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Baked Mac with a Crumb

Elbow macaroni bakes in a cheddar sauce under a buttered breadcrumb crust. The crumb is the reason to turn the oven on instead of stopping at the saucepan.

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
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Baked macaroni and cheese with a golden breadcrumb top.

Why you’ll love it

  • The sauce is milk, flour, and cheddar.
  • The crumb is the texture people miss in stovetop mac.
  • It feeds six.
  • Mustard keeps the cheese from tasting flat.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the macaroni in salted water until just shy of tender. Drain.

  2. 2

    Melt 3 tbsp butter in a pot. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, salt, mustard powder, and pepper. Simmer 4 minutes, until thick.

  3. 3

    Stir in the cheddar off the heat until melted. Fold in the macaroni.

  4. 4

    Spread it in a greased 9-by-13-inch dish.

  5. 5

    Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Scatter them over the macaroni.

  6. 6

    Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the edges bubble.

Pro tips

  • Boil the pasta shy of done. It finishes in the oven.
  • Cheese melts smoother off the heat.
  • If the crumbs brown too fast, tent the dish.

Easy substitutions

Cheddar
Half cheddar and half Monterey Jack
Breadcrumbs
Crushed crackers
Mustard powder
1 tsp Dijon

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm covered at 325°F with a splash of milk until hot.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
620
Protein
26 g
Carbs
68 g
Fat
28 g
Fiber
3 g

Moderate · Oven · Vegetarian

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From the kitchen

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

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    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

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  • A sharp chef’s knife

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  • A large cutting board

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  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients