Baked Mac and Cheese

This creamy, baked mac and cheese is made from scratch with a delicious sauce and tender noodles, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs.

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Table of Contents

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese Ingredients
How to Make Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Evaporated Milk
How to serve this Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe with Bread Crumbs
Storing Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Evaporated Milk
Why you’ll love Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This baked mac and cheese takes a classic recipe and gives it a bit of an upgrade. With this great recipe, there’s all that creamy goodness you get with the original, but there’s also a touch of crunch from the tasty breadcrumb topping.

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese Ingredients

Baked Mac and Cheese raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

For the Mac and Cheese

2½ cups large elbow macaroni
½ tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 (12-ounce) cans of evaporated milk
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded (freshly grated if possible)
2½ cups white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

For the Topping

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup herb panko bread crumbs

What cheese is best for baked mac and cheese?

Sharp cheddar, gouda, and gruyere are three of the best choices for baked mac and cheese.

Southern Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe Substitutions and Additions

CHEESE: You can swap the cheddar cheese for mozzarella or even Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese if you prefer. Or you can go for stronger types of cheese but remember, this will make the cheesy sauce taste stronger. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for even more cheesy goodness for this classic comfort food.

BREADCRUMBS: If you can’t find any herb-flavored breadcrumbs, use normal panko breadcrumbs, and add dried mixed herbs. Mix the two, then use them as per the instructions.

ADDITIONS: You can also add meat or fish to the recipe to make it a little more filling. Chicken, shrimp, or mac and cheese with bacon are great ideas. You can also add extra nutrition by including broccoli or other veggies. Mix these in when you are mixing together the noodles and cheese together.

PASTA: You can use classic elbow pasta or if you like something a little thicker and more substantial, swap it for corkscrew pasta, known as cavatappi or cellentani.

SPICE: Add a bit of spice to this already amazing dish. A dash of hot sauce, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or what about mixing jalapeño jack cheese into your cheese mixture instead of one of the cheddar cheese varieties to kick up the heat?

How to Make Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Evaporated Milk

PRO TIP:

If you’re serving a crowd, this recipe easily doubles or triples.

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large pot, cook macaroni according to package directions but cook it for 1 to 2 minutes UNDER al dente. It will continue cooking as it bakes later. Drain the pasta, drizzle the olive oil over it, and toss it to keep it from drying out while you prepare the sauce. Set the cooked macaroni aside.

STEP THREE: In the pot you just cooked the pasta in, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, add in the flour and whisk for a minute.

PRO TIP:

Make sure you whisk constantly so that you don’t burn the flour.

STEP FOUR: Pour in the 2 cups of whole milk and whisk until all lumps are gone, and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.

STEP FIVE: Over medium-high heat, add the 2 cans of evaporated milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and starts to boil and thicken, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir often, so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot.

STEP SIX: Stir cheeses together in a large bowl.

PRO TIP:

It’s best to grate your own cheese rather than use the pre-grated version in the bag. That’s because it usually has a preservative coating on it, which means it doesn’t melt as well.

STEP SEVEN: Stir 4 cups of cheese into the pot and stir until cheese is melted.

STEP EIGHT: Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta.

STEP NINE: Pour pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. It will look a bit soupy, but it will thicken as it cooks.

STEP TEN: Sprinkle the remaining one cup of shredded cheese over the top of the mac and cheese.

STEP ELEVEN: In a small bowl, mix together the panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle an even layer over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

STEP TWELVE: Bake mac and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your mac and cheese at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP THIRTEEN: Serve hot.

Temperature for Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked mac and cheese should be cooked at 350°F.

Do you cover baked mac and cheese with foil?

Baked mac and cheese can be baked uncovered.

How long to cook baked mac and cheese?

Mac and cheese should be baked for 20-25 minutes.

How to serve this Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe with Bread Crumbs

This baked macaroni and cheese casserole dish is best served hot for that ooey-gooey cheesy goodness that is the sign of a really good mac & cheese. Add pull-apart garlic bread and Caesar salad for a complete meal.

There are so many other ways you can upgrade your classic mac n cheese recipes. Check out this idea for a chili mac for starters. Or, if you want a recipe to pop in the crockpot while you are at work, this crockpot mac and cheese will be just what you need.

MORE MAC AND CHEESE RECIPES

Meatless Dinner Ideas

Cauliflower Mac And Cheese

Side Dishes

Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe with Evaporated Milk

Storing Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Evaporated Milk

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store mac and cheese in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, but it is best to do it before the breadcrumbs have been added. Otherwise, they tend to get a bit soggy. If you want to store it, stop at step five and cool down the pasta. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

IN THE FREEZER: The same applies to freezing the recipe. Stop at step five and allow the pasta to cool. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. Lift out and allow to defrost. Reheat in the pan, then resume the recipe to add the breadcrumbs and bake in the oven.

How to reheat Baked Mac and Cheese?

If you’d like to reheat mac and cheese in the microwave, add a tablespoon of milk for each cup of mac and cheese, and reheat at 50% power until heated through. To reheat in the oven, add milk and reheat at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

close up overhead shot of Baked Mac and Cheese in a baking dish and a serving in a bowl

Why you’ll love Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

You’ll love the baked version of this classic recipe. It still has the creamy homemade cheese sauce we all love but adds extra flavor and crunch with the breadcrumbs. That’s why it has become a Southern comfort food favorite!

Southern Baked Mac and Cheese FAQs

How do I spice up my mac and cheese?

Adding some hot peppers such as jalapeños, a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, or a spicy cheese would be great ways to make your dish spicier.

Why did my cheese not melt properly?

If you are using pre-shredded cheese, it comes coated with a preservative that prevents it from melting well. It is best for this recipe to shred your own cheese.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy?

Not using enough cheese will result in mac and cheese that is not creamy.

How can I make my mac and cheese more flavorful?

Adding onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, or a splash of hot sauce will add flavor to your mac and cheese.

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Baked Mac and Cheese with Evaporated Milk

5 from 17 votes

This creamy, baked mac and cheese is made from scratch with a delicious sauce and tender noodles, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

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Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

2½ cups large elbow macaroni
½ tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups whole milk
24 ounces evaporated milk (12-ounce cans)
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded (freshly grated if possible)
2½ cups white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup herb panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large pot, cook the macaroni according to package directions, but cook it for 1 to 2 minutes UNDER al dente. It will continue cooking as it bakes later. Drain the pasta, drizzle the olive oil over it, and toss it to keep it from drying out while you prepare the sauce. Set aside.
In the pot you just cooked the pasta in, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, add in the flour and whisk for a minute, whisking constantly so you don't burn the flour.
Pour in the 2 cups of whole milk and whisk until all lumps are gone and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
Over medium-high heat, add the 2 cans of evaporated milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and starts to boil and thicken, about 8-10 minutes. Stir often so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot.
Stir cheeses together in a large bowl.
Stir 4 cups of cheese into the pot and stir until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked macaroni shells.
Pour into the prepared baking dish. It will look a bit soupy but it will thicken as it cooks.
Sprinkle the remaining one cup of shredded cheese over the top of the mac and cheese.
In a small bowl, mix together the panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and top is golden brown.
Serve hot.

Video

Notes

If you’re serving a crowd, this recipe easily doubles or triples.
Make sure you whisk constantly so that you don’t burn the flour.
It’s best to grate your own cheese rather than use the pre-grated version in the bag. That’s because it usually has a preservative on it, which means it doesn’t melt as well.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your mac and cheese at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe with Evaporated Milk

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese Ingredients

What cheese is best for baked mac and cheese?