Best Ultimate Make-Ahead Creamy Macaroni and Cheese is elegant enough to serve for special occasions but easy enough to serve during the week. Its creamy, ooey gooey cheesy goodness makes it the ultimate comfort food for any time, especially as a holiday side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas! It can even be served as a main dish.
Because this recipe can be made ahead of time, it's perfect for that busy holiday season 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 unnerving, especially if served at a holiday feast. Not to worry - it really is an easy mac and cheese recipe to make involving the basic steps described below.
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Quick Look at the Recipe
- What it is: A creamy, from-scratch baked macaroni and cheese with Gruyère and sharp Cheddar
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 45 minutes
- Difficulty level: Easy
- Servings: 10 to 12
- Make-ahead: Assemble through the topping, cover, and refrigerate up to the day before baking
Ingredients: Here's What You'll Need
- The Macaroni: There's nothing special here - I used regular dried elbow macaroni.
- The White Sauce: The sauce for the macaroni and cheese starts with a regular bèchamel sauce or white sauce made with unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and whole milk.
- The Cheeses: I use two kinds of cheese in this recipe - Gruyère cheese and extra sharp Cheddar cheese. However, you could any good melting cheese like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese. You could also use Parmesan cheese.
- The Topping: For the breadcrumb topping, I use Panko breadcrumbs.
First: Cooking the Macaroni
- Cook the macaroni: Add the macaroni to a large pot of salted water and cook to the al dente stage according to package directions.
- Drain: Drain the macaroni in a wire mesh strainer and rinse it well with cold water. Set the cooked macaroni aside while making the cheese sauce.
Second: Making the Creamy Cheese Sauce
- The roux: Melt part of the butter in the same saucepan I used for the macaroni. Then, whisk in the flour. Cook the roux over medium heat for several minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- The milk: Next, add the milk and whisk the sauce over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
- The cheeses: Remove the pan from the heat, then add part of the Cheddar cheese, all the Gruyère cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth.
Finally: Finishing the Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese
- Add cooked macaroni: Once the cheese sauce is ready, add the cooked macaroni and stir until the macaroni is well coated.
- The casserole dish: Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a greased casserole dish.
- The toppings: Top the macaroni and cheese with the remaining Cheddar cheese and sprinkle with Panko breadcrumbs. Finish by dotting the top with butter.
- Make-ahead: Allow the macaroni and cheese to come to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate it overnight. If desired, the macaroni and cheese could also be baked uncovered at this point.
- Bake: When ready to bake, remove the foil and bake the macaroni and cheese at 375°F for about 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly with a golden-brown top.
The Ultimate Make-Ahead Macaroni and Cheese was a classic Mac and cheese taken to the next level. It was creamy, cheesy, full of extra richness, and certain to become a family favorite recipe. Yum!
PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
- I like to use whole milk in this recipe, but low-fat milk also works
- I generally use extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, but have used regular and sharp Cheddar cheese as well.
- No Panko on hand? Plain breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers are good substitutes.
- The macaroni tends to absorb liquid as it sits. Therefore, if making the macaroni and cheese ahead of time, increase the milk from 4 cups to 4 ½ cups.
- If baking the casserole straight from the refrigerator, add 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.
In Case You Were Wondering
I like to shred my cheese, but you can definitely use pre-shredded cheese in this recipe.
I like to use sharp Cheddar cheese and Gruyère in this recipe. But any good melty cheese can be used. Feel free to experiment.
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
This recipe makes delicious leftovers. I generally reheat the leftovers in the microwave for several minutes until fully heated. You could also reheat the leftovers in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes if you wanted to preserve the crunchiness of the Panko breadcrumbs.
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.
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Ultimate Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Kosher salt, divided 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, uncovered, 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.
Video
Tips/Notes
- I used whole milk in this recipe, but you could also use low-fat milk.
- I've made this with regular cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and extra-sharp cheddar cheese. All are delicious.
- Rather than Panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular plain breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers.
- If prepared ahead of time, the macaroni will absorb some of the liquid as it sits. So increase the milk to 4 ½ cups.
- 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
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.
Roseann says
Can I use pepper hack instead of Gruyère cheese
Chula King says
Roseann,
I haven't used Pepper Jack cheese in this recipe. Conceptually, it would work, but the taste would be different.
Chula
LaRose Seltzer says
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.
Chula King says
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
Melissa says
Do you think this would work with pasta alternatives such a as chickpea pasta or red lentil pasta? Would you make any adjustments?
Chula King says
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
LaRose Seltzer says
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?
Chula King says
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
Nilda says
I made it and it came out delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Chula King says
So pleased that the recipe worked out for you!
CS says
Do you bake before freezing?
If not should you put breadcrumbs on
Right before cooking?
Chula King says
I freeze the macaroni and cheese before baking. I would put the breadcrumbs on right before cooking.
Jo says
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 8x8 for the freezer! Only feeding 3 people. Excited to see if they like it!
Chula King says
Fingers crossed Jo. The use of pepper jack cheese sounds yummy!
Chula
Bonnie brasel says
When making day before how do I keep it from becoming too dry?Should I add little milk when I bake?
Chula King says
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
Beth says
How many people does this feed?
Chula King says
It should feed 10 to 12 people.
Liz McNamee says
The mac and cheese is baked uncovered, right?
Chula King says
Yes - I bake it uncovered.
Anne says
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 🙂
Chula King says
Anne,
I'm so pleased that recipe worked for you and that you impressed your family!
Chula
Courtney says
Took to a potluck at work and everyone loved it
Chula King says
Excellent Courtney!
Cindy says
How many days in advance can I prep before having to bake for thanksgiving day?
Chula King says
Cindy,
I generally make this one day in advance before baking it.
Chula
Nancy says
Do you thaw the Mac and cheese before baking if you freeze it?
Chula King says
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
Jess says
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!
Chula King says
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
Deborah Welling says
This is so delicious!!!
I know it is a make ahead recipe, is it ok to make ahead and freeze?
PudgeFactor says
Absolutely! It freezes beautifully. Just add some additional time in the oven for it to be thoroughly heated.
Chula