This Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is ultra gooey, cheesy, and delicious. It’s perfect for potlucks and holiday dinners since it can be prepped in advance! In addition to white cheddar cheese, there’s Gruyere and Parmesan in the cheese sauce to round out the flavor profile. You’ll be shocked at how rich and flavorful this EASY recipe is!
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Mac and Cheese Doesn’t Get Better Than This!
While mac and cheese is a great side dish, it’s also a rich and cozy main dish that you can enjoy all year long. This easy recipe starts with a lightly spiced bechamel sauce. Then, we melt in a blend of white cheddar, gruyere, and parmesan and toss in perfectly al dente pasta.
Then, the mac and cheese is topped with buttery breadcrumbs and baked until deliciously gooey. It doesn’t get better than this!
If you love mac and cheese as much as I do, skip the boxed stuff and make it from scratch the next time a craving strikes!
Note: Mac and cheese is culturally significant throughout the South, especially for the Black community. While this recipe is inspired by the soulfulness of serving mac and cheese with a holiday meal, it is by no means an attempt at being an authentic soul food dish.
Recommended Equipment
Ingredient Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Pasta. I used shells here, but you could swap in another type of pasta like macaroni, cavatappi, rigatoni, or lumache (shellbows).
- Cheese. I used a mix of white cheddar, gruyere, and freshly grated parmesan to achieve the perfect blend of melty and flavorful.
- Butter. Butter for greasing the baking dish and for sautéing the shallots.
- Flour. Using a bit of flour to create a roux makes a thick and silky sauce.
- Shallots. I love the mild flavor that shallots give the sauce, but you could swap in finely minced yellow or white onion.
- Half and half. You can also use equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. If you swap in regular whole milk, I can’t guarantee the texture.
- Thyme. Fresh thyme leaves add the perfect hint of herby flavor. You could swap in another herb like rosemary or sage.
- Dijon. A hint of dijon adds nice savory notes to the sauce.
- Nutmeg. A pinch of nutmeg in bechamel is classic!
- Breadcrumbs. I like to make fresh breadcrumbs, but you could also use plain panko here.
Want to make your own breadcrumbs? Tear some pieces of bread into chunks and throw them into a food processor and run it until you have small crumbs. It’s THAT easy. Store in a freezer-safe ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Make Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Boil the pasta. Don’t overcook your pasta! It will continue cooking as it bakes, and if you overcook it you’ll end up with mushy mac and cheese. Cook your pasta until it is al dente (cooked, but firm). I usually achieve this right around 6-8 minutes, depending on the shape.
- Make the roux. This adds a few extra minutes to the prep time, but it’s so worth it! After melting the butter, add the diced shallots and sauté until soft. Then, add the flour and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until a paste forms and the raw flour flavor has been cooked off.
- Make the béchamel sauce. To prevent lumps from forming, warm the half and half in a separate pan and then SLOWLY whisk it into the roux. Then you can let the sauce simmer gently for about 5 minutes to thicken it up.
- Add the cheese last. Adding the shredded cheese to the finished béchamel sauce off the heat prevents the sauce from splitting. When the cheese has fully melted, you can stir in the cooked pasta.
- Assemble and bake. Before baking, top the mac and cheese with the herb butter breadcrumbs. You’ll want to bake the mac and cheese uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden brown.
Chef Tips for Recipe Success
Grate your own cheese. I know it’s an additional step, but it makes a huge difference to shred the blocks of cheese yourself using a food processor or box grater. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain a white powdery substance called cellulose. That anti-caking agent prevents the cheese from having that ultra creaminess level.
Salt your pasta water. This is the only opportunity you have to season the pasta itself! You don’t want bland mac and cheese, so make sure to season your pasta water well.
Don’t skip the half and half. Can you make this recipe with milk? Sure. But the half and half adds such a nice richness and makes the creamiest sauce. Sometimes It’s worth it to indulge!
Make Ahead Instructions
When you’re hosting a large dinner or event (especially Thanksgiving), I am definitely team prep ahead! Any recipe that can be made early will be made early so that the big day goes off without a hitch.
There are a couple of ways that you can prep white cheddar mac and cheese in advance:
- Cook the pasta ahead of time. You can boil, drain, and rinse the pasta up to 2 days in advance. Toss the rinsed pasta with a little oil and store in a zip-top bag.
- Build the mac and cheese 4 hours in advance. Follow all the steps up to when you bake the mac and cheese and let the mac and cheese sit covered at room temperature. Then, bake right before serving.
What to Serve on the Side
While this creamy white cheddar mac and cheese would make an amazing Thanksgiving side dish, it’s also perfect for pairing with any weeknight dinner. Here are some of my favorite main dishes to pair with mac and cheese:
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Southern-Style Baked Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- French Onion Mac and Cheese
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White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Mac and Cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 small shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups half and half, warmed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 8 oz white cheddar, shredded
- 4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 16 oz medium shells pasta
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Topping
- 1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with softened butter.
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente. The pasta should still have some bite to it. This process is usually 2-3 minutes shy of the package instructions. Drain and rinse your pasta with cold water. If you do this step in advance, toss the pasta with a little oil to keep it from sticking.
- Make the roux. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and melted and foamy, add the diced shallots. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme leaves in with the flour and stir well to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Make the bechamel. Slowly whisk in the warmed half and half in small increments to avoid lumps. Once all the half and half is whisked in, add the dijon and pinch of nutmeg and continue to stir while the sauce simmers for 5-7 minutes, until thickened.
- Add the cheese. Remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in the shredded cheeses and the parmesan until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cooked paste and stir well. Add the mac and cheese to the buttered baking dish.
- Mix the breadcrumb topping. In a small mixing bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter, thyme, parmesan, salt and pepper. Spread over the mac and cheese in an even layer.
- Bake. Bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Storage Instructions
- To store: Any leftovers need to be refrigerated and covered tightly. Mac and cheese can be stored this way for 3-4 days. It will lose a little bit of creaminess from being refrigerated.  I do not recommend freezing this dish.To reheat: Stir in a little bit of milk or cream and microwave partially covered with plastic wrap. Stir often as it reheats. You can also reheat it on the stovetop with a bit of cream or milk.
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