Baked Mac And Cheese Recipe

You really can't ever go wrong with mac and cheese from a box made on the stove top. However, baking your mac and cheese in casserole form does take it to a whole other level. It's also super easy to make, even if you're someone whose go-to is the boxed kind. 

We got this recipe for baked mac and cheese from certified chef, food blogger, and recipe developer Maren Epstein of Eating Works (whose website you should check out for even more simple recipes with lots of good-for-you ingredient options). While there are lots and lots of mac and cheese recipes out there, her version only requires only 10 minutes of prep work and utilizes panko bread crumbs, which add a unique crunch when you combine them with Parmesan cheese to make the topping for the baked mac and cheese. You'll need a standard 9x13-inch casserole for this oven-made concoction of pasta, breadcrumbs, and cheese.

You'll also need 1 cup of panko crumbs and ½ cup Parmesan cheese to make the crunchy, breaded topping for the baked mac and cheese, but since you aren't adding that till later on in the recipe, it's fine to set them aside from the other ingredients. 

In terms of panko crumbs, at the store, you'll probably find there are lots of options out there in terms of flavor. Epstein uses Italian style for this recipe, so if you can find those, we'd go with that! Panko crumbs are unique because they're made from a specific kind of crustless, white bread through a specific process (that utilizes electrical current) that results in a flakier, airier texture. They are also often referred to as Japanese-style breadcrumbs (via MasterClass).

After the pasta has been cooked, you'll prepare the cheese sauce. Melt the stick of butter in a 4-quart soup pot on medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour. Whisk the butter and flour over low heat until there are no clumps and the roux has turned golden. According to Epstein, roux "is a fancy term for mixing butter and flour. Mixing butter and flour in a pan is a very common method used to thicken up soups and sauces." This baked mac and cheese just got gourmet.

Next, whisk the milk into the pot, one cup at a time, until the roux and milk are fully combined. Then add in the cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and mustard. Whisk again until the mustard is fully dissolved. Bring the milk to a simmer and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, basically until it reduces, so be sure to watch it carefully so the milk doesn't burn. Turn off the flame once it's reduced.

The final step in making the sauce is adding the sharp cheddar cheese, also one cup at a time, and whisking it until it's melted. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure the cheese doesn't stick to the bottom. After the cheddar has been fully incorporated, add the cream cheese and stir until combined. Then, add the mozzarella. When the mozzarella goes in, the sauce will thicken and get stringy.

Now it's time to bust out the Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs that you set aside earlier. These finishing touches will cover the top of the baked mac and cheese before you put it in the oven to give it that nice baked finish (the kind you can't get from a stove or microwave version of mac and cheese). 

Is there a magic technique to executing this final, pre-oven step? "If you want to be a perfectionist, you can combine [the panko and parmesan] in the same bowl before applying the final topping to the casserole," says Epstein. Otherwise, it's okay to sprinkle a layer of panko, then a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.