Mom's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Mom's cooking is the best!  Especially when it's her family-favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese, loaded with melty Vermont white cheddar.  Around our parts, it's just not a holiday meal without it.
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Around here, it's not a holiday without macaroni and cheese.  A big pan of Mom's baked macaroni and cheese loaded with white cheddar and creamy white sauce, to be exact.

Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other big family gathering, a pan of Mom's baked macaroni and cheese is a must at the meal.  

And as of a few years ago, the responsibility of making it shifted from Mom to me.  It's now one of the staples I'm expected to bring when our family gets together.  It's an honor I've been happy to take on, because hey, everyone loves mac and cheese.  Right?

Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other big family gathering, a pan of Mom's baked macaroni and cheese is a must at the meal.

Having grown up in Vermont, of course our family's macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with Cabot Vermont white cheddar.  Barre, Vermont - the town I grew up in - is only about 20 minutes from Cabot creamery, so Cabot cheese is very near and dear to my heart ... and taste buds.  

Now that I live in North Carolina, Cabot white cheddar is still my go-to when it comes to making our beloved baked macaroni and cheese.

But if you're not able to easily get Cabot Vermont white cheddar in your area, that's no problem - any white cheddar will work just fine.  Or, use orange cheddar if you prefer.  It works just fine, too.

To whip up a pan of Mom's cheesy deliciousness, start by shredding some white cheddar.  Lots of white cheddar.  We use a full 3 cups of shredded cheese, which makes this mac and cheese nice and cheesy.

Then place a layer of cooked macaroni noodles in the bottom of a baking dish ...

And top the macaroni with shredded cheese.  Repeat to make two layers total, and set this aside ...

One of the things I love best about Mom's baked macaroni and cheese is that the macaroni gets all surrounded in a rich, thick white sauce.  The white sauce brings fabulous creaminess to each and every bite of the finished macaroni and cheese.

 Preparing the white sauce is pretty simple.  It just takes a few basic ingredients and a little stirring while it thickens up.

White sauce brings fabulous creaminess to each and every bite of the finished macaroni and cheese.

To make the white sauce, melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Then whisk in some flour.  The flour will serve as the thickening agent for the sauce.

Once the flour is incorporated into the butter, gradually whisk in milk ... and then bring this to a boil for about a minute.  As it cooks, it will thicken into a nice creamy sauce.

Pour the white sauce evenly over the top of the macaroni layers ...

And then top the white sauce with a little more shredded cheddar ...

Finally, bake the macaroni and cheese until it's bubbling around the edges and beginning to get some nice golden brown areas on the top.

I have forgotten to save some shredded cheddar for the top before, and baked it with just the white sauce on top.  

While the flavor will still turn out the same without the sprinkling of cheese, the macaroni and cheese won't develop the nicely browned areas on top without it.

Now, there's a little trick you can use in baking this macaroni and cheese that lets you determine your desired texture - whether you want the finished result creamy, or more firm.  And it all has to do with when  you bake the macaroni and cheese.

So how do you make creamy baked macaroni and cheese? - Bake the mac and cheese immediately after pouring on the white sauce.

The result will be a very creamy, "loose" macaroni and cheese with the noodles all tending to stay separate ... like in the photo below:

And how do you make "firmer" mac and cheese that sort of clumps together? - Let it set before baking.

That's right, to get that "firmer" macaroni and cheese texture, cover and refrigerate the assembled macaroni and cheese overnight or for at least 4-6 hours before baking.

The result will be a macaroni and cheese that's more firm in texture, with the noodles more adhering together in clumps, like in the photo a little bit below.

There's a little trick you can use that lets you determine your desired texture - whether you want the finished result creamy, or more firm.  And it all has to do with when  you bake the macaroni and cheese.

Personally, our family prefers our mac and cheese firm.

So I always assemble my pan of mac and cheese the day before serving, and let it stand in the refrigerator overnight before baking.  Not only does this give the texture result we love, it also adds make-ahead convenience for our mac and cheese, too.

When it comes to macaroni and cheese, Mom's cooking is the best!  So mac and cheese lovers, tuck Mom's family-favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe away for when you make your next batch. 

Loaded with melty Vermont white cheddar and creamy white sauce, it's full of fabulous cheesy flavor we hope you'll love as much as we do.  Because around our parts, it's just not a holiday meal without it! 

Check out these other super tasty mac & cheese recipes:

• 2-Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Ham Macaroni and Cheese
• 5-Cheese Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
• Slow Cooker Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
• Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese
• Mac & Cheese Muffins
• More side dishes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

macaroni and cheese, baked macaroni and cheese, white cheddar, recipe

Side Dishes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Mom's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Mom's cooking is the best! Especially when it's her family-favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese, loaded with melty Vermont white cheddar. Around our parts, it's just not a holiday meal without it.

prep time: 30 Mcook time: 45 Mtotal time: 75 M

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. (8 oz.) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 c. grated Vermont white sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

instructions:

How to cook Mom's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1. PREPARE MACARONI & CHEESE LAYERS: Cook macaroni in salted water; drain.
2. In a 1 & 1/2-quart baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray, layer macaroni and cheese in this order: 1. 1/2 of the macaroni, 2. one cup cheese, 3. remaining macaroni, and 4. one cup cheese. Set aside.
3. PREPARE WHITE SAUCE: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in flour. Return to heat and gradually whisk in milk. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring; boil gently for about one minute until sauce is thickened.
4. Pour white sauce evenly over the top of the macaroni. Top with remaining one cup cheese.
5. For creamy macaroni and cheese, bake immediately. For "firmer" macaroni and cheese, cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4-6 hours before baking.
6. BAKE: Bake at 375℉ for 35-45 minutes until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned.

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. For a 9x13-inch pan, I make 1 & 1/2 times the recipe.
2. For cheese, I always use Cabot brand Vermont sharp or extra-sharp white cheddar.

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You might also enjoy these other side dish favorites:

5-Cheese Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy Broccoli Casserole

Corn Fritter Casserole

Broccoli-Rice Casserole

Corn Pudding

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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday.