Baked Mac and Cheese
Pasta in a sharp cheddar bechamel with a crunchy crumb top.
Ingredients
- 400 g Penne
- 300 g Cheddar cheese
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g 00 flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 60 g Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Mustard powder (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C (400F).
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta until just shy of tender — it finishes in the oven.
- Drain the pasta.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and thickened. Off the heat, stir in most of the cheese, the mustard powder, and the salt until melted.
- Fold the drained pasta into the cheese sauce and tip into a baking dish.
- Scatter the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs over the top and bake until bubbling and golden, about 20 minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes so it sets before serving.
- Spoon out and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked mac and cheese is an American comfort-food institution, and this version is built on proper technique rather than shortcuts: a béchamel — butter and flour cooked into a roux, then whisked smooth with milk — enriched with sharp cheddar to make a silky cheese sauce. Mustard powder is stirred in to sharpen and deepen the cheese flavor without announcing itself, a classic trick that keeps the richness from tasting flat. The pasta is boiled just shy of tender so it can finish cooking in the oven without turning soft.
The reward is a dish of two textures: creamy, sauce-coated pasta beneath a crunchy, golden breadcrumb crust that shatters under a spoon. It is deeply savory and rich, the cheddar sharp enough to keep it from being cloying, and it eats as pure nostalgic comfort. Substantial enough to serve as a vegetarian main, it also plays the classic role of a holiday and potluck side. Letting it rest a few minutes out of the oven is worth the wait — that pause lets the sauce set so it holds together on the plate instead of running.
Baked Mac and Cheese: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Baked Mac and Cheese?
A serving has about 971 calories — 39.2g protein, 104.4g carbs, 43.6g fat, 4.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 39.2g of protein, roughly 16% of its calories.
Is Baked Mac and Cheese gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Penne, 00 flour, Breadcrumbs. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
Is Baked Mac and Cheese dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Cheddar cheese, Butter, Milk. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Baked Mac and Cheese take to make?
About 48 minutes start to finish, but only around 13 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Baked Mac and Cheese?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out mustard powder — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Baked Mac and Cheese make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.