Sides / Casseroles & table breads
Baked Mac and Cheese with a Crisp Crumb Top
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Somebody always goes for the corner piece, and by somebody I mean everybody. Sharp cheddar and Gruyère melt into a sauce that looks too loose going in. Trust it. That's exactly what keeps it creamy under the buttery panko crunch.
The short version
Boil a pound of elbows 2 minutes short of done, make a white sauce with butter, flour and 5 cups of milk, stir in sharp cheddar and Gruyère off the heat, fold in the pasta, top with buttered panko and Parmesan and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes. The sauce should look too loose going in; that's what keeps it creamy.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Pull the pasta 2 minutes early. The macaroni keeps cooking in the oven and drinks up sauce as it does. Fully cooked pasta turns soft and leaves the dish dry; slightly underdone pasta finishes tender and leaves it creamy.
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Two cheeses, grated yourself. Extra-sharp cheddar carries the flavor, and Gruyère melts smooth and stretchy and adds a nutty depth. Bagged shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that can make the sauce grainy.
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Add the cheese off the heat. Cheese that boils separates into a greasy, gritty sauce. Stirred into hot béchamel away from the burner, it melts glossy and smooth.
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Toss the panko in melted butter, with Parmesan. Buttered crumbs brown evenly in the time the pasta takes to heat through, and the Parmesan bakes into a salty, crackly lid. Dry crumbs on top just taste like sand.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Elbow macaroni1 pound
- Unsalted butter6 tablespoons
- All-purpose flour½ cup
- Dry mustard powder1 teaspoon
- Cayenne pepper¼ teaspoon
- Extra-sharp cheddar12 ounces
- Gruyère8 ounces
- Panko breadcrumbs1 cup
Mac and cheese
Topping
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Heat the oven, boil the water
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle and butter a 13×9-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
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Cook the pasta short
Cook the macaroni 2 minutes less than the package says. It should still be firm and a little chalky in the very center. Drain it well and set it aside in the colander.
Don't rinse it. A little surface starch helps the sauce cling.
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Make the white sauce
In the same pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard and cayenne and cook, whisking, until it bubbles and smells toasty but hasn't browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly so no lumps form.
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Simmer until thick
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, whisking often and scraping the corners of the pot, and cook until it's smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes.
Keep whisking into the corners. That's where flour settles and scorches.
About 6 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Melt in the cheese
Take the pot off the heat. Add the cheddar and Gruyère a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next. Stir in the salt and pepper and taste; it should be a little saltier than you'd like, because the pasta will absorb some of it.
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Fold in the pasta
Add the macaroni to the sauce and stir until every piece is coated. It will look loose and soupy. Pour it into the buttered dish and spread it level.
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Top it
In a small bowl, toss the panko with the melted butter until evenly moistened, then mix in the Parmesan. Scatter it evenly over the macaroni, all the way to the edges.
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Bake
Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is deep golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
About 25 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Rest 10 minutes
Let it stand 10 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it cools slightly, so it spoons up creamy instead of runny.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- For a weeknight, halve everything and bake it in an 8- or 9-inch square dish for 20 to 25 minutes. Or skip the oven entirely, stir the cheese sauce into fully cooked pasta and eat it from the pot.
- Any good melting cheese can stand in for the Gruyère, such as fontina, Monterey Jack, mild white cheddar or Havarti. Keep the extra-sharp cheddar; it's where the flavor comes from.
- To make ahead, assemble the dish without the topping, cool, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Let it sit out 30 minutes, add the topping, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, covering loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
- Storage. Refrigerated, covered, 4 days. Reheat portions covered at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes with a splash of milk stirred in. Freezing works but the sauce turns a little grainy.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why is my mac and cheese grainy?
The sauce got too hot after the cheese went in, or the cheese was pre-shredded. Grate it yourself from a block and stir it in off the heat, a handful at a time.
Why is my baked mac and cheese dry?
The pasta was fully cooked before baking, or there wasn't enough sauce. Undercook the pasta by 2 minutes and make sure the mixture looks soupy when it goes into the dish.
What are the best cheeses for mac and cheese?
One sharp cheese for flavor and one smooth melter for texture. Extra-sharp cheddar with Gruyère is our pick; fontina or Monterey Jack also melt well.
Can I make baked mac and cheese ahead?
Yes. Assemble it without the topping and refrigerate up to 1 day, then add the topping and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Add a splash of milk over the top first if it looks dry.
Do I need the egg some recipes use?
No. A béchamel base keeps it creamy and sliceable without one, and there's no risk of the egg curdling in the oven.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 26, 2026.