This baked homemade macaroni and cheese is sure to become a family favorite! A delightful, crunchy crust and sharp cheddar cheese combine to make a dish that's loved by children and adults, alike.
Macaroni and cheese has always been one of my very favorite foods. I prefer the baked variety with a nice crust on top instead of the creamy skillet style. Don't get me wrong - it's good, too! I've just always preferred that crunchy, browned topping.
As a lifelong macaroni and cheese devotee, I was horrified when my husband first told told me he didn't like it. How could you not like the most amazing food ever?!
Well, it turns out that's because he's really only ever had Navy mac & cheese, which I'm sure resembles real, homemade macaroni and cheese goodness just about as much as Spam resembles a steak. Yuck.
This dish is for him, to prove that macaroni and cheese is real food, and that it's worth having.
I like to call this "grown-up" macaroni and cheese because it's slightly spicy, deeply flavorful, and far from the bland, out of the box stuff.
It has a few unique ingredients, some zing, and a special topping you've probably never tried before. Read on to discover more!
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This recipe is for an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, but it's easy to double for a larger batch. Just literally double all the given ingredients. I'm more than happy to eat leftover mac & cheese for days (I even eat it cold!), but sometimes it's easier to make a half batch. I usually only make the "double" batch for a potluck.
When selecting cheese for macaroni and cheese, you should always buy a whole block, not pre-shreded cheese.
I know it's a bit of a bother to shred yourself, but the pre-shreded stuff contains anti-caking agents that keep it from melting well. Plus, the shreded cheese usually has way more fillers and far less flavor than block cheese.
This half recipe needs half a block each of two different cheeses. For a full batch of mac and cheese, just use a full 8 ounce block of each cheese.
Pro tip: You can make shredding cheese waaaay easier by spraying your box grater with a blast of cooking oil spray! This keeps the cheese from gumming up the grater. When it starts sticking, just add more cooking spray.
Update: I'm so proud of the special cracker crust on this baked macaroni and cheese. My dad was an amazing cook and he started making this type of crust after reading my recipe! I can't believe I came up with something new that he enjoyed that much.
Unfortunately, my dad passed unexpectedly a year and a half after this post was originally published. When I flew 'home,' I found that my mom and sister had saved me the rest of the homemade macaroni and cheese he baked the day before died. This recipe is even more special to me now that ever before because of that experience.
So what is this special macaroni and cheese topping?
Broken and browned Ritz crackers.
Breaking up the Ritz crackers is easy if you transfer them to a freezer bag and hit them a few times with the flat of your hand or a small cooking pot.
Be gentle, though - you want chunks, not a cracker powder! Until a couple of years ago, I used breadcrumbs for a topping, but the Ritz crackers add a delicious taste and texture that have me hooked.
The topping is pretty popular with my husband, too! When we re-heated leftovers for day two, he insisted on making even more topping to the macaroni and cheese.
Baked macaroni and cheese ingredients:
- ½ a pound (half a box) of penne noodles (you can use elbows, but I love penne)
- 3.5 tablespoons tablespoons of butter, for the sauce
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 4 oz (1 cup) monterey or pepper jack cheese
- 4 oz (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese
- 2.5 cups of milk
- ½ an onion, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 roll of Ritz crackers, broken into pieces
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, for the Ritz topping
Homemade backed macaroni and cheese - instructions:
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the noodles according to the box's instructions, but stopping just shy of al dente. Use a large pot or a Dutch oven.
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is warm and shimmering, add the onions and sauté, turning down the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from browning, until the onions become slightly translucent. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside for later.
- Once the noodles are ready, drain them in a colander and toss them lightly with olive oil or butter. I absolutely love my Cook's Illustrated recommended colander that was a Christmas gift from my dad and don't know how I drained anything without it!
- Do not rinse the pot used to cook the noodles. Instead, return it to the heated burner and reduce the burner's heat to medium/medium-high.
- Melt butter in your heated pot and heat until it foams.
- Once the butter is melted and foaming, whisk in the flour, mustard powder, and cayenne. Allow the mixture to cook until it deepens in color and becomes fragrant - about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Yes, whisking makes it take longer to boil, but it is both necessary to whisk and to bring the mixture to a full boil. If you do not, it won't set up properly.
- After the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened and resembles heavy cream. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and reduce the burner to medium-low.
- Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses.
- Once the cheeses are fully melted, mix in the onion and the drained, cooked pasta.
- Return to the pot to the heat and cook until everything is warmed and starting to steam, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the hot macaroni and cheese to your square baking pan.
- Either after the mac and cheese is ready or while it is reheating, heat the reaming 3 tablespoons of butter over medium/medium-high heat in a skillet until it is melted and foaming. Add the Ritz pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown.
- Scatter the Ritz topping across the dish of macaroni and cheese.
- Place the mac and cheese in the oven and bake until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling up along the sides and in the corners, somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes. This is really up to personal preference - the dish can be eaten at any time. When it looks good to you and you can't stand waiting any longer, remove it from the oven and serve!
If you'd like, you can print this recipe card and avoid getting cheese sauce all over your phone!
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This backed macaroni and cheese has tang and a delightful crunchy topping!
Ingredients
- ½ a pound (half a box) of penne noodles
- 3.5 tablespoons tablespoons of butter, for the sauce
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 4 oz (1 cup) monterey or pepper jack cheese
- 4 oz (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese
- 2.5 cups of milk
- ½ an onion, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon of olive
- 1 roll of Ritz crackers, broken into small pieces.
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, for the Ritz topping
Instructions
I know people use all sorts of cheeses for this dish - smoked gouda seems to be a trendy favorite right now. What's your favorite way to customize macaroni and cheese?
Tbow1220
I'm making it right now for a potluck at work tomorrow! I will try to post my pictures later and tell you how they like it. I don't have mustard powder though... Will regular mustard work? I HOPE IT TURNS OUT WELL!!
natashalh
Yes, I've used wet mustard before. I don't know about the plain yellow kind, but I've used spicy mustard or like stone ground mustard before. If you only have yellow mustard, I'd probably go ahead and leave it out. I hope you enjoy and thanks!
Tbow1220
I lefted it out! Thanks! I'm done with my cheese, making the ritz now!
Andi @ The Weary Chef
I love mac and cheese and spicy food, so this dish looks just about perfect! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe on Saturday Night Fever. We hope to see you back tonight 🙂
natashalh
I love a weekend party! Thanks so much for stopping by and for hosting. I hope you get the chance to try this spicy macaroni and cheese some time!