Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
A deep golden cheese top gives this macaroni plenty of appeal before you scoop into the creamy middle. Provolone and sharp cheddar make the sauce rich and savory. Give the skillet its brief rest, then enjoy a warm helping with some of the browned top.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Lunch · Sides
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Do not rinse the elbows
Cook macaroni one minute short of package directions, drain and leave unrinsed before folding it into the finished cheese sauce.
2. Milk in a steady stream
Whisk the warmed milk steadily into the pale-gold flour mixture, then continue cooking until it coats the back of a spoon.
3. Add cheese in handfuls
Take the skillet off the heat and stir each handful of provolone and cheddar smooth before adding more cheese.
Get to know the ingredients
Block cheese
Shred cheese from blocks. The coating on bagged cheese can leave the sauce gritty.
Divided cheddar
Two cups of cheddar go into the sauce with provolone. Keep the remaining two cups for the top before baking.
Smoked paprika
Scatter smoked paprika over the final cheddar topping before baking, keeping it separate from the sauce's salt-and-pepper seasoning.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 9 steps completeMake room for Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Watch the browned top
Broil until deep golden and spotty, watching closely, then rest five minutes before scooping the warm macaroni from the skillet.
A little more help as you go
Support the skillet
Set the filled skillet on a sheet pan for baking, with the oven rack in the upper third for the cheese finish.
Reheat with milk
Use a splash of milk when reheating because baked pasta absorbs more sauce as it sits.
A few questions you might have
What if I do not own a cast-iron skillet?
Make the sauce in a saucepan, then transfer the combined pasta to a buttered nine-by-thirteen-inch baking dish.
Can I assemble it a day ahead?
You can assemble the unbaked dish and refrigerate it for up to twenty-four hours. Give it thirty minutes at room temperature before the longer bake.
Can I freeze it before baking?
Freeze the unbaked casserole in a freezer-safe dish for up to two months, then thaw overnight before baking.
When does Worcestershire sauce go in?
Stir it into the smoothly melted cheese sauce before tasting for salt and folding in the drained macaroni.
How should the flour smell before milk goes in?
Cook it one to two minutes until pale gold and nutty-smelling, then season and whisk in the warmed milk.
Any more cooking tips?
Shred cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to prevent clumping and that coating makes the sauce gritty. Take the pan off the heat before adding cheese. Cheese separates above roughly 170°F and cannot be brought back. Warm the milk before adding it to the roux to avoid lumps. To make ahead, assemble completely without baking, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Rest at room temperature 30 minutes, then bake 30 to 35 minutes and broil as directed. To freeze, assemble unbaked in a freezer safe dish and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Reheat with a splash of milk. Baked pasta absorbs sauce as it sits. No cast iron skillet? Make the sauce in a saucepan and transfer everything to a buttered 9×13 baking dish.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
