Baked Mac and Cheese (A Holiday Showstopper!)

Are you searching for the ultimate comfort food masterpiece? The kind of soulful, creamy, and ridiculously cheesy baked mac and cheese that is the absolute first thing to disappear at every holiday dinner and family gathering? This incredible, from-scratch Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese is that perfect recipe. We’re talking tender elbow macaroni, enveloped in a luscious, velvety cheddar sauce that’s rich and custardy, all baked under a magnificent, golden-brown, and shatteringly crispy panko crust.

This isn’t just another mac and cheese recipe; it’s a guide to mastering a legendary American classic, made better. Forget the box, and forget any soupy or dry casseroles of years past. We’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless cream sauce and a perfect bake that never fails. This is a show-stopping, one-dish wonder that is perfect for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time you need a taste of pure, cheesy bliss.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy, Cheesy, & Crispy Casserole

What makes this Baked Mac and Cheese so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, multi-layered texture and its wonderfully rich, yet simple, flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of smart, efficient cooking. The heart and soul of the dish is the from-scratch cheddar cheese sauce, a classic Béchamel-style sauce made extra rich and custardy with the addition of a tempered egg. The sauce is subtly infused with aromatics like onion and bay leaf, and given a secret flavor boost from powdered mustard and paprika. The final, show-stopping touch is a classic, crispy topping of buttered panko breadcrumbs, baked to a perfect golden brown.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	1 hour 30 minutes
Active Prep Time	30 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	6-8

The Comfort Food Staples: The Essential Ingredients

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality pantry staples to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.

• The Cheesy Custard Sauce (The Secret to Creaminess!):
  • The Roux & Milk: A classic and simple foundation of unsalted butter and all-purpose flour (a roux) is the key that thickens the sauce. Using whole milk provides the perfect, rich base.
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese: For the best, most robust, and tangiest flavor, it is essential to use a good quality, extra-sharp cheddar cheese.
  • The Egg: The brilliant, old-school secret to a baked mac and cheese with a rich, custardy texture that holds its shape beautifully when scooped is a single tempered egg.
  • Mustard Powder: A classic secret weapon! A tablespoon of dry mustard powder doesn’t make the sauce taste like mustard; instead, it provides a wonderful, bright, acidic kick that magically enhances and sharpens the flavor of the cheddar cheese.
• The Crispy Topping (The Crown Jewel!):
  • Panko Breadcrumbs: For the absolute crispiest, crunchiest, and lightest topping, it is essential to use Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs. Their large, airy flakes toast up beautifully and provide a much more satisfying crunch than fine, sandy breadcrumbs.

The Casserole Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Bake

This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.

1. The Perfect Béchamel: The number one secret to a thick, stable, and creamy cheese sauce is a simple roux. By cooking the flour in the melted butter for a few minutes before you add your liquids, you are cooking out the raw, pasty flavor of the flour and creating a perfect thickening agent. The key to a lump-free sauce is to then add your milk gradually, in a thin stream, while whisking constantly.
2. Tempering the Egg: The secret to a rich, custardy sauce (and not a cheesy scrambled egg mess) is to temper your egg. This is a simple but brilliant technique where you slowly whisk a small amount of your hot cheese sauce into your beaten egg first. This gently raises the temperature of the egg, which is the foolproof secret that will allow you to then stir it back into the main pot for a perfectly smooth and seamless sauce.

Step-by-Step to the Best Baked Mac and Cheese

This delicious, one-dish meal is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: The Art of the Creamy, Cheesy Custard Sauce

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$). In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook your 1/2 pound of elbow macaroni until it is al dente.

Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt your 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the 3 tablespoons of flour and the 1 tablespoon of powdered mustard and cook, whisking constantly, for about five minutes to create your roux.

Step 3: Gradually pour in your 3 cups of milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add your 1/2 cup of finely diced onion, the 1 bay leaf, and the 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Let the sauce simmer for about ten minutes, then remove the bay leaf.

Step 4 (The Most Important Step!): In a small bowl, lightly beat your 1 large egg. Very slowly, whisk a small ladleful of the hot milk sauce into your beaten egg. Then, slowly pour this warmed egg mixture back into the main pot, stirring constantly.

Step 5: Stir in about 3/4 of your shredded cheddar cheese until it has melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste. Fold your cooked macaroni into the sauce.

Part 2: The Crispy Topping and Final Bake

Step 1: Pour your macaroni and cheese mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top it with the remaining cheese.Step 2: In a sauté pan, melt your 3 tablespoons of butter and toss the 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs to coat them completely.Step 3 (The Best Part!): Sprinkle this buttery crumb mixture evenly over the top of your macaroni and cheese.Step 4: Bake for about 30 minutes. You will know the casserole is perfectly done when the sauce is hot and bubbling and the panko topping is a beautiful, deep golden brown.

Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This Baked Mac and Cheese is the ultimate make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal.

• Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
• Storage: Store any leftover casserole, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! You can freeze the unbaked casserole for the best result. Assemble it completely in a freezer-safe dish, then wrap the pan very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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