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. Christy!!!
    you rock & yay!! Just found this recipe and same as others above – I’m always looking for a recipe for the perfect baked mac n chz – I too for some reason dread the bechamel/white sauce (unless it’s some version of stuffed manicotti 🙂 and oh man this recipe of yours works!!!!!
    Doin the happy dance – thank u ma’am again for all you do for Southern cooks (and their families)!!!

  2. Does anyone know how many servings this makes? Is it enough to fill a 9″x13″ pan? (Or should I double the recipe?) I need to serve 8 people for a for a southern-themed party. This looks awesome…..and EASY! Thank you for the recipe.

      1. Hi Christy,
        I am going to take this mac and cheese to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow!
        On a post today from CMB it states that eggs are included in this recipe.
        I did not see that listed on the ingredients. Should I add eggs or not?
        I never have used eggs in my mac and cheese.
        This recipe sounds so much like my grandma’s and I am looking forward to trying it.
        Preparing ahead and baking in the morning. Holding the milk until morn!

  3. My family has always made macaroni and cheese “pie”, with milk and eggs that make a custard type filling. And we always use sharp cheese and put pats of butter on the top tp help with browning. This is a “have to have dish” at family dinners and covered dish suppers in my part of the south. I have seen as many as 10 of these at family reunions, all a little different.

  4. I love food. Macaroni and cheese is my favorite food! I wish I could have it every day. I actually grew up in a house that was very lacking in mac and cheese- my older brother didn’t like it, so my parents never made it. Boxed mac and cheese was the first thing I cooked on my own (other than toast and frozen waffles) as an 8 year old. Now that I’m all grown up, I’ve honestly made more macaroni and cheese recipes than anything else. I’ve happened upon a couple of really fantastic ones, but am always willing to try another! I actually can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try this recipe, and I also can’t believe that I’ve messed it up both times. The first time, I had everything ready to go when I realized I didn’t have milk. Oops! Then I decided to try it again this afternoon. I accidentally left out the margarine. Oops again! Our cockatiels’ first egg hatched this afternoon, so I was pretty excited and my mind was on the baby bird instead of cooking! Regardless, the mac and cheese was good without the margarine 🙂 I like the juxtaposition of the ultra cheesy top (and middle) with the more subtly cheesy but kinda creamy bottom. Great layers! Thanks for the recipe, Christy- next time I’ll have to try your mother’s!

  5. Just tried this today–and it was really good. I love homemade macaroni and cheese, but do not like making the white sauce–so I rarely make it. I know white sauce is not hard, but for some reason I dread it. I cooked it in a round Pyrex casserole, but next time I will make it in a flatter rectangular casserole/baking dish, so the yummy sauce coats the macaroni better. I did mix it up when it was done to get the drier part down in the sauce. I will be making this again! 🙂

  6. Well I’ll be darned. I’ve never heard of, nor made, a baked mac & cheese recipe that didn’t require me to make a bechamel sauce first, then add cheese and the macaroni.

    You bet I’ll be trying this one!

  7. Thank you so much for this recipe. I have tried for years to find a good make ahead recipe for mac and cheese and this was perfect!!! I used corkscrew pasta(which was really fabulous) and doubled the recipe into a large disposable pan. I finished the recipe all but the addition of the milk. Placed plastic wrap over the pan and refrigerated it until the next afternoon. Took it out of the fridge heated my milk almost to a boil and poured it overtop the mixture and added about 10-15 extra minutes to you cook time. It was AWESOME and so great to be able to make ahead of time!!!

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