Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (Prepped In 5 Minutes)

This classic old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe is guaranteed to be a family favorite. It combines al dente elbow macaroni with a rich and decadently creamy cheese sauce that you'll be hooked on after your first bite. Plus, it's so, so easy to make. In fact, this homemade baked mac and cheese recipe requires just 5 minutes worth of prep work, and then the oven takes care of the rest!

The Best Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I'll be honest, macaroni and cheese might just be my favorite noodle dish on the planet. I mean, what's not to love about the combination of pasta and ooey-gooey melty cheese?!

Anyway, if you love mac and cheese as much as I do, then you're going to fall head over heels for this decadent and delicious baked macaroni and cheese recipe. It, of course, combines all of the ingredients you'd expect to find in any mac and cheese recipe, but instead of being finished on the stovetop, it gets baked to perfection instead.

In addition to tasting great though, it's also super easy to make. You basically just mix the ingredients together, put them in a baking dish, and then let the oven do the rest. It's honestly just as easy to make as boxed macaroni and cheese! And that's saying something because the boxed stuff is a breeze.

By the way, since this old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe is basically all passive cooking, you'll have plenty of time to make something to go with it. My favorite thing to pair with it are these BBQ chicken sliders. I just think they go so well with the cheesy mac.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this baked macaroni and cheese recipe is super simple. In fact, I'm willing to bet you already have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need to make it.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need:

• 3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
• 1 ½ tablespoon butter, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 small eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups milk

Super simple stuff, right?

By the way, you can use almost every single one of these ingredients to make two more of my favorite mac and cheese recipes - this mac and cheese without milk and this Ruth's Chris lobster mac and cheese recipe. So definitely give those a shot sometime if you have some leftover supplies.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this baked mac and cheese recipe with the ingredients listed above, there definitely are some exciting ways you can put a spin on it.

First off, this recipe calls for cheddar cheese to give it that classic mac and cheese flavor. However, some other great options are mild cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, or a combination of all of them. Also, just so you know, you can also add Velveeta cheese or a spoonful of cream cheese for a creamier cheese sauce.

Now, to finish off the baked macaroni and cheese, you can add either bread crumbs or crushed Ritz crackers before baking it if you want it to have a crunchy topping. The Ritz crackers are a family favorite topping. My wife actually now insists that I make this baked macaroni and cheese with Ritz crackers. Honestly, she won't let me make it any other way.

How To Make Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni And Cheese

Alright, now it's time for the fun part - it's time to make some mac and cheese!

Again, making this macaroni and cheese is about as easy as it gets. I mean, this recipe only involves a few simple steps, and everything comes together in just one dish. So, not only is making it a breeze but clean up is too.

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking.

Step 1: Prep Work

First things first, you'll want to cook your macaroni noodles - if you haven't already - according to the package instructions. Then, when they're finished cooking, you can strain 'em and set 'em aside for later.

Now, once you've got your pasta looking good, you can chop the butter into cubes and shred the cheese if necessary. Lastly, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a baking dish with some butter.

Step 2: Assemble The Mac and Cheese

Once your macaroni is fully cooked and your baking dish is ready to go, you can add the cooked macaroni to it and evenly place the chopped butter pieces on top of the noodles. Then you can sprinkle all of the shredded cheese on top of the noodles and chopped butter.

Next, you'll want to take out a small bowl and beat the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper. You'll want to make sure this mixture is well combined, then when it is, you can pour it on top of everything in the baking dish. 

Step 3: Bake The Mac and Cheese

Now that all of the ingredients are in the baking dish you can put the mac and cheese in the oven and bake it for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Finally, you can serve your baked macaroni and cheese warm, and enjoy!

How To Store Macaroni And Cheese

This recipe for baked mac and cheese makes about 4 servings, so it's perfect for an easy family weeknight dinner. If you're lucky, you may even end up with leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers, if you end up with some, you can store your cooked macaroni and cheese in the fridge for up 3-5 days. I recommend storing it in an air-tight container for the freshest results.

With that said, if you want to store your mac and cheese for even longer, you can freeze it. Again, you'll want to store it in an airtight container - or a freezer-safe bag - and it should last for up to 2 months if you do.

How To Reheat Old Fashioned Macaroni And Cheese

When you're ready to enjoy your baked mac and cheese again, you'll definitely want to reheat it first.

So, to reheat it, you can just put the cooked mac and cheese back in a small casserole dish and cook it in the oven at 350°F for around 10 minutes - or until it's warmed throughout.

Alternatively, if you just want to reheat a single serving of mac and cheese, you can use a microwave. Just heat it up in 30-second intervals until it reaches your desired temperature.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese!

I know I'm a bit biased, but I really think this is one of the best mac and cheese recipes around. It's just so rich and so decadent, and it couldn't be easier to make.

My 5-year-old niece is a super picky eater, but she really loves this old fashioned macaroni and cheese. She even likes it better than the boxed kind. So, if you have kids, I have a feeling they'll love this stuff too!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this mac and cheese recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

More Pasta Recipes

If you enjoyed this old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe, and you're looking for even more delicious pasta recipes, you're in luck. We have a ton of other easy pasta recipes for you to try next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Million dollar spaghetti casserole
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Oh, and for even more deliciousness, be sure to follow us on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. We post new recipes every day!

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