Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese (Southern Plate Favorite)
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This oven-baked mac and cheese recipe is a favorite among Southern Plate readers and it’s easy to see why. You need just a short list of ingredients to make this easy baked macaroni and cheese dish the whole family will love.
It’s just about a requirement that all Americans love classic baked macaroni and cheese in some form and at some time in their lives, I’m no different. Growing up, my mother made a creamy homemade mac and cheese with a sauce that was smooth as silk and permeated every particle of perfectly cooked macaroni. It was my brother’s favorite comfort food, so she usually made it every Sunday.
As kids we all became well acquainted with the boxed stuff, thrilling over the marvel and convenience of the powdery sauce which combined with milk to deliver the ideal after-school snack for busy families.
Now as an adult I’ve found that if I have a few extra minutes, homemade Macaroni and Cheese really does taste about 1000x better and everyone in the family prefers it.
This delicious baked Macaroni and Cheese is super simple and easy to make. All you need is 5 ingredients (well six or seven if you count the salt and pepper 🙂 and after about an hour and your macaroni and cheese will be ready. These Easy Baby Back Ribs in Oven and The Best Coleslaw would help make this the perfect meal.
I’d recommend watching my quick tutorial video above so that you can get a lay of the land with this recipe.
Okay now I bet you’re REALLY hungry so let’s get started!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cheddar cheese
- Plain flour
- Macaroni pasta
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Simple ingredients = an amazing oven-baked mac and cheese recipe!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
Cook the pasta until tender and then drain it.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then set them aside.
Spray an oven-safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of the cooked macaroni inside.
Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top.
Then top it with half of the butter slices.
Sprinkle 1+1/2 cups of shredded cheese over the top.
Repeat the layering process again.
Pour milk over the entire macaroni and cheese casserole.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Everything I’ve ever wanted in oven-baked mac and cheese is pictured right there!
A lot of people view this as a side dish but I confess, it’s been the entire meal on more than one occasion.
At this point, my son came in and said “Ma, when is the macaroni and cheese gonna be done?”.
I showed him this and his eyes got “big as dollars” as my grandmother would say!
Oh to be a kid again :).
Storage
Store mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Recipe Notes
- You can definitely make this oven-baked mac and cheese recipe your own. Here are some ideas:
- Add shredded chicken or cooked bacon.
- Need some vegetables? Add sautéed onion and finely chopped bell pepper.
- Add the dried herbs of your choice, such as onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika for heat.
- As I said, I totally serve this as a main dish and my family doesn’t complain! But if you serve it as a side dish, it goes great with Southern favorites like fried chicken and pulled pork.
- Need to top your Southern baked mac and cheese with a crumbly topping? Sprinkle on some panko breadcrumbs and you’re good to go!
- You can use any you like (just not pre-shredded!). I like and combined.
You may also like these recipes:
Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
One-Pot No Drain Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
- 2 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- pepper to taste I use about a teaspoon
- 4 tbsp butter, thinly sliced
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese mild or sharp, your preference
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until tender and then drain it.2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then set them aside.2 1/2 tbsp flour, 1 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste
- Spray an oven-safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of the macaroni inside. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top and then top it with half of the butter slices. Sprinkle 1+1/2 cups of cheese over the top and repeat.4 tbsp butter, thinly sliced, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Pour milk over the entire macaroni and cheese casserole.1 cup whole milk
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
I need you to send me your baked macaroni and cheese recipe! Looks delicious!
Is there any way I can get your Mothers mac and cheese recipe?
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Looks good!
Can you double/triple the recipe. I have to feed about 20 folks~
I always make the custard type of mac & cheese with eggs, half n half, etc, but will try this method.
Thanks for your recipes!
Hey April! Mine has always come out more on the gooey side. I do use whole milk but I wonder if maybe you should use a little more, maybe your pasta soaked up a bit more liquid?
My mom’s recipe for mac and cheese is made with velveeta which she makes into a sauce by adding milk and seasonings, its delicious, too! I sent it out to all of my email subscribers with their weekly recipes when I sent this one. I’ll post it on here eventually, promise!!!
~Christy
I made this the other day. I thought it was OK but my husband complained that it was too dry. Maybe because I use 2% milk? I wonder if it would be better with that velveeta cheese sauce?
Could it have been the pan you baked it in. I’ve noticed if you use a 9 by 13 cake pan, it seems to come out drier. If you use a caserole pan or a deeper bowl it seems to come out creamier.
thats an excellent observation! I have always baked mine in a dish like I showed in the tutorial so I never really thought about what would happen in a 9×13 inch! thank you!
I have to admit, I did used to like the box mac ‘n’ cheese myself. The cheese powder they use is so cheesy, I would love finding chunks of the powder that hadn’t dissolved completely.
Mac ‘n’ cheese must be one of the easiest things to make, but I get it so wrong all the time. It usually gets all hard and dries up, or is not quite cheesy enough, or I use too much milk/cream and it’s far too wet.
I made your mac & cheese in a 9×19 brownie pan and it came out really dry. I did as the recipe called for but it was all dried out. I baked for 35 mins. but saw it was dry, so I didn’t bake it for the last ten mins without the tin foil. I don’t feel that this made the difference. Anyone know what happened?