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Recipes » Courses » Side Dishes » Baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Posted on July 1, 2020 By Chef Billy Parisi

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Learn how to make the most delicious homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is loaded up with 3 different kinds of cheese.

We are huge comfort food eaters in this family.  Whether it’s tomato soup and grilled cheese or chicken noodle soup, we are big-time fans of classic comfort food.

big casserole dish of macaroni and cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

Is there anything more classic and comforting than homemade macaroni and cheese?  While Kraft may have packaged it up and put it in a box, it’s roots stem to back to Southern Italy as early as the 13th century.

There are many takes on macaroni and cheese and the ingredients that are used in it and here are the staples:

  • Macaroni Noodles
  • Cheese
  • Milk

What’s the Best Cheese to Use?

What cheese to use in this recipe is a little bit subjective based upon what you like.  I’m a huge fan of a combination of cheddars and American cheese, I believe it provides the cheesiest macaroni.

Some great cheeses to use include:

  • Cheddar
  • White Cheddar
  • American
  • Gouda
  • Mozzarella
  • Colby Jack
  • Monterey Jack
  • Pepper Jack
  • Gruyere
  • Comte
  • Parmesan
  • Asiago
  • Mascarpone

How to Make It

Follow these easy instructions for how to make this recipe.

Start by grating all of the cheeses and setting them to the side.

grating cheddar cheese on a cheese grater

Sauté some onions and garlic in a little bit of butter until lightly browned.

sautéing garlic and onions in a large pot

Stir in flour to make a roux

adding flour to the pot with onions and garlic

Add in milk to make a bechamel sauce and bring to a boil to thicken.

mixing a creamy sauce in a large rondeau pot

Pour in the shredded cheeses to the thick milk sauce and whisk until smooth.

adding shredded cheese to a large pot with milk

Boil the macaroni noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly crunchy or al dente.

boiling macaroni noodles in a large pot of boiling water

Mix the cooked macaroni noodles with the cheese sauce and eggs until completely combined.

mixing together eggs, cheese sauce and cooked macaroni noodles together in a pot

Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, top off with additional shredded cheese and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

sprinkling cheese on top of macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish

Why is My Macaroni and Cheese Dry?

When macaroni and cheese are on the drier side it tends to be two different things:

  1. Undercooked Noodles: When this happens, the undercooked noodles suck up too much liquid when baking causing it to be dry.
  2. Not Enough Sauce: The noodles regardless of how cooked or uncooked they are, will continue to suck up the sauce when baking in the oven, so if there isn’t enough sauce it will dry out your macaroni and cheese.

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 2 days ahead of time and will need to be reheated before serving.  In addition, you can make the recipe without baking, cool it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until you are ready to bake and serve it.

How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish and cover with foil and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until hot.  Likewise, you can heat on a microwave-safe dish until hot.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

While macaroni noodles are the most common noodle, you can absolutely use things like fusilli or farfalle in substitution.

Feel free to swap out the cheeses with your desired favorites.

If you want a looser macaroni and cheese, then please do not use the eggs.

You can optionally garnish the macaroni and cheese when it’s finished with chopped parsley or chives.

macaroni and cheese casserole dish with a large spoonful taken out

More Comfort Food Recipes

  • Meatloaf
  • Loco Moco
  • Ham and Green Bean Stew
  • Chicken Parmesan
  • Spaghetti

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

Video

big casserole dish of macaroni and cheese
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Learn how to make the most delicious homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is loaded up with 3 different kinds of cheese.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Main, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Calories: 529kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
  • 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups whole milk
  • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  • 3 cups shredded white cheddar
  • 3 cups shredded American cheese
  • 1 ½ pounds macaroni noodles
  • 3 large eggs
  • sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Add the butter to a large rondeau or Dutch oven pot over medium heat until melted and add in the onions and garlic and cook until lightly browned about 5-7 minutes.
  • Next, stir in the flour until completely combined and add in the milk and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Once the milk becomes thick, stir in 2 cups each of each cheese, totaling 6 cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth.
  • Turn the heat down to low and finish with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
  • In the meantime, boil the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes or until slightly crunchy or al dente.
  • Drain the noodles and transfer them to the pot of cheese sauce and mix thoroughly along with the eggs. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if need be.
  • Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a large casserole dish and sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup each of the shredded cheese totaling 3 cups of cheese.
  • Bake in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Chef Notes: 
  • Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 2 days ahead of time and will need to be reheated before serving. In addition, you can make the recipe without baking, cool it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until you are ready to bake and serve it.
 
  • How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish and cover with foil and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until hot. Likewise, you can heat on a microwave-safe dish until hot.
 
  • How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
 
  • While macaroni noodles are the most common noodle, you can absolutely use things like fusilli or farfalle in substitution.
 
  • Feel free to swap out the cheeses with your desired favorites.
 
  • If you want a looser macaroni and cheese, then please do not use the eggs.

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 953IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 701mg | Iron: 1mg
Baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe was last modified: July 1st, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carl says

    February 24, 2021 at 9:46 pm

    Hey Billy,
    If I want to add shrimp to this.
    How much should I use and when should I add it? And should I cook the shrimp before I add it?

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      February 26, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      I would cook the shrimp separate to be honest and then fold it in.

      Reply
  2. Beth Egliskis says

    September 05, 2020 at 10:17 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing Billy!! Huge hit!!

    Reply
  3. yvette c conklin says

    July 04, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    5 stars
    Already made it and it was really good!!

    Reply
    • Casey says

      February 24, 2021 at 10:45 am

      Do I need to temper the eggs when adding them to the pasta and cheese sauce?

      Reply
      • Chef Billy Parisi says

        February 24, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        nope!

        Reply
  4. Yvette says

    July 02, 2020 at 2:19 am

    5 stars
    My son got so excited when he saw this recipe. Will try it out! Thank you!!

    Reply
  5. Rehab says

    July 01, 2020 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    Looks tasty, I will make it soon! I love it.
    THANK YOU BILLY FOR SHARING!!
    I SO GLAD!

    Reply

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ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

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