Gooey Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
This Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is a favorite among Southern Plate readers, and it’s easy to see why! With just a short list of everyday ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, you can create a rich, creamy, and utterly delicious macaroni and cheese dish that is sure to bring smiles to the table.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
- Serves: 5
- Main Ingredients: uncooked macaroni, flour, salt, pepper to taste, butter, thinly sliced, shredded cheddar cheese, whole milk
- Why You'll Love It: This easy oven-baked macaroni and cheese recipe is a Southern Plate favorite. You need just 5 ingredients to make this family favorite.
5-Ingredient Homemade Mac & Cheese
It’s a requirement that all Americans love classic baked macaroni and cheese in some form, at some point in their lives. And I’m no different. Growing up, my mother made a creamy homemade mac and cheese with a sauce as smooth as silk, permeating every particle of perfectly cooked macaroni.
As kids, we all became well acquainted with the boxed stuff, but as an adult, I’ve learned that homemade Macaroni and Cheese really does taste about 1000x better, and everyone in the family prefers it.
This delicious oven-baked mac 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 🙂. After about an hour, your macaroni and cheese will be ready. These Easy Baby Back Ribs in the Oven and The Best Coleslaw additions would help make this the perfect meal!
Reader Review
“This oven-baked mac and cheese recipe is an absolute delight! Not only does it bring back nostalgic memories of comforting family meals, but it also offers a simple yet incredibly flavorful dish that’s sure to please everyone at the table.” – Anna
Recipe Ingredients
- Cheddar cheese (use any grated cheese you like – just not pre-shredded cheese!)
- Plain flour
- Macaroni pasta
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt & pepper to taste
Your Mac, Your Way!
Feel free to make this oven-baked mac and cheese recipe your own! Try adding shredded chicken or cooked bacon for extra protein, or toss in some sautéed onion and finely chopped bell pepper for a veggie boost. You can also mix in your favorite dried herbs, like onion powder, garlic powder, or a pinch of paprika for a little heat.
Need to top your Southern oven-baked mac and cheese with a crumbly topping? Sprinkle on some panko breadcrumbs, and you’re good to go!
How to Make Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
1. Preheat the Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F, and don’t forget to spray your baking dish with a little cooking spray so nothing sticks!
2. Cook Pasta & Mix Dry Ingredients
Now go ahead and cook your macaroni pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain it well.
While the pasta cooks, mix all of your dry ingredients together and set them aside.
3. Layer Up Your Mac
Next, place half of your cooked macaroni into the baking dish and sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top, followed by half of the butter slices.
Then go ahead and sprinkle 1+1/2 cups of shredded cheese over everything. Now repeat those layers one more time.
Finish by pouring the milk evenly over the entire casserole.
4. Bake
Cover the dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 35 minutes.
Then, remove the foil and let it bake for another 10 minutes until it’s golden and bubbly.
Everything I’ve ever wanted in oven-baked mac and cheese is pictured right there!
My Top 2 Important Tips for this Mac & Cheese:
- I always recommend grating your own cheddar cheese rather than buying pre-shredded. It melts so much better and gives you that perfectly creamy texture!
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes after pulling it out of the oven. I know it’s tempting to dig straight in, but it helps everything set up nicely.
Storage
Store mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready for round two, just reheat in the microwave and enjoy!
Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese FAQs
Yes, I do cover it for most of the baking time, but I like to pull the foil off for the last 10 minutes or so. That’s the secret to getting that gorgeous golden, crispy top that makes it truly irresistible!
There are a few things that can go wrong when making mac and cheese. First, avoid using pre-shredded cheese as it tends to make the sauce grainy. You’ll also want to pull your pasta off the heat while it still has a little bite to it, since mushy noodles are nobody’s friend. Be gentle with your cheese sauce too, because too much heat can cause it to separate and get greasy.
A lot of people view this as a side dish, but I confess, it’s been the entire meal in our house on more than one occasion! But if you serve it as a side dish, it goes great with Southern favorites like fried chicken and pulled pork.
Did this recipe make it to your dinner table? Tell me all about it in the comments and don’t forget to leave a star rating below! 🧀
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups uncooked macaroni
- 2 ½ tbsp flour
- 1 ¼ 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
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray 9×13 baking dish or a large ovenproof bowl with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta until tender and then drain it.2 ½ cups uncooked macaroni
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then set them aside.2 ½ tbsp flour, 1 ¼ tsp salt, Pepper to taste
- Place half of the macaroni inside your baking dish. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top and then top it with half of the butter slices. Sprinkle 1½ 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 for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Wow, that looks divine! I can’t wait to try it. I wonder how it’d be with some chunks of ham in it? Or some sort of veggie? Do that, and you would have an entire meal!
I love mac and cheese and this recipe looks wonderful! I can almost taste it – I think I’ll make it this weekend. I have no idea how my kids can stand the boxed stuff either!
Thanks for all of your great recipes!
Beth
Hey!! thank y’all so much for reading and taking the time to comment!!! My mother makes a PHENOMENAL pumpkin roll! I am going to get her to do it soon so I can post it soon!
This mac and cheese definitely seems to appeal to moms, I dont know why kids and husbands insist on that boxed stuff when they can have this! LOL!
Hope y’all are having a great day! i’m hoping to get caught up on my comments today, we’ll see!
Christy 🙂
I would love to try your Mother’s macaroni and cheese recipe also, the ony she made when you were a child. Would you please send it to me or is it posted anythere.
I am going to try making your version of macaroni and cheese. Loved the pictures to assist with the directions. Looks delicious. I have tried many different recipes and most of them come out grainy and on the dry side for me, but yours looks yummy!
Hey Lorraine!
I sent it out as a bonus recipe to my email subscribers the week I sent this one out (I send printer friendly versions of my recipes to email subscribers, usually once a week but during Christmas and now my current plague of illness on the kids I’m behind). I don’t think I still have it typed up but I’ll try to get it posted on SP soon for ya! If I run across it during my chaos, I’ll shoot it right off to ya, too!!!
Its been a loooooooooooooooooong sleep deprived week! I probably shouldn’t be responding to comments on this little sleep as I have no idea what I am actually saying at this point. Hmmm…maybe a shower and a nights sleep are in order. Wonder if the kid’s colds and coughs will cooperate?
Thank you for commenting, I’m enjoying reading them!!
Gratefully,
Christy
My girls LOVE homemade macroni & cheese. In fact, every year I make it and take to friends house the day before Thanksgiving. The kids have a half-day and so we eat lunch together and the mom there makes me Pumpkin Roll! yum yum!!!
I can almost smell yours baking now… Thanks for sharing.
I have never made it in the oven, I have always done it on the stove top, I will have to try this. My kids don’t love it as much as I do though! I was raised on this stuff! They and my Hubby like the box stuff, yuck! I am trying and loven all your recipes!!
When my mom baked her mac and cheese she would put buttered pankie on the top for a little extra crunch. Mmm mmm good!
Panko not pankie
Maybe that’s what her grandma called it. I understood it. Typos happen too. No big deal.
Is it okay to make a day ahead and reheat the following day? Just wondered if macaroni would be hard. I may boil noodles a day ahead only.
🙂 My Mom would melt butter in a pan, put in Croutons, and soak up butter, then top mac and cheese with it-YUMMY!
oh wow!!! Yum is right!!
Delicious!!
Do you have a recipe for seafood mac & cheese? Tks!
Hi Dee, I am sorry but I don’t. I am sure there are some wonderful ones out there but we don’t eat seafood so I have never made it before. I hope you find the perfect one!!
Can you make this ahead and just put in over when your ready to eat?
My family does Mac and cheese like this too. We put crushed ritz or saltine crackers on top with a little cheese for crunch. Yummy!
Yea ! Finally someone who post a macaroni and cheese dish without having to make a
roux sauce on top of stove. My mom used to make our macaroni and cheese exactly the same way that you have printed. It is rare that you see this particular macaroni and cheese made. I don’t understand why because it is so much easier I think to do it this way. I myself enjoy it made this way so much better. For those who have never tried it this way I suggest you give it a try. You just may find it to be your Number one way to make it and enjoy it of course.
It is my favorite as well Sandy!!!
Agreed! I SPECIFICLY CAME LOOKING FOR A RECIPE WIRH THE DRY FLOUR ADDED RIGHT TO DISH…SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE CREAMY ROUX SAUCE!
Oooh its yummy. I eat it by itself whenever I make it. Did you know you can get out a whole bowl full if you do it while its hot and then just kinda smooth it back down in the dish and no one can tell!?
~grins~
Christy
ROFLOL! I will do that! 🙂
How many people does this serve?
I jusr put mine in the oven, it looks wonderful, can’t wait to taste it. Very easy to make!!
I think Southern Plate is a classic but never trust the south it can give you diabetes. Always keep the plate, it gives you good luck.
-Owner
Christy, that looks so easy to make not to mention delicious. I’m so tired of the box stuff. I will definitely be serving this one up.
Laura-Athens
Laura, my family has never had boxed! I never liked it as a kid so I have never done the boxed.
This has become my go to mac n’ cheese recipe. Thank you!
At last! A recipe for mac’n’cheese that doesn’t require you to make a white sauce and add cheese to it! My mom made great macaroni and cheese without the cream sauce and it was wonderful, but I never got her method. After all, that’s what kids eat. Now in my later years I want my mama’s comfort dish and she’s no longer here….this sounds like it’s just the ticket!
I love this recipe! I’m making it for the 2nd time. I love that you layer the ingredients instead of having to use a separate pan to make the cheese sauce. The easiest and yummiest Mac n cheese ever!!
I am so gla you are enjoying the recipe Rachel, thank you so much for giving it a try!
I made this casserole yesterday, stuck it in the fridge to bake it later in the day. It didn’t get baked (grr) so it should be ok today when I go to bake it? I don’t think I saw this dilemma addressed. Thanks!
This is absolutely hands down the best mac and cheese EVER!! Although, I have a large family so I normally double it. However, it’s NEVER gone to waste!
There are times where I also make a gluten free version for my youngest kids, along with almond or coconut milk, smart butter, gluten free pasta and gluten free flour and they love it as well!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I have never commented on a recipe blog before. We have enjoyed it so many times that I just had to thank you.
I was wondering if using 1% milk instead of whole milk would make a difference?