Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

overhead picture of mac and cheese with a wood spoon

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

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

Depending on how deep your pan is you can use a medium saucepan to make the cheese sauce

If this isn’t your first time making this recipe, I recommend experimenting with a different combination of cheeses based on your personal preference, since everyone’s taste buds are different.

Opt against using pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. You’ll get the best cheese flavor by shredding your own block of cheese.

Add a teaspoon salt to your pasta water to avoid it boiling over.

For al dente pasta, cook your pasta in salted water for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions suggest. This helps to ensure that your cooked macaroni won’t get too mushy when baked.

For a little extra kick, try throwing some cayenne pepper into your southern baked 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 for creamy mac.

Nutrition