Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Baked white mac and cheese is a delicious dish of tender macaroni elbows, cheesy bechamel sauce, and garlic herb Panko breadcrumbs. Homemade creamy bechamel sauce with lots of cheese pull compliments the crunchy, flavorful Panko topping. This homemade macaroni pasta recipe only takes 30 minutes to make.

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. The best homemade mac and cheese has a great cheese sauce. I prefer making mac and cheese with cheese béchamel sauce rather than using heavy cream.

Wondering what else you can do with bechamel sauce? You can make stovetop truffle mac and cheese recipe, Italian lasagna with bechamel, and chicken pot pie with biscuits.

Ingredient Notes

My favorite cheese combinations are shredded sharp white cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. Other types of cheeses you can use are provolone, gruyere cheese (another one of my favorites!), and Monterrey Jack.

Freshly crushed garlic adds some flavor to the panko butter topping. If you don't have any fresh garlic cloves on hand, substitute a pinch of dried garlic powder.

How To Make Baked Mac and Cheese

Heat the oven to 425 ℉ (220 ℃). Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water per the package instructions (about 6 to 7 minutes for elbow pasta) or until al dente. Drain and drizzle the cooked pasta with olive oil.

Mix the panko breadcrumbs, salt, dried Italian herbs, melted butter, and crushed (or mashed) garlic in a small bowl.

Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium-high to high heat. Add the flour, whisking for about 30 seconds.

Add the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens (about 2 to 5 minutes). Remove the bechamel sauce from the stovetop once it can coat the back of a spoon.

Add the shredded mozzarella, shredded white cheddar, and salt to taste.

Look at that cheese pull!

Mix the bechamel cheese sauce and cooked macaroni elbows.

Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish. Top it with the panko breadcrumbs.

Put the mac and cheese on the top rack of a 425 ℉ (220 ℃) oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the panko crust is golden brown. Don't cook too long, or the mac and cheese will dry out!

Recipe Notes

• Don't over-bake! The delicious gooey cheese sauce dries up in the oven if you keep it in there too long. For the best results, toast the garlic herb Panko breadcrumb topping for just a few minutes.
• Crush the fresh garlic. The garlic herb bread crumb topping is best with fresh garlic that's pressed or mashed into a paste. Use a garlic press or mortar and pestle to mash the peeled garlic cloves.

Variations and Substitutions

Skip the Panko topping, and don't bake! Turn this meal into stovetop mac and cheese by skipping the breadcrumb topping and baking steps.

Reheating Tips

Mac and cheese does not reheat well because the pasta absorbs the liquid from the bechamel sauce in the fridge. You end up with dry mac and cheese! There are a few ways to get around this issue:

1. Only prepare what will be eaten that day.
2. Make extra cheesy bechamel sauce. When you reheat the mac and cheese, add some extra cheese sauce.
3. Reduce the pasta.

📋 Recipe

Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Author: Lily Guidry

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

5 from 3 votes

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Servings 12

Baked white mac and cheese is a comforting pasta dish with delicate macaroni elbows, homemade bechamel cheese sauce, and a garlic herb panko breadcrumb topping.

Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

• 1 lb macaroni elbows
• 5 cups milk reduced fat
• 1 and ¼ cups white cheddar shredded
• 1 and ¼ cups mozzarella shredded
• 4 tablespoons 58 grams of butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• salt to taste

Panko Topping

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter
• 2 garlic cloves mashed
• 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 425 ℉ (220 ℃).
• Boil the macaroni elbows in a large pot of boiling water. Cook as per the package instructions (about 6 to 7 minutes) or until the macaroni noodles are tender. Drain the pasta. Drizzle a tad bit of olive oil to coat the cooked macaroni. Set it aside.
• Mix the panko breadcrumbs, salt, dried Italian herbs, melted butter, and crushed (or mashed) garlic in a separate bowl. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium-high to high heat. Add the flour, whisking for about 30 seconds. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove the bechamel sauce from the stovetop once it can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the shredded mozzarella, shredded white cheddar, and salt to taste.
• Mix the bechamel cheese sauce with the macaroni elbows. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish. Top it with the panko breadcrumbs. Put the mac and cheese on the top rack of a 425 ℉ (220 ℃) oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't cook too long, or the mac and cheese will dry out!

Notes

1. Use any type of shredded cheese for the cheese sauce. I recommend pairing a salty cheese (cheddar or parmesan) with a cheese that melts well (Monterrey jack, gruyere, provolone, or mozzarella).
2. Store this recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
3. Use garlic powder instead of mashed garlic. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 /12 dish | Calories: 354 kcal | Carbohydrates: 40 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 44 mg | Sodium: 201 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 6 g