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    Home » Recipes » Eggs and Cheese

    Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    By Chula King · November 18, 2021 · Updated November 12, 2022 34 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. Its creamy, ooey gooey cheesy goodness makes it the ultimate comfort food for any time, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas!

    Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese made ahead of time.

    Because this recipe can be made ahead of time, it’s perfect for that busy holiday occasion when you want to save time to be with friends and family. 

    If you’ve never made homemade macaroni and cheese before, it might seem a bit unnerving, especially if served at a holiday feast. Not to worry – it really is a simple dish to make involving basic steps described below.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
    • First: Cook the Macaroni
    • Second: Make the Cheese Sauce
    • Finally: Finish the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe

    Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need

    Ingredients for Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni & Cheese
    • The Macaroni: There’s nothing special here – the macaroni that I used is regular dried macaroni.
    • The White Sauce: The sauce for the macaroni and cheese starts with a regular bechamel or white sauce made with unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and milk.
    • The Cheeses: I use two different kinds of cheese in this recipe – Gruyère cheese and extra sharp Cheddar cheese
    • The Topping: For the crispy topping, I use Panko breadcrumbs.

    First: Cook 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.

    Second: Make the Cheese Sauce

    1. 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.
    1. Next, I added the milk. I whisked the sauce over medium heat until it was thickened and bubbly.
    Adding milk to roux.
    1. 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.

    Finally: Finish the Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese

    1. 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.
    1. Then, I poured the macaroni into a greased casserole dish.
    Pouring macaroni and cheese into casserole dish.
    1. 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.
    1. 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.
    1. 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 of 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!

    Recipe

    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.
    4.97 from 84 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
    • 2 ½ 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. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
    • Bring a large pot of water with 1 Tablespoon of Kosher salt to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, for 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.
    • Top macaroni and cheese with remaining 1-½ cups Cheddar Cheese and Panko breadcrumbs mixed. Dot with remaining butter.
    • May be prepared in advance up to this point, covered, and refrigerated. (See Tip 4)
    • 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. If prepared ahead of time, the macaroni will absorb some of the liquid as it sits. Therefore, increase the amount of milk to 4 ½ cups.
    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.

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    Filed Under: 4th of July, Casseroles, Eggs and Cheese, Holiday Side Dishes, Labor Day, 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

    19. Jo says

      August 30, 2022 at 2:20 pm

      Made today to bake tomorrow. Used sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses! Done 1/2 recipe and it made a dish for dinner and also an 8×8 for the freezer! Only feeding 3 people. Excited to see if they like it!

    20. Chula King says

      August 30, 2022 at 7:35 pm

      Fingers crossed Jo. The use of pepper jack cheese sounds yummy!

      Chula

    21. CS says

      September 02, 2022 at 6:07 am

      Do you bake before freezing?
      If not should you put breadcrumbs on
      Right before cooking?

    22. Chula King says

      September 02, 2022 at 4:40 pm

      I freeze the macaroni and cheese before baking. I would put the breadcrumbs on right before cooking.

    23. Nilda says

      November 23, 2022 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      I made it and it came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

    24. Chula King says

      November 24, 2022 at 9:44 am

      So pleased that the recipe worked out for you!

    25. LaRose Seltzer says

      December 12, 2022 at 8:23 am

      I need to make this for a group larger than 12. (Hot meal for needy.) Can this recipe be doubled? Or can you recommend how to adjust for 50 or 100?

    26. Chula King says

      December 12, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      LaRose,

      This recipe can be easily doubled – to feed 24. For 50, you could quadruple the recipe, but would definitely need something large enough to hold that quantity of ingredients when putting the macaroni and cheese together and something large enough to hold the final product.

      Hope this helps!

      Chula

    27. Melissa says

      December 15, 2022 at 4:56 am

      Do you think this would work with pasta alternatives such a as chickpea pasta or red lentil pasta? Would you make any adjustments?

    28. Chula King says

      December 15, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      Melissa,

      I’m sorry, but I don’t have any experience with pasta alternatives so don’t know whether an alternative would work in this recipe or not.

      I wish I could be more helpful.

