Baked Mac & Cheese Dinner

Name: Baked Mac & Cheese Dinner
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Elbow macaroni; 4 tbsp Whole butter; 1 cup All-purpose flour; 1 cup Whole milk; 1.5 cups Sharp cheddar; 1.5 cups Gruyere; 1 cup Toasted panko breadcrumbs

Triple cheese mac with breadcrumb crust and pulled pork side.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 15m
Cook: 40m
Serves: 6
Level: Medium

Ingredients

6servings

Elbow macaroni1 cup
Whole butter4 tbsp
All-purpose flour1 cup
Whole milk1 cup
Sharp cheddar1 ½ cups
Gruyere1 ½ cups
Toasted panko breadcrumbs1 cup

Instructions

1
Make the roux
Create a blonde roux by cooking equal parts butter and flour until it smells nutty.
2
Whisk custard
Whisk in whole milk to create a smooth béchamel sauce.
3
Melt cheese
Remove from heat and melt in the cheddar and gruyere to prevent the emulsion from breaking.
4
Fold & finish
Fold in the par-cooked pasta.
5
Bake through
Transfer to a casserole dish, top with butter-soaked breadcrumbs, and bake at 375°F until the edges bubble and the crust browns.

Cook it safe

160°F / 71°C — Eggs and egg dishes, or cook until both the white and the yolk are firm.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C before serving.
Use a calibrated instant-read thermometer rather than color or cooking time to judge doneness.

Temperatures follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature chart.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Calories: 461
Fat: 24g
Carbs: 40g
Protein: 23g

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 7 of 7 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.