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Made this for a bbq we had this past week – there were just a few bits leftover. …it was a it! I stayed away from the eggs and still worked out just fine. Always nice to find comfort in comfort food!
suzzy
Hi, friends!
Today is part two of the Feeding a Broken Heart series that we are sharing in honor of our son Afton and the many people (both online and off) who have loved us so well through the experience of his birth and passing.
(Which, as a side note, it has been so fun to watch you participate in. Your stories of sharing food with others who are hurting have been inspiring and encouraging and just incredibly feel-good-on-the-internet kinds of stuff. I am very, very thankful that it is my literal job to take a front row seat to your awesomeness. Whether you’ve mailed cookies to a friend, made potato soup for your mom, or found something in our recipe archives to make in honor of our sweet baby Afton… all of it is just next level kindness. You do my heart good, and you do others’ hearts good too, which is why we put some of your stories on this page.)
HOW TO MAKE OUR BAKED MAC AND CHEESE:
So.
Today, in brave solidarity with broken hearts everywhere, I bring you: Baked Mac and Cheese! ♡
Yes, those are buttery homemade breadcrumbs on top and YOU ARE WELCOME.
This baked mac and cheese is heavy on the cheesy insides, crunchy outsides, and OMG vibes. It is light on redeeming health value. Don’t worry about it. It is possibly the most emotionally healing thing that you could ever feed your heartsick self. It’s BAKED MAC AND CHEESE, for crying out loud.
If this baked mac and cheese happens to be fed to you by a friend who invites you over when you are sad beyond sadness, then your life is not so bad after all, is it, now? And that is exactly how this came into my life: around a generous table, with a fancy salad and some really good garlic bread, and kind, gentle friends who asked us about Afton and laughed with us and cried a little and all-around just took good care of us.
Life was still bad, but it was a little less bad in that moment. And for people who are hurting, “a little less bad” can be a really big deal.
I mean. Guys.
Just gaze upon the cheesy beauty that is.
As I mentioned, my friend Stephanie made this recipe for us from cookbook The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (affiliate link). It was everything wonderful that a baked mac and cheese should be – not overwhelmingly gooey, just the right balance of inner cheesiness with crispy baked-up edges and a crunchy top. She served it to us with garlic bread (carbs on carbs like whaaa) and a beautiful green salad that, I think, also came from that cookbook.
It was comforting on every level and we felt loved.
Your turn! Who needs a pan of baked mac and cheese in their life? I have full faith in you to deliver.
More Mac and Cheese Yum
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese (serious Instant Pot magic)
- Healthy Mac and Cheese (you’d never guess veggies are hidden inside)
- Steak and Cheddar Mac and Cheese (the ultimate comfort food)
Baked Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This Baked Mac and Cheese is cheesy on the inside, crispy on the outside, heavy on the OMG yum factor. It’s my take on the recipe from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science cookbook.
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 2–3 slices white bread, toasted
- 7 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 1/2 pounds cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 ounces American, Gruyere, or any other smooth melting cheese, grated or cut into chunks
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the macaroni into a large bowl and cover with hot water and stir in a big pinch of salt. Let the noodles soak for about 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
- BREADCRUMBS: Melt two tablespoons of the butter. Pulse the bread through a food processor, and add the butter. Set aside.
- SAUCE BASE: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden blonde. Add the evaporated milk and whole milk, very slowly, whisking constantly to achieve a nice smooth, thick sauce. Stir in the mustard. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat to add the cheeses – stir until melted. Season to taste.
- GET READY TO BAKE: Whisk about a cup of sauce with the eggs in a separate bowl (to increase the temperature of the eggs gradually). Once combined, add that egg mixture in with the rest of the sauce. Add the drained macaroni and stir to combine. Pour into a greased rectangular or square baking dish.
- BAKE: Top with the breadcrumbs, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to get the breadcrumbs toasty and nice. Serve with salt, pepper, hot sauce, or whatever you like with your baked mac and cheese.
Notes
Because it’s a BAKED mac and cheese, and because of the eggs, it does indeed BAKE and it isn’t an ooey-gooey velveeta-like bomb like you might be imagining. It’s cheesy, but it also bakes into more of a pie, something that you can cut almost into slices. This is supposed to be more crispy and casserole-y than your standard shells and cheese situation. If you love the idea of the ooey-gooey bomb, I’d suggest omitting the eggs (those are what help it set), adding a little extra milk to the sauce, and baking it for just long enough to get the breadcrumbs toasty.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baked mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, mac and cheese
Hi!
What size pan? Thanks!
