The next time that you’re looking for the perfect side dish, try out this Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese. You can’t go wrong with tender macaroni, a creamy white sauce, and a crunchy topping.

small bowls of mac and cheese with gold forks

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

When it comes to southern comfort food, you can’t beat good old-fashioned macaroni paired with a homemade cheese sauce.

Whenever I make this recipe there are never any leftovers. Bummer, because I love leftovers!

And this easy baked mac is one of my personal favorites because it has simple ingredients and an easy recipe with the best flavor.

It’s right up there with my childhood fave macaroni and tomatoes, this cafeteria noodles recipe, and my chicken macaroni salad.

labeled picture of mac and cheese ingredients in clear bowls

Ingredients Needed

Elbow macaroni – Substitute with any type of pasta, including a gluten free version for those with gluten intolerance.

Whole milk – I opt for regular milk, but you can also go with low fat.

Half and half – Substitute Half and half with equal parts milk and heavy cream.

Lawry’s seasoning – If there is no Lawry’s seasoning at the store, you can make your own at home or substitute this Cajun seasoning.

Sharp cheddar cheese – Replace with extra sharp, American cheese, mild cheddar cheese, or medium cheddar if necessary.

Monterey jack cheese – A good substitute for Monterey jack is pepper jack cheese or Velveeta cheese.

Gruyere cheese – I recommend Swiss as a substitute if needed.

Ritz crackers – Replace with bread crumbs or corn flakes if you can’t find Ritz.

Pantry staples – Unsalted butter, all purpose flour, garlic powder, black pepper, dried parsley.

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How To Make Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese

First: Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray.

Second: In a large saucepan, melt butter (1 stick) over low heat to medium heat. Once melted, add in flour and mix until thick.

cheese mixing in a sauce in a pan with a whisk

cheese sauce in the bottom of a blue green casserole dish

Third: Pour in milk and half and half. Whisk until combined and smooth. Sprinkle in seasonings, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. and mix.

Fourth: Once mixture comes to a boil, start adding cheese in little bits, melting cheese each time. After all the cheese is added, stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

cheese sauce covering macaroni noodles in a blue dish

baked macaroni and cheese with cracker topping in a blue dish

Fifth: Pour half the cheese sauce into casserole dish. Cover with cooked pasta. Top with remaining sauce.

Sixth: In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of butter and Ritz crackers. Layer over the top of mac and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

dish of baked mac and cheese with a spoon in it

Serving Suggestions

Since this is traditional southern comfort food, I like to serve it with fried chicken, pork chops, or meatloaf.

If you want a meatless meal, serve it as the main dish next to collard greens or roasted broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

How long does it last?

Store any leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven covered in foil. Top with more breadcrumbs if you like.

You can also microwave, in 30 second interval, stirring often, until heated through.

Can I make it ahead of time?

This old fashioned baked mac and cheese can easily be made ahead of time and stored until it’s ready to be baked, which is why it’s one of the best macaroni and cheese recipes.

The only thing that I recommend is leaving off the Ritz cracker topping until the day of, storing at room temperature in a small bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Once ready to serve, just add on your topping and bake as usual.

Easy Pasta Side Dishes

If you love mac and cheese as much as I do, check out my Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mac and Cheese, my Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese, and this 3 Ingredient Macaroni Salad.

two bowls of old fashioned backed mac and cheese

Tips for No Leftovers

Grate your own cheese for better melting. Pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating that makes it grainy.
Add a teaspoon salt to your pasta water to season the noodles.
For al dente pasta, cook your pasta in salted water for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions suggest.
For a little extra kick, try throwing some cayenne pepper or mustard powder into your mac and cheese.
When adding in cheese, use a measuring cup to make sure you’re not adding more than one cup at a time. This will give you the best results.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

collage of macaroni and cheese pictures for a pinterest pin image

This old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese will remind you of mom’s mac n cheese and give you a taste of southern comfort (not to mention blowing boxed mac out of the water!)

overhead picture of mac and cheese with a wood spoon

Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese is full of tender macaroni, a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and a buttery cracker topping!

Give me a rating:)

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni cooked al dente
11 tbsp unsalted butter softened, divided
½ cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Lawry’s seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
2 cups Monterey jack cheese shredded
2 cups gruyere cheese shredded
½ cup Ritz crackers crushed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a large saucepan, melt butter (1 stick) over low heat to medium heat. Once melted, add in flour and mix until thick.
Pour in milk and half and half. Whisk until combined and smooth. Sprinkle in seasonings, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. and mix.
Once mixture comes to a boil, start adding cheese in little bits, melting cheese each time. After cheese is combined, stir until smooth.
Pour half the cheese sauce into casserole dish. Cover with cooked pasta. Top with remaining sauce.
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of butter and Ritz crackers. Layer over the top of mac and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

- Grate your own cheese for better melting. Pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating that makes it grainy.

- Add a teaspoon salt to your pasta water to season the noodles.

- For al dente pasta, cook your pasta in salted water for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions suggest.

- For a little extra kick, try throwing some cayenne pepper or mustard powder into your mac and cheese.

- When adding in cheese, use a measuring cup to make sure you’re not adding more than one cup at a time. This will give you the best results.

Nutrition

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Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese