Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
- ⏱ 1 hour 10 minutes
- Medium
- Serves 8
- 👥 2-cook recipe
A creamy cheddar and Gruyère macaroni and cheese topped with buttery panko and baked until browned and bubbling.
Adapted from Serious Eats.
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This recipe, inside the app
Two phones, one plan. Tap a step on either phone and watch it tick on the other — that's the live sync, right here in your browser:
Classic Baked Macar...
0/0
COOK 1COOK 2
1Cook the macaroni
2Make the cheese sauce
In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons (40g) butter...
Add the flour and whisk to form a paste
Continue to cook, stirring, until the raw flour scent...
3Plate and serve
+ 14 more steps in the app
Classic Baked Macar...
0/0
COOK 2COOK 1
1Cook the macaroni
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook the...
Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and toss...
2Make the cheese sauce
3Plate and serve
+ 14 more steps in the app
Ingredients
- 450 g elbow macaroni
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 340 g sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 115 g Gruyère cheese (grated)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
The full plan
Split between two cooks — each step says who's on it.
1. Cook the macaroni COOK 1
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
- In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook the elbow macaroni until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package, Drain
- Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons (30g) butter until the butter is melted and the pasta is evenly coated, Set aside
2. Make the cheese sauce COOK 2
- In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons (40g) butter over medium-high heat, do not allow it to brown
- Add the flour and whisk to form a paste
- Continue to cook, stirring, until the raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute
- Whisking constantly, add the milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly and thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to maintain a homogeneous texture, The sauce will initially become very thick, get very thin once all the milk is added
- Heat, stirring, until the sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and, working in increments, whisk in the cheddar cheese until a smooth, emulsified cheese sauce forms, do not let the sauce come to a boil once the cheese is added
- Whisk in the hot sauce, salt, mustard powder, and garlic powder
🤝 Cook 1 hands the large saucepan to Cook 2.
3. Combine the pasta COOK 1
- Scrape the cheese sauce into the pasta and mix until evenly coated
- Let cool slightly
- Add the grated Gruyère and mix well
- Scrape the pasta into a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish and smooth the surface into an even layer
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the pasta and mix.
4. Prepare the topping COOK 2
- Add the panko to a small mixing bowl
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons (45g) butter
- Add it to the panko and mix until evenly coated
- Season with salt
- Scatter the panko all over the surface of the mac and cheese in an even layer
🤝 Cook 1 hands over the panko and mix.
5. Bake the casserole COOK 1
- Bake on the top rack of the oven until browned and bubbling, about 35 to 40 minutes
6. Plate and serve BOTH
- Let the mac and cheese rest for 15 minutes, serve
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the panko and mix.
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