Baked Macaroni and Cheese

By Julia Moskin

Updated Sept. 11, 2025

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(4,054)
Comments
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Macaroni and cheese may seem an easy proposition. Noodles, cheese. But the secret to this creamy dish with a crunchy and crisp top is American cheese. This is no place for fancy cheeses or fancy noodles. Leave the whole-wheat penne and artisanal orecchiette in the cupboard and bring on the elbow pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings
  • 3tablespoons butter
  • 12ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
  • 12ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
  • 1pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water
  • ⅛teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • Salt
  • ⅔cup whole milk.
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

290 calories; 24 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 15 grams protein; 560 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,054 user ratings
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Comments

Chris

Be careful with the pre-grated cheese as it is "sprayed" with a wood pulp to keep the cheese from sticking together.

David Bertan

I modified this recipe by swapping out some of the american cheese for smoked gouda and sharp cheddar (8 oz. of each of the three), along with a few tablespoons of ground reggiano ptarmigan. Because we believe bacon makes everything better, I chopped up 6 slices of crispy bacon and added that as well, along with a little panko on top. Every time I've made it, everyone goes back for seconds and thirds.

Karen L Davis

Easy, indeed! I used a cup of milk and think it might benefit from more milk, as others have suggested. Also a bit more cayenne -- couldn't even taste 1/8 t with all that cheese. And, I'm thinking that it might be a bit cheesier if only 1 cup of the cheese were used as topping and the rest was mixed in with the pasta. This recipe is a keeper, though, for the crunch and because it's so much easier and less time consuming than making a bechamel.

yo

salted or unsalted butter?

Really Delicious Recipe!

this is one of my favorite recipes! I highly recommend this to be fixed just how the recipe calls, although I wouldn't add the optional canyenne

Really Delicious Recipe!

This is one of the best tasting recipes for macaroni and cheese that you can make at home!

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