My teaching schedule can sometimes mean being gone at an awkward hour for trying to coordinate dinner, so I’ve learned a lot of crock pot, sous-vide, and make-ahead meals to keep Joe and myself from paying for take-out.
This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is one of my personal favorites, because it skips some of the fussier steps like making a roux and a cheese sauce. Nope, this one is for the evening you’d rather skip all of that and still have something hot, gooey, cheesy and delicious. Plus, it can be prepared well in advance. You can also double this recipe for a bigger crowd or even add vegetables or chopped meats to it.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- 8 oz. dried pasta (I usually go with penne or elbows)
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (or a mixture of cheeses! Great way to clean out the cheese drawer.)
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers
- 1 tbsp. butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the pasta al dente, drain the water, and return the pasta to the pot. Add the cream cheese and stir until the pasta is lightly coated with cream cheese.
Combine the cream and spices in a measuring cup and then stir that into the pasta. Add the flour and Dijon mustard as well.
Finally, add the cheese, stirring to distribute as easily as possible. Move this mixture to a greased 8×8 in. baking dish. At this point, you can prepare it for the oven, or cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Melt the butter and stir it into the bread crumbs. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the macaroni and cheese and then bake for 25 minutes.
I also like to turn the broiler on for the last minute or two to brown the top. We get four servings out of this, and it reheats really well in the oven or toaster oven. Yum!
Neen's Notes 
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