This creamy side dish of Baked Mac n Cheese is full of soft elbow macaroni pasta, warm melted cheese, and a hint of nutmeg which makes for a classic cozy comfort food.
My goal in creating this recipe was to make it very kid friendly. No weird ingredients and nothing green! So I used the shredded cheese that we always buy in bulk and I resisted the urge to add chopped parsley to the top and it paid off, the kids love it.
Ingredients Needed to Make It:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with exact measurements)
- elbow macaroni
- salted butter
- all purpose flour
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- nutmeg
- whole milk
- shredded Monterrey Jack blended cheese
- shredded Parmesan cheese
How to Make Baked Mac n Cheese:
Step 1:
Heat water in a large pot and cook the elbow macaroni to al dente. Pour into a colander to drain.
Step 2:
In the same large pot, melt the butter and then add the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine and sauté for a couple minute to let the flour become lightly brown and aromatic. I love this handi-stir whisk from Rada Cutlery.
Step 3:
Add the milk and whisk well. Heat low and slow until thick and bubbly. You don’t want to heat it too fast or it will “break the sauce”. I remember the time I was telling a coworker that I made Mac n cheese but the sauce never got thick and it was grainy. She said “oh no, you broke the sauce!” I had never heard that before but now I’ll never forget it. Lol! So don’t heat it too quick and hot! Low and slow is the way to go.
Step 4:
Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, add the cheese and stir till melted. Then stir in the cooked pasta.
Step 5:
Pour it into a 9”x13” baking dish and sprinkle the Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese on top.
Step 6:
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then turn on broil and heat it for about it 3 minutes until nice and browned on top. Stay by the oven and keep an eye on it when you’re doing this because it burns quickly.
Step 7:
Serve while it’s nice and warm and melty. Enjoy! My family loves it and so do I!
Lots of Love,
~Rachel Ballinger 🧀
Some Of My Other Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
- Chili Mac n Cheese
- Baked Penne Pasta
- Parmesan Ham Pasta
- Lasagna Soup
“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.” ~Rachel
Baked Mac n Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pasta in boiling water until soft. Drain in colander.
- In the pasta pot, melt the butter and stir in flour. Sauté for a couple minutes till browned and aromatic.
- Whisk in milk and salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Heat and whisk till bubbly and starting to thicken. This will take some time but heat it low and slow. Heating it up too fast will break the sauce and make it grainy and it’ll never get thick.
- Once the sauce is thick, add the cheese and stir till melted and smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and season if needed and add more milk if desired.
- Pour the cheesy pasta into a 9”x13” baking dish. Sprinkle the mixed cheddar and Parmesan cheeses on top.
- Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. I like to broil it on high for about 3 minutes at the end to get a nice brown on top. Stand by the stove and watch it or you’ll burn it!
- Serve while nice and warm and melty. Refrigerate leftovers.