Not gonna lie, I had to TRUST the process with one. The cheese sauce was soooo thick before adding the eggs…. And even after adding them, really. Soaking the noodles instead of boiling for a bit was questionable to me (but honestly, I’m no expert so there’s that). I mean the whole process just had me scratching my head, HOWEVER I kept trusting the process and the final product is in point!!!!!
I followed all instructions exactly but I did broil for about a minute and a half at the end. My amateur-food-critic husband is still digging in as I type this.
I’m calling this one “Trust The Process Mac and Cheese.”
Will definitely make again!
Hi! I really liked your recipe of baked mac & cheese. Can you pls give the exact recipe without eggs. How much extra milk to add and how much time to bake and what temperature? Thanks, Deepa
Hi! I am prepping for Thanksgiving and wondering if I can make this or prep the day ahead. If so, what do you recommend? Thanks!
This yummy recipe made me drool. I am a little confused that can I add any other kind of cheese like mozzarella or emmental cheese. Would it taste the same or any thing else?
Very good pasta recipe. I would recommend adding some manchego cheese, it is to die for! Congrats for the recipe!
Can I prepare this dish the day before serving and bake it the next day?
Do you have a cook book? I always love your chatting and recipes.
Hi, Joan! We don’t have a print cookbook, but good to know it’s something you’d be interested in seeing. Thanks for sharing this with us! 😊
Could I use the healthy Mac and cheese recipe for the baked one?
Do you think I could make this ahead of time? Or prepare everything and put it into the fridge to bake later?
Hi, Kate! We think most of this would be best to prepare day-of. You may be able to prep steps 2 and 3 ahead of time and just warm the sauce up again before moving to step 4.
Can i use brown bread for this recipe ?..
Yep, definitely!
Made this for my next door neighbor who lost her husband last week. She and her granddaughter (who they care for) were really excited! I added some broccoli in it after the milk and before the cheese and it worked very well.
I doubled the batch for my husband and I- and it is very, VERY rich. We eat mostly vegan at home- I ate a small piece and could barely finish it!
Glad they enjoyed it, Gretchen!
I just made this dish and it was awesome! Very rich so having a big serving was not even an option. Very delicious.
Made this for a bbq we had this past week – there were just a few bits leftover. …it was a it! I stayed away from the eggs and still worked out just fine. Always nice to find comfort in comfort food!
Glad to hear it! 🙂
Seems like the perfect food for a broken heart. This looks amazing, and I love your photos!
I made this delish version of Mac-n-chz this past weekend. I had to add a little extra milk to thin the sauce a bit but it was soooo good. Whole fam-damily enjoyed it. Even my picky husband.
Awesome, Amy! Glad to hear it!
Wonderful post..
Really love this series – And I’m also very sorry for your loss.
Food is definitely healing and I admire how you’re choosing to handle it.
<3 thoughts going out to you.
This looks so so yummy! I recently started a blog about my grandmother’s recipes. She was an excellent cook. I just wish I could take pictures like you guys can. It’s something I need to work on. Definitely going to try this recipe though! thinkmariah.com
I can NOT wait to make this! Such a beautiful sentiment behind it, of course, but…I mean, just look at it!! Plus the idea of a Gruyere M&C is making my heart pitter patter…and don’t get me started on buttery breadcrumbs. So happy you’re on the road to healing, and bringing us along for the ride. xo
I like the look of this and it doesn’t sound too complicated so I should be able to try it – thank you for sharing
How hot was the water you soaked the macaroni in?
Lindsay, it’s so wonderful to see you back in the kitchen! You are both so brave, so wonderful, and this is such a beautiful idea! I have been trying to feed the broken hearts around me since I’ve started cooking. The last time I’ve done it was just last week, when I took the simplest birthday cake I have ever baked to a friend deep in the throes of depression. I’ve been following your blog for a few years and I’ve followed you through your grief and cannot even imagine what you feel like at this time. The only thing I do know is that it takes a huge amount of courage to get up every day and keep on living, and loving, and hoping. So I just wanted to let you know I’m right there with you, living, and loving, and hoping for you too.
This one looks like a winner! YUM. Can’t go wrong with a good mac n cheese – especially when winter weather has showed up again.
This looks so so good. I really love that you’re doing this series and I hope it continues to help you heal! One thought I have for these recipes – so often when I’m cooking for someone else I try to make a meal that they can pop in the freezer for a later time. Would you consider adding instructions on baking and freezing, or freezing then baking? Or any sort of recommendations for if we’re preparing food that will likely be frozen for a time? Thanks so much!