Baked mac and cheese
Creamy, cheesy macaroni baked with a golden buttery breadcrumb crust — perfect comfort food for a cosy night in.
This is the sort of mac and cheese that hovers between indulgence and necessity — creamy, cheesy and crowned with a crisp buttery crumb. It’s perfect for a chilly evening when you want something comforting without faffing about.
It’s an American classic given a straightforward, reliable method so home cooks get gooey sauce and a crunchy top every time. Makes a brilliant midweek supper and reheats well for leftovers.
Ingredients
- 350 g dried macaroni
- sea salt — for pasta water and seasoning; about 10 g total
- 90 g unsalted butter — total for sauce and topping
- 50 g plain flour
- 500 ml whole milk
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove — crushed
- 5 ml Dijon mustard
- 0 ml freshly grated nutmeg — about a pinch
- 250 g vegetarian mature cheddar — grated
- 50 g vegetarian Parmesan-style hard cheese — grated
- 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
- 15 g fresh parsley — chopped, to finish
Equipment
- 20 x 30 cm ovenproof dish
- medium saucepan
- small frying pan or sauté pan (for breadcrumbs)
- box grater
- whisk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Butter a 20 x 30 cm ovenproof dish or grease lightly.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt, then the dried macaroni and cook until just shy of al dente — 8–9 minutes (it will finish in the oven). Reserve about 50 ml of the cooking water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, melt 30 g unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and sweat gently until soft and translucent, 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic clove and cook for 1 minute.
Add the plain flour to the softened onion and stir to form a paste. Cook the roux for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to remove the raw flour taste.
Gradually whisk in the whole milk and double cream in a steady stream to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — 6–7 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Dijon mustard, freshly grated nutmeg, a good pinch of sea salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Add the vegetarian mature cheddar and vegetarian Parmesan-style hard cheese in handfuls, stirring each handful in until melted and smooth.
Tip the drained macaroni back into the pan, pour over the cheese sauce and fold together gently. If the sauce seems very thick, loosen with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it evenly coats the pasta.
Spoon the mac and cheese into the prepared ovenproof dish. Mix the fresh white breadcrumbs with the remaining unsalted butter (melted) and sprinkle evenly over the top. Grate a little extra vegetarian mature cheddar over the breadcrumbs if you like an extra cheesy crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until bubbling and the topping is golden.
If you want an extra-crispy top, put under the grill for 1–2 minutes until browned — watch it constantly to avoid burning.
Allow the bake to rest for 5 minutes, then scatter the fresh parsley over the top and serve.
Tips
- Cook the pasta until just under al dente — it will finish in the oven and won’t go soggy.
- When making the roux, keep the heat moderate and stir constantly so the flour cooks through without browning.
- Add the cheese off the heat and stir until smooth to avoid a grainy sauce; if it looks separated, a splash of milk and vigorous stirring often brings it back.
- Make the breadcrumb topping ahead and store in the fridge; sprinkle on just before baking for maximum crunch.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days — reheat covered in a low oven (160°C fan) until piping hot to preserve creaminess.
Substitutions
dried macaroni → short pasta such as penne or fusilli, same weight
Stays closeplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same weight
Stays closedouble cream → extra whole milk (150 ml) plus 50 g unsalted butter melted, to approximate richness
Noticeably differentfresh white breadcrumbs → panko breadcrumbs, same weight (gives a lighter, crunchier top)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1130
- Calories
- 41 g
- Protein
- 96 g
- Carbs
- 65 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this ahead?
Yes: assemble and refrigerate (covered) for up to 24 hours. Add 5–10 minutes to the baking time if baking from chilled.
Can I freeze it?
Freeze before baking for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake from cold for about 30–35 minutes, cover with foil for the first part so the top doesn’t brown too quickly.
My sauce went grainy after adding the cheese — what happened?
Cheese can split if the sauce is too hot. Remove the pan from the heat before adding cheese, stir gently to melt, and avoid boiling afterwards. If it’s grainy, try adding a splash of milk and whisking off heat.
Can I use non-vegetarian cheddar?
Yes — you may prefer the flavour of a traditional mature cheddar. If you want the recipe to be vegetarian, choose cheeses labelled vegetarian.
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