Summary: Short pasta in a thick cheese sauce made from a roux, with two kinds of cheese and a Parmesan-breadcrumb crust. The sauce holds together thanks to the roux and Dijon mustard, and the pasta is cooked just shy of al dente so it doesn’t turn mushy in the oven. Total time 47 minutes, makes 6 servings.
Did you make this recipe? Share your result with the community.
Category: Pasta, American cuisine
Success rate: not rated yet % of users nailed this recipe
Quick overview
- Dish: Mac and Cheese – pasta with a rich cheese sauce, often made with Cheddar, baked until golden
- Category: Pasta, American cuisine
- Cuisine: American
- Main ingredient: Short pasta, 1 lb
- Guide: 12 most famous American dishes: traditional American recipes
- Total time: 47 minutes (18 minutes prep + 29 minutes cooking)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 (Serving size: 11.4 oz)
- Key technique: Making a roux and cheese sauce, baking in the oven
- Cooking methods: Boiling, baking (gratin), roasting
- Dietary info & Allergens:gluten, sulfites, milk, mustard
- Great for: Quick family dinner, kids’ lunch, parties, side dish for meat
- Nutrition (per 1 serving): 802 kcal, Protein: 35.8 g, Fat: 37.6 g, Carbs: 78.5 g
- Storage: 3 days in the fridge, 2 months in the freezer
- Pairing: Light lager, dry white wine, homemade lemonade
- In short: Roux, two cheeses, and short pasta – three things that decide whether the sauce holds together and whether the pasta stays firm.
WAGUU says: “Cheese sauce doesn’t curdle because of the cheese, but because of the temperature. If you melt the cheese into the roux off the heat and add it in batches, it stays smooth even when reheated.”
Key facts
| Prep time: | 18 minutes |
| Cook time: | 29 minutes |
| Temperature: | Oven 375 °F, milk warmed to 140 °F |
| Servings: | 6 (serving size 11.4 oz) |
The basics
The base is a roux – butter and flour cooked with milk. The starch in the flour binds the fat and water into a network where the cheese melts without separating into fat and protein. Two kinds of cheese are no accident: Cheddar brings flavor, Gouda brings stretch. The pasta is cooked just shy of al dente because it will soften further in the oven and soak up some of the sauce.
Ingredients
Base servings: 6 servings • Serving size: 11.4 oz
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| short pasta (elbow macaroni) | 18 oz | semolina, ridged |
| whole milk | 3.4 cups | fresh, 3.5% fat |
| Cheddar cheese | 9.0 oz | aged, shredded |
| Gouda cheese | 5.5 oz | young, shredded |
| butter | 2.0 oz | 82%, for the roux |
| all-purpose flour | 1.5 oz | sifted |
| Dijon mustard | 0.5 oz | smooth, medium-hot |
| breadcrumbs | 1.5 oz | finely ground |
| Parmesan | 1.5 oz | aged at least 12 months |
| nutmeg | 0.04 oz | freshly grated |
| ground black pepper | 0.07 oz | freshly ground |
| fine sea salt | 0.75 tsp | for the pasta and the sauce |
| chives | 0.4 oz | fresh, chopped |
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Done in 47 minutes: The whole dish comes together in one pot and one baking dish, no marinating and no special equipment.
- A sauce that holds: The roux and Dijon mustard stabilize the cheese, so the sauce won’t break even when reheated.
- Exact ratios for 6 servings: 1 lb pasta, 14 oz cheese, and 3.4 cups milk make six servings of 11.4 oz each.
- Beginner-friendly: Almost the entire recipe happens in one pot, and only temperature and the order of steps matter.
Why it works: A roux of butter and flour binds water and fat into a single network where melted cheese disperses into tiny droplets instead of clumping together. When cheese is added to a boiling sauce, the proteins tighten and squeeze out the fat – the sauce breaks. That’s why cheese is added at around 160 °F and in batches. Dijon mustard contains emulsifiers that strengthen this network; it also balances the sweetness of the milk and cheese. The pasta is cooked just shy of al dente because it will absorb more liquid from the sauce while baking – if it were already soft from the pot, it would turn mushy in the oven.
