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    Home » Recipes » Eggs and Cheese

    Home » Recipes » Eggs and Cheese

    Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    By Chula King · November 18, 2021 · Updated May 28, 2022 18 Comments

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    Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, but easy enough to serve during the week. It’s creamy, cheesy goodness makes it the ultimate comfort food for any time, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas!

    Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese.

    Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

    Contents show
    1 Table of Contents
    2 Ingredients
    3 Cooking the Macaroni
    4 Making the Cheese Sauce
    5 Finishing the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese
    6 Frequently Asked Questions
    7 Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese
    7.1 Ingredients
    7.2 Instructions
    7.3 Chula’s Expert Tips
    7.4 Nutrition

    Table of Contents

    • Ingredients
    • Cooking the Macaroni
    • Making the Cheese Sauce
    • Finishing the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese
    • Frequently Asked Questions

    Ingredients

    I used the following ingredients: Dried elbow macaroni, Kosher salt, milk, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, extra sharp Cheddar cheese, Gruyère cheese, freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg, and Panko breadcrumbs.

    Ingredients for Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni & Cheese

    Cooking the Macaroni

    The first thing that I did was to cook the macaroni in salted water according to the package directions.

    Adding macaroni to boiling salted water.

    Once the macaroni was al dente, I drained it in a wire mesh strainer and rinsed it well with cold water. Then I set the cooked macaroni aside while I made the cheese sauce.

    Draining Macaroni in wire mesh strainer.

    Making the Cheese Sauce

    Once the macaroni was cooked, I melted part of the butter in the same saucepan as I had used for the macaroni.

    Then, I whisked in the flour. I let the roux cook over medium heat for several minutes.

    Whisking flour into melted butter.

    Next, I added the milk. I whisked the sauce over medium heat until it was thickened and bubbly.

    Adding milk to roux.

    I removed the pan from the heat, and added part of the Cheddar cheese, all of the Gruyère cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

    I whisked the mixture until the cheeses had melted and the sauce was creamy smooth.

    Adding cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg to white sauce.

    Finishing the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    Once the cheese sauce was ready, I added the cooked macaroni. I stirred the mixture until the macaroni was nicely coated.

    Stirring the macaroni into the cheese sauce.

    Then, I poured the macaroni into a greased casserole dish.

    Pouring macaroni and cheese into casserole dish.

    I topped the macaroni and cheese with additional Cheddar cheese and sprinkled on the Panko breadcrumbs. Finally, I dotted the top with some butter.

    Sprinkling on Panko breadcrumbs.

    At this point, I covered the macaroni and cheese and refrigerated it for the next day. I could have gone ahead and baked it at this point as well.

    Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese ready for oven.

    The next day, I baked the macaroni and cheese in a 375° F oven for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, it was hot and bubbly, and the top was golden brown.

    The Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese was out of this world. It was creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Yum!

    Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is there a substitute for the Panko breadcrumbs?

    You can use regular breadcrumbs in place of the Panko breadcrumbs. You can also use crushed Ritz crackers.

    This recipe makes a lot. Can it be cut down?

    This can absolutely be cut down. Here are the measures that I use when I make half the recipe:
    1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, divided
    8 ounces dried elbow macaroni
    2 cups milk
    4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    1 ¼ cups (5-ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
    2 ½ cups (10-ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
    ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

    Can leftovers be reheated?

    This recipe makes delicious leftovers. I generally reheat the leftovers in the microwave for several minutes until fully heated. You could also reheat them in a 350° F oven for about 15 minutes if you wanted to preserve the crunchiness of the Panko breadcrumbs.

    Can the macaroni and cheese be frozen?

    The macaroni and cheese freezes beautifully. If you bake it frozen, I would add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.

    If you’d prefer a quicker Mac & Cheese, check out Susan’s Easy Stove-Top Mac & Cheese. It’s amazing.

    If you liked this recipe for Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese as much as I do, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, but easy enough to serve during the week. It's creamy, cheesy goodness makes it the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
    4.95 from 52 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Christmas, Side Dish, Thanksgiving
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 603kcal
    Author: Chula King

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ Tablespoons Kosher salt divided
    • 16 ounces dried elbow macaroni
    • 4 cups (32-ounces) milk (See Tip 1)
    • 8 Tablespoons (1 stick, 4-ounces) unsalted butter, divided
    • ½ cup (2.5-ounces) all-purpose flour
    • 3 ⅓ cups (10-ounces) Gruyère cheese, shredded
    • 4 ½ cups (18-ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided (See Tip 2)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs (See Tip 3)

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375° F.
    • Bring large pot of water with 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water; drain completely. Set aside.
    • Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot; whisk in the flour. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Whisk in the milk and cook for several more minutes, until bubbly and thickened.
    • Remove pan from heat; add 3 cups of the Cheddar cheese, all of the Gruyère cheese, ½ tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until all of the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth.
    • Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
    • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; mix the Panko breadcrumbs. (See Tip 4)
    • Top macaroni and cheese with remaining 1-½ cups Cheddar Cheese and Panko breadcrumbs mixed with butter.
    • May be prepared in advance up to this point, covered and refrigerated.
    • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown. (See Tip 5)
    • Yield: 10 to 12 Servings.

    Chula’s Expert Tips

    1. I used whole milk in this recipe, but you could also use low-fat milk. 
    2. I’ve made this with regular cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese and extra-sharp cheddar cheese. All are delicious.
    3. Rather than Panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular plain breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers.
    4. Rather than mixing the Panko breadcrumbs with melted butter, you can just dot the top with butter.
    5. If you’re baking this after it’s been in the refrigerator, you will need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking times.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 1489mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1105IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 649mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.

    I originally posted the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese on December 25, 2017. Since then, it has been my go-to recipe for an amazing macaroni and cheese.

    In this re-post, I added new pictures and updated text. I also included the measurements that I use when I cut the recipe in half. In fact, the pictures that I used are for a half recipe.

    More Eggs and Cheese

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    • Tortilla Pizza
    • Eggs Benedict on Hash Brown Rounds
    • Crunchy Cheese Wafers

    Filed Under: Casseroles, Eggs and Cheese, Holiday Side Dishes, Pasta, Vegetarian Dishes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deborah Welling says

      October 30, 2019 at 3:09 pm

      This is so delicious!!!
      I know it is a make ahead recipe, is it ok to make ahead and freeze?

    2. PudgeFactor says

      October 31, 2019 at 8:13 am

      Absolutely! It freezes beautifully. Just add some additional time in the oven for it to be thoroughly heated.

      Chula

    3. Jess says

      April 03, 2021 at 12:16 am

      This sounds so good! Question though; Do the noodles get mushy when it’s reheated? The mouth-feel of mushy foods makes most of my family gag (I swear we’re not pretentious, it just seems to be a thing for us) so I usually struggle to find noodle dishes I can cook in advance.
      Thanks!

    4. Chula King says

      April 03, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      Jess,

      I’ve not had a problem with the macaroni getting mushy. If you’re concerned, I would suggest cooking the macaroni just to the al dente stage.

      Chula

    5. Nancy says

      September 26, 2021 at 10:50 am

      Do you thaw the Mac and cheese before baking if you freeze it?

    6. Chula King says

      September 26, 2021 at 5:08 pm

      Nancy,
      You don’t need to thaw the Mac and Cheese before baking it. However, you should probably add about 10 minutes to the baking time.
      Chula

    7. Cindy says

      November 19, 2021 at 10:19 pm

      How many days in advance can I prep before having to bake for thanksgiving day?

    8. Chula King says

      November 20, 2021 at 10:19 am

      Cindy,

      I generally make this one day in advance before baking it.

      Chula

    9. Courtney says

      November 25, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      Took to a potluck at work and everyone loved it

    10. Anne says

      November 26, 2021 at 12:01 am

      5 stars
      This mac and cheese was the hit of this year’s Thanksgiving meal. I made it exactly as directed, the day before, and it was soooo good! Thanks for helping me impress the family 🙂

    11. Chula King says

      November 26, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      Anne,

      I’m so pleased that recipe worked for you and that you impressed your family!

      Chula

    12. Chula King says

      November 26, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      Excellent Courtney!

    13. Liz McNamee says

      December 31, 2021 at 8:06 am

      The mac and cheese is baked uncovered, right?

    14. Chula King says

      December 31, 2021 at 10:07 am

      Yes – I bake it uncovered.

    15. Beth says

      June 10, 2022 at 6:25 pm

      How many people does this feed?

    16. Chula King says

      June 11, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      It should feed 10 to 12 people.

    17. Bonnie brasel says

      June 11, 2022 at 10:35 pm

      When making day before how do I keep it from becoming too dry?Should I add little milk when I bake?

    18. Chula King says

      June 13, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      Bonnie,

      I’ve not had a problem with the macaroni and cheese becoming too dry. However, if you’re concerned, you can certainly add more milk.

      Chula

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