Creamy Macaroni Cheese Classic (Printable version)

Tender macaroni in rich béchamel sauce with melted cheeses, served baked or stovetop creamy.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni

→ Béchamel Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk, warmed
05 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Cheese Mixture

06 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
07 - ¾ cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese, grated
08 - ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - ½ tsp garlic powder
11 - ½ tsp onion powder
12 - ½ tsp salt
13 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

→ Topping (for baked version)

15 - ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
17 - 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a medium baking dish (approximately 2 quarts).
02 - Boil salted water and cook elbow macaroni until just al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring continuously, for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden without browning.
04 - Slowly whisk in warmed milk and cream until smooth. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, approximately 4–5 minutes.
05 - Lower heat to low. Stir in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
06 - Add cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan in batches, stirring until fully melted and sauce is smooth.
07 - Fold the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce until thoroughly coated.
08 - For creamy stovetop, serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra cheese.
09 - Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Combine panko breadcrumbs with melted butter and grated Parmesan, then sprinkle evenly on top. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, so you can serve something genuinely homemade without spending all evening in the kitchen.
  • The combination of sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan creates a cheese flavor that's complex without being pretentious.
  • You get to choose: creamy and decadent on the stovetop, or crispy-topped and baked—same dish, completely different moods.
02 -
  • Whisk your warm milk in gradually—dumping it all at once is the fastest way to end up with a lumpy, broken sauce that tastes grainy instead of creamy.
  • Don't skip the resting period if you bake it; five minutes lets the sauce set just enough so you get clean forkfuls instead of a spoon-slumping puddle.
  • Grate your cheese fresh from the block instead of using pre-shredded if you can—the anti-caking agents in shredded cheese make your sauce break and become grainy.
03 -
  • Keep your burner at medium heat for the béchamel—too hot and it breaks, too low and it takes forever to thicken and might separate.
  • If your sauce does break and becomes grainy, immediately remove it from heat and whisk in a splash of cold milk to cool it down and bring it back together.
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