Level up your comfort food cravings with my grandma’s baked macaroni and cheese recipe.
Basic old-timey recipes can genuinely be great. This baked macaroni and cheese might sound sort of plain. But, as the cheese becomes melty and the butter, half-and-half, and simple seasonings mingle, oozing and drenching the pasta creating an amazing cheezy sauce, this mac and cheese transform from plain-old plain to over the top!
ABOUT THIS RECIPE (per serving)
Nutrition Facts
Baked Macaroni and Cheese {Just Like Grandma’s}
Amount Per Serving
Calories 411
Calories from Fat 254
% Daily Value*
Fat 28.2g43%Saturated Fat 17.5g109%Trans Fat 0gPolyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 8.1gCholesterol 81mg27%Sodium 684.6mg30%Potassium 291mg8%Carbohydrates 20.9g7%Fiber 0.5g2%Sugar 3.5g4%Protein 18.5g37%
Vitamin A 239.6IU5%Vitamin C 0.4mg0%Vitamin D 0.8µg5%Calcium 517.2mg52%Iron 0.6mg3% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
This Mac & Cheese is the Kind of Dish That Memories Are Made Of
Baked macaroni and cheese was a regular at grandma and grandpa’s cottage. My cousins and siblings knew it well, accompanying heaped-high platters of fresh-caught bluegills or fried chicken dinners at the lake. After long summer days of swimming, boating, and fishing, this was the go-to of side dishes to fill hungry kids (adults too)!
I’d never even heard of the stuff in the blue box made with orangish powered dried cheese until college when it was made in dorms everywhere and consumed by the bucket load by students who choose to skip the cafeteria. For me, that box stuff never earned the acclaim of grandma’s version despite the craze.
The truth is, there was a heated discussion defending grandma’s way of making it.
I argued that baked macaroni and cheese is so easy that if you only have a toaster oven and a hot plate from start to finish, it’s ready for scarfing down in about 30 minutes. Yeah, it takes double the time of the boxed stuff, but “if you ain’t had macaroni and cheese like grandma’s, you ain’t never had real mac and cheese!”
Admittedly, as the defender of grandma’s way of making it, the emphasis used in my poor English and less than perfect grammar in the debate was on purpose and most likely due at the time to being hassled by the debate-ee in the conversation. Nowadays, I supposed they’d call that being a drama queen.
As it went, my defense didn’t change anything. My dorm buddies continued with their blue box, and I stayed true to what I had always known as the best macaroni and cheese on the planet.
Then recently, this basic recipe took on a whole new makeover when it met the grill. Spoiler, this new version ultimately takes it to a new level which I never thought possible.
And with either of the versions, if you don’t need to be gluten-free, they are the sort of dishes you could certainly just swap out the gluten-free pasta for regular macaroni.
#MacAndCheese Please! #Baked #Macaroni and #Cheese from #fromscratch! Make this #GlutenFree #Recipe #CookingGfreeDeliciously @GfreeDelicious
Here’s Why Grandma’s Baked Mac & Cheese is the Greatest!
- If you’re not an expert in the kitchen, it’s okay. This macaroni and cheese is a dish that’s super simple to make.
- It’s easy to scale up or down to feed one or two people or an entire crowd.
- You can make it as a main course or a side dish.
- You can easily add other ingredients to this recipe. Think chicken, ham and peas, steamed broccoli, crab, or lobster – all would be excellent choices for adding protein, veggies, or a little of each to make it into an even heartier meal!
- This recipe is outrageously cheesy, ultra-creamy, and guaranteed to be a hit for kids and adults. So it’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser if you need a dish for a barbecue supper or potluck.

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How to Make this Baked Mac & Cheese
- You’ll start with gluten-free macaroni, cooking it according to the package directions until it’s tender and firm but no longer crunchy – al-dente’ (Ahl-DEN-Tay).
- While the macaroni cooks, grate the Colby cheese, then set it aside until it’s time to assemble. Now is also an excellent time to preheat your oven to 350°F. And you can butter the insides of the baking dish liberally using about ½ tablespoon of the butter.
- When the noodles have cooked, drain them well, then add the remaining two tablespoons of butter, black pepper, and salt, stirring lightly to combine.
- To assemble, add half of the macaroni mixture to your baking dish, pour in the half-n-half (enough to almost reach the top of this layer), then add half of creamy Colby cheese. Next, add another layer of the macaroni, then pile it high with the remaining Colby cheese. For the final touch, sprinkle a pinch of gluten-free seasoned salt over the top.
- Now you’re ready to pop it into your preheated oven at 350°F to bake for 20-25 minutes.
Picture the recipe step-by-step...
Our Best Tips for Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Gluten-Free Pasta
To make macaroni and cheese, using great ingredients is always essential to the success of the final dish. However, finding the right gluten-free pasta to use can be tricky. We’ve tried just about every brand of gluten-free macaroni we could find, and the top of our list for affordability and good taste is Barilla Gluten Free Elbows Pasta. No slimy, mushy, or odd-tasting pasta from them!
