Name: Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 160 g Macaroni Pasta, elbow macaroni preferred; 1¼ cup Cheddar Cheese, grated; 1¼ cup Milk, warm; 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, divided; 1½ tbsp All-Purpose Flour, for the sauce base; ¼ cup Breadcrumbs, for topping; ½ tsp Dijon Mustard, for the cheese sauce; 1 pinch Nutmeg Powder, optional but classic in the sauce; ½ tsp Salt, adjust after adding cheese; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, freshly ground if possible

50 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: None

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Method

Boil the measured macaroni in salted water until just shy of tender. Drain well so it can finish cooking in the oven.
Melt part of the measured butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the measured flour and cook briefly until smooth and lightly foamy.
Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon.
Turn the heat low and stir in the cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until the sauce is creamy. Fold in the drained macaroni.
Transfer to a small baking dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining butter, scatter over the top, and bake at 190°C until bubbling and golden on top.

How to tell it's done

The top should be golden and lightly crisp, while the pasta underneath stays creamy and saucy.

Getting it right

Tip

Remove the cheese sauce from strong heat before adding cheddar, because overheated cheese can turn grainy.

What to serve it with

Serve as a main with a crisp salad, or as a side with roasted vegetables.

Common mistakes

The sauce is grainy.: Take the pan off the heat before the cheese goes in and add it in handfuls. Pre-grated cheese with anti-caking starch is worse for this — grating a block yourself gives a smoother sauce.
The pasta is mushy after baking.: Boil it a couple of minutes short of tender, as the first step says. It carries on cooking in the sauce and again in the oven, and pasta boiled to done goes to porridge by the time the top is golden.

Substitutions

Mild cheddar can be used for a softer flavor, while sharper cheddar gives a more pronounced cheese taste.
Use small pasta shapes if macaroni is unavailable, but keep the pieces short enough to hold the sauce.
Skip Dijon mustard if unavailable; the sauce will be slightly less savory.
For a gluten-free or dairy-free adaptation, replace the pasta, flour, breadcrumbs, cheese, milk, and butter as needed, then review the final ingredient labels and cross-contact risk before changing the gluten or dairy allergen flags.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and freezes for three months, baked or assembled raw. It dries as it stands; reheat covered with a splash of milk, uncovering at the end to crisp the crumbs.

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Ingredients