Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Breadcrumb Topping

Name: Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Breadcrumb Topping
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: macaroni elbow noodles: 1 pound/454 grams worth.; olive oil: 2 tablespoons.; butter: ¼ cup.; flour: 3 tablespoons.; warm milk: 4 cups.; garlic powder: 1 teaspoon.; onion powder: 1 teaspoon.; ground mustard: 1 teaspoon.; paprika: ¼ teaspoon.; salt: 1 teaspoon.; pepper: ¼ teaspoon.; shredded cheddar cheese (sharp/old): 4 cups.; cooked bacon: 5 pieces cut into small pieces.; bread crumbs: ½ cup.; melted butter: 2 tablespoons.

Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

Tired of your same old dinners? Step up your dinner game with this hearty macaroni and cheese casserole with breadcrumb topping recipe! The gooey cheese and crunchy bacon breadcrumb topping pair perfectly for a rich and flavorful mac and cheese dish.

Macaroni and cheese casserole with breadcrumb topping in a grey dish with a wooden spoon in it.

When i'm thinking about comfort food, this mac and cheese bake comes to mind. It's seriously so comforting and hearty with how cheesy and flavourful it is! My boyfriend and I love making it during the winter when it's cold out and we want something warm and comforting!

I love making it on Sunday nights because then I have easy weeknight leftovers so we don't have to cook too much on busy work nights!

If you love cheesy pasta casseroles, then try this cheesy sausage pasta bake, cheesy chicken and mushroom pasta bake, mozzarella and ricotta cheese pasta bake, cheese tortellini and Italian sausage casserole, baked spaghetti casserole, and mozzarella and pesto pasta bake too!

Reasons you'll love this recipe

COMFORTING: This dish is the best comfort food when you want something cheesy and savoury for dinner.
LEFTOVERS: Depending on how many people you’re feeding, you’ll probably have some leftovers to reheat the next day. Who doesn’t love leftovers? Yum!
EASY: This recipe is simple to make with basic ingredients and easy-to-follow steps!

Ingredients

MACARONI NOODLES: Macaroni elbow noodles are a popular pasta noodle for mac and cheese. Use 1 pound/454 grams worth.
OLIVE OIL: This ensures the noodles don’t stick together and is also used for frying the bacon. Use 1 tablespoon each.
BACON: The bacon is a game-changer in this recipe. You will need 5 pieces cooked nice and crispy.
BUTTER: Butter will be used in the making of the cheese sauce and for making the bread crumb topping golden. You will need a ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons total.
FLOUR: All-purpose flour is what helps give the cheese sauce its thick texture. You will need 3 tablespoons.
MILK: Warm milk will help with the consistency of the cheese sauce. This recipe requires 4 cups!
SPICES: For flavouring the cheese sauce use 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and ¼ teaspoon of paprika.
SALT & PEPPER: To enhance the flavour, use 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in the cheese sauce. Feel free to sprinkle some extra on before baking the mac and cheese.
CHEESE: Can’t forget the cheese! This recipe uses sharp/old cheddar cheese and gives the recipe a sharp, rich flavour. You can use any cheese you’d like, but this is commonly used in most macaroni and cheese recipes! Use 4 cups shredded.
BREAD CRUMBS: The bread crumb topping adds a tasty, crispy texture to the gooey mac and cheese. You will need ½ cup.

Instructions

Mac and Cheese:

Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350° F or 177° C.
Macaroni: Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Add the noodles to a large bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
Cheese Sauce: Add the butter to a small-medium-sized pot on low heat. Once melted, add the flour and constantly stir until combined, about 1 minute. Slowly add the warm milk and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir vigorously until the mixture has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the spices, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted.
Bacon: In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the bacon on medium to high heat until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess grease. Roughly chop into small pieces once cooled and set aside.
Combine: Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix until well combined. Pour the mac and cheese mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.

Bread Crumb Topping:

Mix: Mix the bacon pieces, bread crumbs, and melted butter. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese.
Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crumb topping is golden brown.

Two black bowls with macaroni and cheese in them.

Kitchen tools to help you

LARGE POT: For cooking the macaroni noodles.
COLANDER/STRAINER: For straining the noodles.
FRYING PAN: For cooking the bacon.
CUTTING BOARD: For chopping the bacon into small pieces.
SMALL/MEDIUM-SIZED POT: For making the cheese sauce.
9 X 13 BAKING DISH: For baking the mac and cheese.
MEASURING SPOONS AND CUPS: For measuring and adding the ingredients.

Recipe Tips

Boil the pasta noodles to al dente. There’s typically a range for cooking time on the noodle package, and since you will be baking these noodles in addition to boiling them, it's best to boil for the lesser time to ensure the noodles won’t be overcooked and mushy.
Shred the cheese yourself. You should grate your own cheese because pre-shredded cheese often contains certain preservatives that cause the cheese not to melt well.
Warm the milk. This will help ensure no clumps occur once the milk is added to the butter/flour mixture/paste during the cheese sauce process. If clumps occur, just keep vigorously stirring until they dissolve.
Use a 1:1 ratio for the milk and cheese. This is super important! If you don’t want grainy, curdled-looking mac and cheese, then you gotta use the same amount of cheese as you do milk! It can be tempting to add more cheese, but if you do, you need to add the same amount of milk. If the fat ratios are off, then this can cause the cheese mixture to spoil. For best results, use 4 cups milk to 4 cups (unpacked) shredded cheese.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my mac and cheese grainy?

This is likely because your roux (the butter, flour, and milk combination) to the fat content in the cheese that you're using is off. It's important to use a 1:1 ratio of warm milk to shredded cheese (i.e. 4 cups of warm milk to 4 cups of shredded (unpacked) cheese.

Why is my mac and cheese dry?

This happens if too much flour is used in the roux (the butter, flour, milk combination). It can be tempting to add more flour to the mixture for a thicker cheese sauce, but this can cause the mac and cheese to turn out dry.

Why is my mac and cheese sticky?

If your macaroni is sticking after you boil it, it's usually from the starch in the pasta/water. All you need to do is give the macaroni a good rinse with cold water while you strain it and then mix in a tablespoon of olive oil.

Do you have to store mac and cheese in the fridge?

Yes!

How do you store and reheat mac and cheese?

You can store it in the same dish you baked it in, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap or tin foil for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can replace the baking dish in the oven at the same temperature until warm, about 15 minutes or transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warm.

Mac and cheese in a serving dish and in an individual bowl.

Serving Suggestions

This mac and cheese recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner when you're craving comfort, or a delicious side dish next to some turkey and gravy, creamy mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, or some crispy brussels sprouts with bacon at Thanksgiving dinner!

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