      Chula

    29. LaRose Seltzer says

      January 13, 2023 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      I made this as a sample meal for my partners in a hot meal for needy program. This was our selection to make. I originally thought I would be making for 50 as our program is just starting BUT after only one day of collecting numbers of possible attendees I am already up to 68 people. So…will be making in batches of 50. You last told me I would have to quadruple the recipe for 50. My question concerns the extra milk added because of making and refrigerating the Mac and cheese overnight. Do I also quadruple the extra milk? Also, can you help me by giving me a quick lesson OR where to get a “SIMPLE” explanation on how to scale recipes in the future. I am new at cooking for such large groups. I know that doesn’t apply to this recipe and I only ask just in case you can direct me where to learn how to best do it. I don’t want to screw up any of the recipes we selected to make.

    30. Chula King says

      January 19, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      LaRose,

      I’m so sorry for the delay in responding to this.

      You should quadruple the extra milk.

      In terms of this recipe, the only thing that I probably would not quadruple would be the salt added to the water used to cook the macaroni if you are cooking multiple quantities of macaroni at a time. For example, if you’re cooking two boxes of macaroni at a time, then I would use 1 Tablespoon of salt for both of the boxes. For all of the other ingredients, I would multiply the amounts listed in the recipe by four like this:

      In terms of scaling the recipe, it depends on whether you have pots large enough to just make one batch or quadruple the recipe, or need to make two batches with double the recipe for both.

      For example, if you have pots large enough for making only one batch, the scaling would be as follows:

      1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt divided: 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt per pot of boiling water used to cook the macaroni, plus 2 Tablespoons of salt in the actual sauce.
      16 ounces of elbow macaroni x 4 = 64 ounces of elbow macaroni
      4 cups (32-ounces) milk x 4 = 16 cups (128 ounces) milk
      8 Tablespoons (1 stick, 4-ounces) unsalted butter, divided x 4 = 32 tablespoons (4 sticks, 16 ounces) unsalted butter divided
      ½ cup (2.5-ounces) all-purpose flour x 4 = 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
      2 ½ cups (10-ounces) Gruyère cheese, shredded x 4 = 10 cups (40-ounces) Gruyère cheese shredded
      4 ½ cups (18-ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided x 4 = 18 cups (72 ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
      ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper x 4 = 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
      ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg x 4 = 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
      1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs x 4 = 6 cups Panko breadcrumbs

      If for example, you have to make two batches, then the scaling for each of the two batches would be as follows:

      1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt divided: 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt per pot of boiling water used to cook the macaroni, plus 1 Tablespoon of salt in the actual sauce.
      16 ounces of elbow macaroni x 2 = 32 ounces of elbow macaroni
      4 cups (32-ounces) milk x 2 = 8 cups (64 ounces) milk
      8 Tablespoons (1 stick, 4-ounces) unsalted butter, divided x 2 = 16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter divided
      ½ cup (2.5-ounces) all-purpose flour x 2 = 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
      2 ½ cups (10-ounces) Gruyère cheese, shredded x 2 = 5 cups (20-ounces) Gruyère cheese shredded
      4 ½ cups (18-ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided x 2 = 9 cups (36 ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
      ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper x 2 = 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
      ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg x 2 = 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
      1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs x 2 = 3 cups Panko breadcrumbs

      I hope I didn’t confuse things by laying out the recipe like this.

      Again, I’m sorry for the delay in responding to you.

      Let me know if you have any questions.

      Chula

    31. Roseann says

      March 15, 2023 at 12:10 pm

      Can I use pepper hack instead of Gruyère cheese

    32. Chula King says

      March 15, 2023 at 12:46 pm

      Roseann,

      I haven’t used Pepper Jack cheese in this recipe. Conceptually, it would work, but the taste would be different.

      Chula

    33. Vicki says

      March 21, 2023 at 11:53 am

      Making this for Easter. Can I cook a day ahead and warm the next day for dinner or should I bake it the same day I serve. Any suggestions if I cook the day before?

    34. Chula King says

      March 21, 2023 at 7:28 pm

      Vicki,

      You can make this a day ahead and warm for the next day. I would, however, suggest adding more milk, about 1/2 cup if you do it this way. The macaroni tends to absorb some of the liquid. My real preference if you want to make this ahead of time would be to put everything together, cover the casserole and refrigerate it unbaked casserole. Then bake it the day you plan on serving it.

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    Chula King is an award-winning photographer and videographer behind Pudge Factor. She’s a professor by day and foodie by night, showcasing her favorite tried and true recipes.

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