Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

April 1, 2022

Cheesy, gooey, creamy and oh so delicious, This Baked Macaroni and Cheese will surely be your new favorite go to recipe.

I love a good creamy macaroni and cheese. Over the years I have tried many different recipes, and most would come out to dry and just not creamy enough. This recipe has become my favorite. It’s my go to dish for every holiday. This macaroni and cheese consist of a thick cheese sauce, mixed with cooked macaroni and then baked to perfection.

The history of Macaroni and Cheese.

The US president Thomas Jefferson and James Hemings, his slave, encountered macaroni in Paris and brought the recipe back to Monticello. Jefferson drew a sketch of the pasta and wrote detailed notes on the extrusion process. In 1793, he commissioned the US ambassador to France William Short to purchase a machine for making it. Evidently, the machine was not suitable, as Jefferson later imported both macaroni and Parmesan cheese for his use at Monticello. In 1802, Jefferson served “a pie called macaroni” at a state dinner. The menu of the dinner was reported by Reverend Manasseh Cutler, who apparently was not fond of the cheesy macaroni casserole.] Nevertheless, since that time, baked macaroni and cheese has remained popular in the United States.

A recipe called “macaroni and cheese” appeared in the 1824 cookbook The Virginia Housewife written by Mary Randolph. Randolph’s recipe had three ingredients: macaroni, cheese, and butter, layered together and baked in a hot oven. The cookbook was the most influential cookbook of the 19th century, according to culinary historian Karen Hess. Similar recipes for macaroni and cheese occur in the 1852 Handbook of Useful Arts, and the 1861 Godey’s Lady’s Book. By the mid-1880s, cookbooks as far west as Kansas and Festus, Missouri, included recipes for macaroni and cheese casseroles. Factory production of the main ingredients made the dish affordable, and recipes made it accessible, but not notably popular. As it became accessible to a broader section of society, macaroni and cheese lost its upper-class appeal.

Today macaroni and cheese are a popular pasta side dish. Packaged macaroni and cheese are available in frozen form or as boxed ingredients for simplified preparation. There are also many homemade recipes for Macaroni and cheese.

My Kitchen Favorites:

Quality Pasta Pot with Strainer Lid

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The Pioneer Woman Sweet Rose 12.8 x 8.7 Inch Baker with Lid

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25-Piece Pantry Essential Set

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Non Stick Skillet

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Ingredients:

1 box of elbow macaroni (8 oz box)- The amount of macaroni need will depend on how many servings you will be making. For 8 servings use a 16 oz box of macaroni. If you’re making this for the holidays you may even want to triple the recipe.
¼ cup butter–
¼ cup all-purpose flour
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)- I recommend shredding on your cheese. When cooking it melts better than pre-shredded cheese.

How to make Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook macaroni as directed. Drain. Add to an oven safe dish.
Melt butter in sauce pan over medium high- heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until smooth.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbling about 5 minutes. (Make sure the milk doesn’t burn.)
Add 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese and stir until melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
Pour cheese sauce over Marconi. Cover the top with rest of cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes. I like to broil for 5 minutes to get the top brown and crunchy. This step is completely up to you.

More Side Dishes you may like:

Easy Southern Candied Yams

Green Bean Casserole

Corn Casserole

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Print Recipe

Cheesy, gooey, creamy and oh so delicious, This Baked Macaroni and Cheese will surely be your new favorite go to recipe.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 box of elbow macaroni (8 oz box)
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook macaroni as directed. Drain. Add to an oven safe dish.
Melt butter in sauce pan over medium high- heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until smooth.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbling about 5 minutes. (Make sure the milk doesn’t burn.)
Add 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese and stir until melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
Pour cheese sauce over Marconi. Cover the top with rest of cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes. I like to broil for 5 minutes to get the top brown and crunchy. This step is completely up to you.