Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese (Southern Plate Favorite)

This oven-baked mac and cheese recipe is a favorite among Southern Plate readers and it’s easy to see why. You need just a short list of ingredients to make this easy baked macaroni and cheese dish the whole family will love.

Close-up spoonful of baked mac and cheese.

It’s just about a requirement that all Americans love classic baked macaroni and cheese in some form and at some time in their lives, I’m no different. Growing up, my mother made a creamy homemade mac and cheese with a sauce that was smooth as silk and permeated every particle of perfectly cooked macaroni. It was my brother’s favorite comfort food, so she usually made it every Sunday.

As a teen, we all became well acquainted with the boxed stuff, thrilling over the marvel and convenience of the powdery sauce which combined with milk to deliver the ideal after-school snack for three busy young people on the go.

After I had my own kids, however, I quickly learned why my mother seldom ate mac and cheese. My kids loved it so much that I got burned out just from stirring those countless pots of pasta.

Then a few years ago I realized something – I missed my mac and cheese. I needed to reacquaint myself with it. While my mother’s mac and cheese is to die for, I longed for a stringy, cheesy, casserole, version in my adult years. Something as far from the boxed stuff as I could get without introducing things my children would consider “weird”.

That’s when this oven-baked mac and cheese recipe was born. It’s super simple and easy to make. All you need is 5 ingredients (well six or seven if you count the salt and pepper 🙂 and after about an hour and your macaroni and cheese will be ready. Let’s begin!

Ingredients for oven-baked mac and cheese.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cheddar cheese
  • Plain flour
  • Macaroni pasta
  • Butter
  • Milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Simple ingredients = an amazing oven-baked mac and cheese recipe!

How to Make Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese

Cook elbow pasta and then drain.

Cook the pasta until tender and then drain it.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then set them aside.

Place half of the macaroni in a casserole dish.

Spray an oven-safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of the cooked macaroni inside.

Sprinkle half of flour mixture over the pasta.

Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top.

Top with butter slices.

Then top it with half of the butter slices.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle 1+1/2 cups of shredded cheese over the top.

Repeat layering process to make oven-baked mac and cheese.

Repeat the layering process again.

Pour milk over entire mac and cheese casserole.

Pour milk over the entire macaroni and cheese casserole.

Cover casserole with foil and bake.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Oven-baked mac and cheese.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serving the baked mac and cheese.

Everything I’ve ever wanted in oven-baked mac and cheese is pictured right there! 

A lot of people view this as a side dish but I confess, it’s been the entire meal on more than one occasion.

At this point, my son came in and said “Ma, when is the macaroni and cheese gonna be done?”.

I showed him this and his eyes got “big as dollars” as my grandmother would say!

Oh to be a kid again :).

Bowl of baked mac and cheese.

Storage

Store mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

  • You can definitely make this oven-baked mac and cheese recipe your own. Here are some ideas:
    • Add shredded chicken or cooked bacon.
    • Need some vegetables? Add sautéed onion and finely chopped bell pepper.
    • Add the dried herbs of your choice, such as onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika for heat.
  • As I said, I totally serve this as a main dish and my family doesn’t complain! But if you serve it as a side dish, it goes great with Southern favorites like fried chicken and pulled pork.
  • Need to top your Southern baked mac and cheese with a crumbly topping? Sprinkle on some panko breadcrumbs and you’re good to go!
  • You can use any grated cheese you like (just not pre-shredded cheese!). I like sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese combined.

You may also like these recipes:

Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Mama’s Mac and Cheese

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

One-Pot No Drain Mac and Cheese

Macaroni Salad

Bowl of baked mac and cheese.

Oven-Baked Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

This easy oven-baked macaroni and cheese recipe is a Southern Plate favorite. You need just 5 ingredients to make this family favorite.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
10 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: casserole, cheese, macaroni
Servings: 5
Calories: 968.1kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
  • 2 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste I use about a teaspoon
  • 4 tbsp butter, thinly sliced
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese mild or sharp, your preference
  • 1 cup whole milk

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta until tender and then drain it.
    2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
  • Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then set them aside.
    2 1/2 tbsp flour, 1 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste
  • Spray an oven-safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of the macaroni inside. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top and then top it with half of the butter slices. Sprinkle 1+1/2 cups of cheese over the top and repeat.
    4 tbsp butter, thinly sliced, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Pour milk over the entire macaroni and cheese casserole.
    1 cup whole milk
  • Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

Size of dish: You can make this in a 9x13 baking dish or a large ovenproof bowl, depending on your preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 968.1kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

 
Pin for baked mac and cheese recipe.

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478 Comments

  1. I tried this, and it was quite nice. Based on some comments on yummly, I reduced the salt and pepper a bit, and added in some garlic powder and paprika. Also, I can’t find cheddar in this country, so I used gruyère-like mix instead, which worked surprisingly well. Will make again.

  2. I have made this and enjoyed this many, many times and it is reminiscent of my childhood days! Thank you for the recipe Christy! I would like to make this for a potluck at work and I’m thinking about tripling the recipe. Should I make this in 3 separate casserole dishes or do you think that I could buy one large disposable aluminum pan to cook it in? Should I adjust the cooking time? I appreciate your suggestions and can’t wait to serve this to my work mates! Thanks.

  3. Christy i am thinking this is how my mom made scalloped potatoes, instead of macaroni thinly sliced potatoes. Does that sound about right or is my mind wrong because she has been gone over 30 years now.

    1. You are correct. But with the scalloped potatoes, you can either add the cheese or not. I prefer scalloped potatoes without cheese, but layered with lots of onions in between the potatoes, which can caramelize, if cooked covered long enough. Very Nice!!

      This mac & cheese recipe is great, because it is time saving, as well as one of the best recipes you will find. The butter and milk and flour (and cheese) actually create their own “white sauce” while it bakes. Normally a white sauce is made separately in a small sauce pan, and requires careful attention. After thickens, you melt the cheese into it. For a good mac & cheese, you then mix the sauce and noodles together in a larger bowl or pot (very messy).

      Of course, you add extra cheese, crumbs, or whatever touches you are in the mood for, once you get the mixture into the pan.

      Starting separately with the cream sauce and adding the cheese, or doing it like this recipe come out differently, even if using the same ingredients. I think that it is a little thicker, creamier sauce when you make the white sauce first. But you can’t go wrong either way. Both get compliments.

      But I prefer CHRISTIE JORDAN’S recipe. It is excellent, very fast, and has less cleanup. I make it faster. After I drain the noodles, I add the butter and other ingredients and stir lightly and pour into the pan. Then I add extra cheese and toppings I want.

      But would you like to know my DECADENT VERSION of her recipe? I also like to add something sharp, like some canned parmesan cheese. But I substitute a good portion CREAM for the milk. Something to die for.

      It’s after midnight. But writing this note — well — I’m off to start boiling my macaroni. Got to have some mac & cheese and try some of these suggestions.

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