac and cheese?
Sharp cheddar for flavor plus a good melting cheese like Monterey Jack, Colby or Gruyère for creaminess. Grate it from the block.
