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My roux-based baked mac & cheese starts with a simple roux to create a smooth, creamy cheese sauce before the macaroni ever goes into the oven. It combines four cheeses — mild cheddar, medium cheddar, mozzarella, and Colby Jack — with evaporated milk, heavy cream, and sour cream for a rich and creamy texture. The seasonings are intentionally simple. Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, white pepper, and mustard powder complement the cheeses rather than overpowering them. Because when I’m eating mac and cheese, I want the cheese to be the star!
There are few side dishes that get people as passionate as baked mac and cheese. Everybody has an opinion about the cheeses, the seasonings, the texture, and, perhaps most importantly, whether it should be made with a roux or a custard base.
I make both versions, and they both have nearly the same delicious result – creamy, cheesy, and not runny. However, if you prefer to make the version with eggs (it’s certainly quicker!), try my custard-based baked mac & cheese instead.
Roux-Based vs. Custard-Based Mac & Cheese
There are plenty of ways to make baked mac and cheese, but two of the most common methods use either a roux-based cheese sauce or a custard-style base made with eggs and dairy.
A roux is made by cooking flour with fat — butter in this case — before gradually adding liquid. For this recipe, evaporated milk and heavy cream are incorporated into the roux before the shredded cheese is slowly melted into the sauce. The result is a thick, creamy cheese sauce that coats every noodle before the mac and cheese goes into the oven. Neither method is necessarily better than the other. They’re simply two different ways to make a great pan of baked mac and cheese — and I have a recipe for both!
Ingredients for roux-based mac & cheese
- Elbow macaroni: The classic pasta shape for mac and cheese. Cook it only until al dente because the noodles will continue to soften in the oven.
- Mild and medium cheddar: Using both gives you that familiar cheddar flavor with a little extra depth without making the cheese blend too sharp.
- Mozzarella: Adds creaminess and gives the mac and cheese that beautiful cheese pull.
- Colby Jack: A mild, creamy cheese that melts beautifully and rounds out the cheese blend.
- Butter and all-purpose flour: These are the foundation of the roux that thickens the cheese sauce.
- Evaporated milk: Adds richness and body to the sauce without making it overly heavy.
- Heavy cream: Makes the cheese sauce even creamier. I start with ½ cup, but you can add more a tablespoon at a time after combining the sauce with the macaroni to get the consistency you prefer.
- Sour cream: This gets stirred directly into the macaroni after adding the cheese sauce for another layer of creaminess and a subtle tang.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, white pepper, and mustard powder enhance the flavor of the cheese without taking over.
Tips for the Best Baked Mac & Cheese
These tips apply whether you’re making this roux-based mac and cheese or my custard-based version.
1. Shred your own cheese.
Pre-shredded cheeses typically contain anti-caking agents that can interfere with how smoothly they melt. Grating your cheese at home takes a little more time, but it’s worth it for the texture.
2. Don’t overcook the noodles.
Cook your macaroni only until al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and starting with overly soft noodles can leave you with mushy mac and cheese.
3. Don’t overdo the seasonings.
Mac and cheese should taste like cheese! The seasoning blend is meant to enhance the flavor of the cheeses, not overpower them.
4. control the Temperature.
This is especially important when making the cheese sauce. Add the ingredients gradually, and once it’s time to melt the cheese, reduce the heat to very low — almost no heat. Too much heat can cause the cheese sauce to break or become grainy. (For a custard-based mac and cheese, temperature and the order in which you add the ingredients are just as important for helping everything incorporate smoothly without curdling the eggs.)
5. Don’t overbake it.
The pasta is already cooked, and the cheese sauce is already made. Baking brings everything together, melts the layers of cheese, and gives you that bubbly, golden top. Leaving the mac and cheese in the oven too long can make the noodles too soft and dry everything out.
6. Let it rest before serving.
Give your baked mac and cheese about 15 minutes to rest after it comes out of the oven. This gives everything a chance to set so that it holds its shape better when served. But don’t let it sit too long — you still want to serve it hot before the cheese becomes too stiff.
I Hope You Enjoyed This Baked Mac & Cheese
Whether you’re making it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Sunday dinner, a cookout, or simply because you’re craving homemade mac and cheese, I hope this roux-based version earns a place at your table.
Remember, a great pan of mac and cheese doesn’t require complicated ingredients or a ton of seasoning. Freshly shredded cheese, al dente pasta, careful temperature control, and a little patience can make all the difference.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out. I’d love to hear from you!
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Baked Mac & Cheese (Roux-based)
Equipment
- large pot
- Medium saucepan
- whisk
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Box grater
- Large mixing bowl
- 9 x 13-inch casserole dish
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 8 oz mild cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 8 oz medium cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- 8 oz Colby Jack cheese, freshly gated
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tbsp all-purpose floir
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 4 oz sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package instructions for al dente pasta. The noodles will continue to soften when the mac and cheese bakes. Drain, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a pot over medium to medium-low heat, melt the butter. Gradually whisk in the flour to make a light, smooth roux. Season with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, white pepper, and mustard powder.
- Once the roux is smooth, slowly pour in the evaporated milk while whisking continuously. Continue stirring until smooth. When the sauce begins to thicken, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and stir in ½ cup of heavy cream until smooth.
- Combine the mild cheddar, medium cheddar, mozzarella, and Colby Jack. Gradually add about half of the cheese mixture tot he sauce, stirring gently until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Keep the heat very low during this step to prevent the cheese sauce from breaking.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni, and stir until well combined. Add the sour cream, and stir until thoroughly incorporated. If needed, add additional heavy cream a few tablespoons at a time until the mac and cheese reaches your desired creaminess.
- Add about one-third of the mac and cheese to a 9×13-inch casserole dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle about one-third of the remaining shredded cheese over the first layer. Repeat the layering process two more times, finishing with the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for approximately 35minutes, or until the mac and cheese is bubbly and golden to your liking. For a little more color and a slight crust on top, switch the oven to low broil for the final 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Remove the mac and cheese from the oven, and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Grate your cheese at home rather than using pre-shredded cheese for the smoothest melt.
- Cook the macaroni only until al dente because it will continue to soften while baking.
- Keep the heat very low when adding the shredded cheese to prevent the sauce from breaking.
- After adding the cheese sauce and sour cream, adjust the consistency with additional heavy cream a few tablespoons at a time, if needed.
- Avoid overbaking, which can dry out the mac and cheese and make the noodles too soft.
- Let the mac and cheese rest for at least 10 minutes before serving so it can set while remaining hot and creamy.
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