You can find it in the regular pasta aisle at most local grocery stores (and we’re assuming it’s available throughout the United States), and it costs about the same as wheat-based pasta. If you didn’t find it at your store, we would appreciate your support by purchasing it here 😉. Or you can always ask for it at your favorite store’s service counter by filling out a guest request.
The Best Cheese for Baked Mac and Cheese
While the best type of cheese for this dish is subjective, Colby cheese is my favorite choice for baked macaroni and cheese. It’s flavorful, melts wonderfully, it melts uniformly into the half-and-half, and it gives the macaroni and cheese its traditional orange color. However, while Colby is our family’s favorite, we have made this dish with Cheddar cheese. If using cheddar, you will want to make sure that you choose a mild, medium, or sharp cheddar cheese and not an extra sharp or aged cheddar. Aged cheeses can separate when melted, and they will not bake into the macaroni and half-and-half, creating the signature cheesy, melty sauce for this dish.
No matter what cheese you choose, I’m a big fan of grating or shredding cheese yourself. If you’ve seen some of the other recipes on this site, you will notice that I talk about it in those recipes too.
The stuff in the bags is more convenient, of course, but it’s coated with an anti-caking powder to prevent it from clumping and sticking together. Unfortunately, that coating also prevents it from melting because it blocks moisture, which is not what you need when making baked macaroni and cheese, and you want the cheese and the half-and-half to come together, creating a creamy sauce. Not to mention, the cost is more expensive. So do yourself a favor, shred the cheese yourself for a better melt, and save money. It only takes a few minutes.
The Half-and-Half (aka The Sauce)
During assembly, you’ll notice that after adding the half-and-half, the dish will look like it will be soupy and thin – don’t worry. This macaroni and cheese will spend just the right amount of time in the oven to bake into a thick, creamy sauce, cooking and melting perfectly with the cheese as it bubbles and bakes.
What to Bake It In
We’ve used a 1.5 ounce casserole dish for years to bake it for just the two of us, but any medium-size versatile baking dish will do. When the kids are home, and still if we’re making enough for a crowd, a 4-quart baking dish works very well.
If you’re looking to purchase a new casserole dish I would recommend a casserole dish that comes with a glass lid because it’s perfect for keeping everything warm while everyone is getting to the table.
Can you reheat Baked Mac and Cheese?
Baked macaroni and cheese tends to thicken up when it’s cooled. So I recommend reheating as follows:
To reheat a significant amount:
- Break up the cool mixture evenly in the baking dish or skillet. Add a little more half-and-half (or milk), then place in an oven set at 325°F for about 20 minutes until warmed through.
If reheating one or two servings:
- Place the servings in a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of milk or half-and-half and heat on 50-percent power at 45-second intervals until warmed through.
Can you freeze Baked Mac and Cheese?
Typically dairy does not freeze very well, and it can separate and curdle upon thawing. Therefore, I would recommend eating up any leftovers within a day or two.
Love Macaroni & Cheese?
If you’re like us, there aren’t many mac and cheese dishes that we don’t include in our regular meal rotation (scans the blue box, but then we’ve eaten plenty of that kind over the years too). I think it’s all about the convenience and the comforting taste of the dish, whether we make it on the stovetop, oven, or grill.
If you like this macaroni and cheese recipe, here are a couple of other mac and cheese variations we’ve created over the years:
Once you try this Baked Macaroni and Cheese, be sure to check out a few of our other always classic gluten-free recipes!
XXO
Kymberley
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Baked Macaroni and Cheese {Just Like Grandma’s}
@ GfreeDeliciously
EQUIPMENT
- Large Saucepan
- Baking Dish
- Cheese Grater
- Utensils (Measuring Cups & Spoons, Rubber Spatula or Large Spoon)
INGREDIENTS
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free Elbow Macaroni cooked
- 2-1/2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 cups Colby Cheese grated
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cups Half-n-Half
- 1 pinch gluten-free Seasoned Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F, butter the interior of a 1.5-quart baking dish or oven-proof skillet liberally with ½ tablespoon butter. Set the baking dish aside until needed.
- Boil the macaroni noodles according to the package directions.
- As the macaroni cooks, grate the Colby cheese. Set aside.
- Drain the macaroni when cooked tender and firm but no longer crunchy - al-dente’ (Ahl-DEN-Tay). Add the butter to the noodles, black pepper, and salt, stirring lightly to combine.
- Add half of the macaroni to the prepared baking dish or pan. Pour in the Half-n-Half, then cover the macaroni layer with half of the grated Colby cheese. Repeat with another layer of the remaining macaroni, then cover the top with the rest of the grated Colby cheese. Sprinkle seasoned salt over the top.
- Place the filled dish into the preheated oven to bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the mac and cheese is lightly browned and bubbly around the edges and the cheese is melty.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
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