Baked Mac and Cheese

The best vegetarian homemade baked mac and cheese recipe! Rich and creamy and cheesy baked mac and cheese made with three kinds of cheese topped with panko breadcrumbs. 

Check out how to make this delicious mac-n-cheese with detailed step-wise pictures.

I know the holiday season is all about baking, but there are some cozy and comforting dishes that you can’t just miss, like this traditional baked mac and cheese! This mac and cheese is a perfect holiday dish – be it for a party or potlucks or if you are making it for your family, this creamy mac n cheese will definitely amaze everyone. 

Jump to:

• About this mac and cheese
• The three cheese varieties that I used
• Other ingredients that go in this mac and cheese
• Prepping, planning, serving, and storing the mac and cheese
• How to make baked mac and cheese
• Bake the mac and cheese.
• Tips for the best mac and cheese
• More easy pasta recipes.
• 📖 Recipe

Mac and cheese are quite common in our household, and I usually pack it for lunch also. But I don’t bake it when I am making it on busy mornings. Also, I add whatever cheese that I have in hand, more like my white sauce pasta. 

About this mac and cheese

My vegetarian version of mac and cheese is slightly different from what you find on the internet. It’s cheesy but not-so-cheesy and heavy. 

• I use less butter for the roux, and I don’t add any additional butter for the panko toppings. As I add less butter while making the roux, mine seizes up and becomes like cookie dough, as shown in the picture. But as you add cold milk and mix with a wire whisk, it beautifully breaks down and thickens the sauce. That’s how I have been making it for a long time; no issues so far. But you can increase the amount of butter if you wish to. 
• As I look out for rennet-free cheese, it’s hard for me to find block cheese always. I go with what is available. I read that when you use shredded/grated cheese, the sauce will be slightly grainy. But trust me, folks, you will get smooth cheesy sauce when you frequently stir over medium-low heat. The ready-to-use or the pre-shredded cheese takes a bit longer to melt; that’s about it. I used shredded parmesan and cheddar for this recipe and used a block of gruyere cheese. It came out well.

Now let’s talk about the cheese varieties and their alternatives.

The three cheese varieties that I used

I used mild cheddar, parmesan, and Gruyère cheese for this mac and cheese. Do you know what makes this mac n cheese rich, smooth and creamy? It is the Gruyère cheese. 

Gruyère cheese is a swiss cheese made from cow’s milk. Even though it’s a firm cheese that you can relish as a snack or use for a cheese board or in a sandwich, it melts nicely, and you can find it as a key ingredient in fondue and mac and cheese.

These days you can find animal rennet-free cheese varieties easily. I was able to find Gruyere cheese with microbial rennet at whole foods and the other cheese varieties as well. 

If you are particular about rennet-free cheese but if you can’t source rennet-free Gruyere, you can opt for any other rennet-free swiss cheese or try with other cheese varieties. I am sure you can easily find rennet-free parmesan and cheddar. 

For this mac and cheese, I highly recommend mild cheddar than sharp ones. Mild cheddar has a high moisture content, and it melts nicely. 

I used an equal measure of parmesan and cheddar and little extra Gruyere cheese for the sauce. And I used extra parmesan and cheddar for the toppings again. Yes, this mac-n-cheese is all cheesy!

Other ingredients that go in this mac and cheese

Apart from cheese, these are the ingredients that we need for this pasta.

Elbow pasta: I have used the elbow-shaped pasta, and I have never tried with other shapes. But I am sure Ditalini, the small tube-sized pasta, should work as well.

For cooking the pasta, we need some salt, water, and oil.

Butter, oil, and flour: We need some butter, oil, and all-purpose flour for the roux.

Milk and cream: I have used both milk and cream for this pasta. Make sure both are cold. Cold milk and cream help break down the hot roux, and you will get a nice creamy and thick sauce.

Seasonings: I have used ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg for this pasta. You can also include some onion powder, garlic powder for added flavor.

Panko bread crumbs: For the topping, you need some panko bread crumbs. You can use the plain variety with added seasonings. I used the panko with Italian seasoning.

Prepping, planning, serving, and storing the mac and cheese

I usually make the pasta and sauce fresh and bake it right away. The procedure might sound lengthy, but it is are straightforward and effortless. 

If you are making it a big batch, you can cook the pasta well ahead and drain it. Add some oil and store it. Use when needed. I have never tried making the sauce ahead and storing it, so I can’t talk about it much.

This mac and cheese can be your main dish for holiday parties, and you can serve it along with a soup or with some veggie sides like potatoes, asparagus, or brussels sprouts. 

You can refrigerate the leftovers and microwave before serving. 

How to make baked mac and cheese

Prep-work:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking dish with oil and butter and set aside. I used my Corningware 2.5 qt oval baking dish. Grate the required amount of cheese and set it aside. Mix all the three-cheese varieties required for the sauce and keep it ready. 

Cook the pasta.

• Add 8 cups of water to a saucepan and add the salt and olive oil. Bring it to a rolling boil.
• Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes, 1 minute less than the time mentioned in the pasta package instructions for aldente pasta. 
• Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the remaining water.

Prepare the sauce.

• Add the 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan. I used my Dutch-oven. Let the butter melt, and when it is hot, add the all-purpose flour and mix.

• Cook for 45 seconds to a minute, and when it forms like cookie dough as shown in the picture, add 1 cup of cold milk. 

• Using a wire whisk, mix until the sauce is nice and smooth. Then add the heavy cream and keep mixing until the sauce thickens. 

• Now add half the measure of the mixed cheese and whisk until smooth. 

• Now add the remaining cheese, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg powder and continue whisking until the sauce is creamy and smooth.

• The sauce should be thick and creamy like below. Set aside ½ cup of sauce from this measure.

• Now add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, and mix thoroughly.

• Cook for two minutes and turn off the heat. 

Bake the mac and cheese.

• Add the reserved ½ cup of the cheese sauce to the baking dish and form a bed. 

• Now spread the prepared mac and cheese into the baking dish and spread it evenly.

• Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top, and then add the grated cheddar and parmesan cheese.

• Bake this mac and cheese for 15 minutes at 350 deg F and after 15 minutes, turn off the oven. Let the mac and cheese sit in the oven for 5 minutes and then remove it from the oven. Serve it right away!

Skip the baking: If you want to skip the baking part, then cook the pasta as mentioned in the package. And add the panko directly and cook for a couple of minutes and serve it. 

Tips for the best mac and cheese

• Do not overcook the pasta. Always cook a minute or two less than the time mentioned on the package instructions. As we are baking the pasta again with the sauce, overcooked pasta might become mushy. 
• Use cold milk and cream for this recipe as it helps to break down the roux. Whisk, whisk, and whisk while adding the milk. First, add the milk, ensure there aren’t any lumps, and then add the heavy cream.
• Add cheese in batches. Let the first batch melt, and then add the remaining. Again keep mixing, and that’s the key. 
• This cheese measure works well for us. It’s cheesy but not too cheesy and heavy. But you can always increase or decrease the cheese measure and the butter according to your preference.
• Adjust the seasonings as per your preference. Add additional seasonings or dried herbs of your choice. 
• If you can’t source Gruyere cheese, use any other swiss cheese or any available cheese. The taste might differ, but you can mix and match and find the right combination that you like. 
• I highly recommend mild cheddar, parmesan, and Gruyere for this classic mac and cheese, but you can choose as per the availability.
• You don’t need to bake for a longer time. I usually bake for 15 minutes at a max of 20 minutes and remove it from the oven as soon the cheese is bubbly, and the cheese is light brown. 

More easy pasta recipes.

P.S.:  If you try this baked mac and cheese, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it A.S.A.P. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

📖 Recipe

Update Notes: Earlier posted on 2014, updated with new pictures, recipe card in 2020.