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There are many mac n cheese recipes out there, but this is the classic. Baked in the oven with deep savoury flavours like bay and mustard, this is the American pasta recipe you’ll come back to time and time again.

Mac n cheese is a cheesy pasta classic, but I have a couple of interesting bits in this mac n cheese recipe that might seem unusual at first. I don’t soften the onion before adding it to the sauce. There are a few reasons for this – firstly, it works to impart as much of that fresh, zingy onion flavour as possible – important to cut through the richness. Secondly, it adds a nice texture to the mac n cheese. Of course, the onion cooks while the pasta is baking in the oven, so it’s not really raw at the end. Give it a go – you’ll like it!

I also use whole grain mustard (and a fair amount of it). This adds a gentle mustard flavour that works well with the cheese and makes the dish reminiscent of a rarebit.

The Ingredients

Macaroni – it’s called mac and cheese for a reason! If at all possible, use macaroni in this recipe. If you can’t, use the shortest pasta you can find – you want to get one a similar size to macaroni.
Butter, flour, milk – these are the ingredients that make your white sauce. Use salted or unsalted butter – either is fine. Use plain flour. You can use skimmed, semi skimmed or whole milk.
Cheddar cheese – for me, in this classic mac n cheese, it’s got to be cheddar. It has a nice strong flavour and melts into the sauce well – everything you need.
Bay leaves, onion, whole grain mustard – these are my little additions that make this classic the best. It tastes SO savoury and you won’t be able to stop eating it! If you can, use fresh bay leaves.

Want to serve this alongside something? These are my picks:

With Texan Style Slow Cooked Beef and Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
With The Best Barbecued Pork Loin and The Most Incredible Stir Fried Kale

Classic Baked Mac N Cheese

Cheesy topping on a classic Mac n cheese

The classic and the best mac and cheese with bay leaves, onion and whole grain mustard.

Harriet Young

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 50

Total Time 55

Serving Size People

Ingredients

500 grams macaroni
40 grams butter
40 grams plain flour
1 pint milk
2 bay leaves
1 onion peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
250 grams cheddar cheese grated

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions. Drain and put in the base of a large ovenproof dish.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk, cooking for 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking all of the time.
When you have added all of the milk, turn the heat back on and cook, whisking occasionally, until it thickens. Turn off the heat then add the bay leaves, onion, mustard and 2/3 of the cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted.
Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir gently to make sure it is well combined. Top with the remaining cheese. Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling.