Best ever baked mac and cheese

This is my best ever baked mac and cheese, it’s creamy, indulgent and topped with a fragrant garlic and rosemary pangrattato, delivering the perfect crunch and contrast to the goodness that lies beneath!

One of my absolute favourite things in the world to eat is mac and cheese. I love it in every shape and form it comes in; stove top, baked, boxed – you name it, I have tried (and loved it).

And while I’ve been making mac and cheese at home for what feels like forever, this is undoubtedly my best ever version.

A creamy, three cheese sauce, elbow macaroni (the elite pasta shape for this dish), and a crunchy garlic and rosemary pangrattato (breadcrumb) topping – HEAVEN! This is my idea of the perfect, oven-baked mac and cheese and I hope you absolutely love it.

Why I adore this mac and cheese

• The consistency is perfectly creamy right out of the oven – thanks to not over-thickening the béchamel sauce on the stove.
• There’s a beautiful contrast – between the silky, creamy mac and cheese and the crunchy, fragrant garlic and rosemary pangrattato topping you have the perfect combination of sauce and crunch!
• Easy to make – all you need to do is parboil some pasta, make a quick sauce and prepare the breadcrumb topping.
• The pangrattato breadcrumb topping can be made in advance – making this even easier to throw together.
• Only a handful of ingredients

Ingredients you’ll need to make it

• Pasta – elbow macaroni is my shape of choice. There’s something about those little curves that do it for me! However you could also substitute with regular macaroni, cavatappi (corkscrews), conchiglie (shells) or lumache (snails).
• Cheese – I use a holy trinity of cheeses here: Edam, Cheddar and Red Leicester (for colour!)
• Béchamel – this is also known as a white sauce, it’s a combination of butter, flour and milk.
• Cream – this is my secret ingredient and makes the béchamel sauce even creamier and more luxurious!
• Wholegrain or Dijon mustard – adds some depth of flavour to the sauce.
• Nutmeg – a small pinch of fresh nutmeg adds a subtle nuttiness that cuts through the richness of the cream.
• Breadcrumbs – I love using panko breadcrumbs for this, but also dried breadcrumbs would work.
• Rosemary – used in the pangrattato topping to add a herbaceous note.
• Garlic – used with the rosemary to infuse the olive oil before mixing with the breadcrumbs.
• Olive oil – infused with the rosemary and garlic and then mixed with the dried breadcrumbs

How to make my best ever mac and cheese (step-by-step)

1. Prepare the breadcrumb mix

Gently heat garlic cloves and fresh rosemary in olive oil to infuse. Remove from the oil and mix in the panko breadcrumbs, then set aside.

2. Parboil the pasta

Cook the pasta in a pot of generously salted boiling water, a few minutes less than packet instructions.

3. Make the béchamel

In a large, oven-proof pan melt the butter and mix in the flour to form a roux. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the milk, whisking constantly. Once combined, stir in the thickened cream and remove from the heat.

4. Build the sauce

Add nutmeg, mustard, a good amount of salt to taste and grated cheese before adding the al dente pasta. Mix until the cheese has melted.

5. Top and bake

Top the mac and cheese with the prepared breadcrumbs and bake until golden and bubbling (~15 minutes).

Tip and tricks for making this baked mac and cheese

• Don’t overthicken the béchamel – it’s important not to thicken it too much on the stove as it’ll continue thickening once in the oven – if you want your mac and cheese to stay creamy and dreamy, keeping it on the thinner side is your best option!
• Season the sauce before it goes into the oven – it’s your last chance at getting the seasoning just right, so make sure you taste the sauce and adjust the salt as needed.

FAQs about this mac and cheese

Can I use a different pasta shape?

I love using elbow macaroni for any mac and cheese, but there are some great substitutes if you can’t find any! Regular macaroni always works, but some other shapes to consider would be cavatappi (corkscrew), lumache (snails), and conchiglie (shells)!

Can I make this in advance?

Yes you can. Prepare the breadcrumb topping and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to bake. You can also prepare the béchamel base ahead of time (add everything besides the cheese and pasta), gently reheat it then add the cheese, pasta, topping and bake!

How long can I store this?

This stores well in the fridge for 3-5 days. Just be mindful that the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce after cooking and it will thicken up over time. Still delicious though!

Anyway, that’s about it for this (insanely delicious) baked mac and cheese! I hope you love this one as much as I do, and if you’re looking for a good side to serve it with, definitely check out my crunchy green salad! Or for some other oven-baked pasta inspiration, check out these other recipes:

• classic lasagne
• stuffed shells
• lasagne alla portofino

And if you make this recipe, I’d love if you’d drop me a comment below and let me know how you went!

Best ever mac and cheese

My best ever mac and cheese, with three delicious types of cheese and a fragrant garlic and rosemary pangrattato for a contrasting crunch!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: bechamel, cheese sauce, easy recipe, macaroni, pangrattato

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Garlic rosemary pangrattato

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves unpeeled, whole but lightly smashed
• Rosemary sprig
• 75 g Panko breadcrumbs

Mac and cheese

• 500 g elbow macaroni pasta
• 75 g unsalted butter
• 75 g flour
• 450 ml whole milk
• 300 ml thickened cream
• Fresh nutmeg
• ½ tbsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
• 150 g cheddar grated
• 150 g Red Leicester grated
• 150 g Edam grated

Instructions

Garlic rosemary pangrattato

• To a small frying pan combine the olive oil, garlic and rosemary.
• Place over a low heat and gently infuse the olive oil with the garlic and rosemary – 5 minutes. When the garlic is starting to sizzle and it smells fragrant, remove the garlic and rosemary then add the panko breadcrumbs and stir well to coat in the olive oil.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.

Mac and cheese

• Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan forced/350f).
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce – heat the butter in a large, oven-safe pan and once melted whisk in the flour to form a roux.
• Allow this to cook for a couple of minutes, then add the milk (cold is fine). First add enough milk to form a smooth but thick sauce, then you can add the remaining milk in one go – make sure to stir/whisk constantly.
• Once the milk is incorporated, add the cream. Whisk continuously over a low heat until thickened to the consistency of thickened cream – you still want it to be relatively loose – coating the back of a spoon lightly.
It's important not to over-thicken the cream mixture as it will continue to thicken when you cook it in the oven.
• Remove from the heat and grate in a pinch of fresh nutmeg, add the mustard and season generously with salt.
• Stir through the grated cheeses, then add the cooked pasta and some pasta water to loosen the sauce and help melt the cheese.
• Top with the pangrattato mixture.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then switch to the grill for 2-3 minutes until the pangrattato is golden and the edges are bubbling.

Notes

PS you can save any extra pangrattato for leftovers – simply toast in a dry pan and serve alongside any leftover mac and cheese to ensure a proper crunch!