Recipe overview
Prep: 18 min | Cook: 29 min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 | Type: Main dish | Origin: American
Detailed instructions
Total progress: 0 % done
Phase 1: Pasta and prep – 12 min
Equipment: large pot, kitchen scale, grater
0.75 Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta for two minutes less than the package directions – just shy of al dente. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Meanwhile, shred the Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan and keep them in bowls off the heat. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
VKB: The pasta is firm to the bite, still noticeably harder in the center than when done. All three cheeses are shredded in separate bowls and the oven is heated to 375 °F.
Before you move on:
Don’t rinse the drained pasta. Water washes away the surface starch that the sauce needs, leaving it thin. Just let it drain in the colander.
Phase 2: Roux and milk base – 8 min
Equipment: deep skillet or wide pot, whisk
2. In a deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, add the all-purpose flour, and whisk for two minutes until the mixture smells nutty and loses the raw flour taste. Then gradually pour in the warm milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook the base for three minutes until it thickens enough to fall from the whisk in ribbons.
VKB: The base is smooth, lump-free, and coats the back of a spoon. When you lift the whisk, the mixture falls in wide ribbons and a continuous layer remains on the surface of the whisk.
Before you move to the next step:
Add the milk warm and in stages. Cold milk added to a hot roux will form lumps that won’t whisk out. If lumps form, strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve.
Phase 3: Cheese Sauce – 6 min
Equipment: skillet, whisk, thermometer
0.75 Take the skillet off the heat and let the base cool for two minutes, until the thermometer reads 160°F. Then whisk in the Dijon mustard, nutmeg, ground black pepper, and the remaining salt. Add the cheese by handfuls – first the Cheddar, then the Gouda – and whisk after each handful until it melts. Finally, stir in the drained pasta.
VKB: The sauce is smooth and glossy, with no visible fat droplets or cheese strings. The pasta is completely coated, and no liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl.
Before you move to the next step:
Never add cheese to a boiling sauce, and don’t try to rescue a broken sauce with more cheese. If it separates, stir in a tablespoon of cold milk off the heat.
Phase 4: Baking – 18 min
Equipment: baking dish, oven
2.49 Transfer the mixture to a baking dish about 12 × 8 inches. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and the melted butter from the skillet, sprinkle over the top, and place the dish in an oven preheated to 375°F. Bake for 18 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
VKB: The crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon. The sauce bubbles around the edges of the dish, but the center doesn’t jiggle.
Before you move to the next step:
If the crust browns too quickly, cover the dish with foil and continue baking. If you pull the dish out of the oven early, the sauce inside won’t cook through and will be runny.
Phase 5: Rest and Serve – 5 min
Equipment: wire rack, knife
5. Remove the dish from the oven and let it stand for five minutes. During that time, the sauce absorbs some of the water from the pasta and thickens. Cut portions with a knife or scoop with a spoon, and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives on the plate.
VKB: A cut portion holds its shape and doesn’t spread on the plate. The sauce clings to the pasta, and no free liquid remains at the bottom of the dish.
Required Equipment
| Cookware | Ideal Size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| deep skillet or wide pot | 10-inch diameter, 3-quart capacity | heavy-bottomed saucepan | a thin bottom will scorch the roux and make the sauce bitter |
| baking dish | 12 × 8 inches, 2.5 inches deep | cast-iron skillet or ceramic dish | in a dish that’s too deep, the crust won’t form evenly |
| whisk | silicone, with thick wires | wooden spoon and fast stirring | a thin whisk won’t break up lumps, only push them to the edges |
| thermometer | probe, up to 300°F | estimate by cooling time | without measuring, the cheese goes into a boiling sauce and it breaks |
| grater | large holes | store-bought shredded cheese | pre-shredded cheese contains starch and thickens the sauce too much |
Shopping List
Nutrition Profile
Values per 1 serving (without sides). Calculated from average nutrient values of ingredients. Serving weight 324 g.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 serving | Per 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 247 kcal | 802 kcal | 4810 kcal |
| Fat | 11.6 g | 37.6 g | 225.6 g |
| of which saturated | 7.1 g | 23.0 g | 138.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24.2 g | 78.5 g | 470.7 g |
| of which sugars | 3.2 g | 10.3 g | 61.8 g |
| Protein | 11.0 g | 35.8 g | 214.5 g |
| Salt | 0.77 g | 2.49 g | 18.60 g |
| of which sodium | 0.38 g | 1.24 g | 7.44 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Pro Level
- Pro standard: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 1: For every 100 ml of milk, use 6 g of flour. A thicker roux makes the sauce pasty; a thinner one breaks and separates during baking.
- Tip 2: Grate the cheeses on the large holes and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cold cheese cools the sauce and melts more slowly.
- Tip 3: Sprinkle the crust just before putting it in the oven. Breadcrumbs that get moist won’t toast and stay pale and soft.
- Tip 4: When reheating, add a tablespoon of milk to the portion and warm in the oven at 325°F. In the microwave, the sauce separates into fat and protein.
Science Behind It
Cheese sauce is an emulsion, a system of tiny fat droplets dispersed in a water-based liquid. Milk and cheese contain proteins that act as emulsifiers: they bind both water and fat on their surface and keep the droplets apart. Above 176°F, these proteins tighten and lose their ability to hold fat, which is why the sauce breaks during a hard boil. The roux plays a different role: starch from the flour swells above 140°F and absorbs water, increasing the sauce’s viscosity so fat droplets can’t merge. Citric and acetic acids from Dijon mustard lower the pH, preventing long strands of milk proteins from forming – those strands are what make cheese stringy instead of melting smoothly. Nutmeg and pepper, on the other hand, affect taste perception: they dull the greasy feel and highlight the milky sweetness.
Fine Dining – Professional Techniques
- Plate composition: Scoop the portion with two spoons to form an oval quenelle, and place three chive leaves and a few drops of smoked paprika oil on the crust.
- Texture contrasts: Besides the crust, add crispy fried onions to the plate. A soft sauce needs at least one firm texture in every bite.
- Temperature contrast: Serve in a warmed bowl and place a cold tomato salad alongside. The temperature difference highlights the milky flavor of the cheese.
- Aromatic additions: Before serving, grate a little lemon zest over the portion. The fruity oils cut through the fat and refresh the pasta.
Sensory Radar
- Appearance: Golden-brown crust with fine Parmesan grains, beneath it a smooth light-orange sauce and yellow pasta in the cut.
- Aroma: Baked milk and butter, a strong undertone of aged cheese, and a gentle nutmeg note at the end.
- Taste: Salty and milky cheese flavor, mild sharpness from the Dijon mustard, and the sweetness of milk. Parmesan in the crust adds a salty finish.
- Texture: Crispy crust, thick and silky sauce, pasta firm to the bite. The layers stay distinct.
Pairings
- Light lager: Hop bitterness cuts through the fat from the cheese. Serve chilled at 43–46°F.
- Dry white wine: Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. The acidity balances the creamy flavor.
- Homemade lemonade with fresh lemon: The acidity cuts through the rich dish. A good option for kids and designated drivers.
- Apple cider: The fruit acidity and tannins from apples counteract the richness and complement the Cheddar flavor.
Variations
- No-bake: After combining the sauce and pasta, let it sit over low heat for two minutes and serve straight from the skillet. You save 18 minutes, but there’s no crust.
- With smoked bacon: Cook 4 oz bacon beforehand and use its fat instead of half the butter. The flavor is more pronounced and saltier, so reduce the salt by a third.
- With caramelized onions: Cook two onions for 30 minutes until brown and stir them into the sauce. The sweetness of the onions balances the saltiness of the cheese.
Allergens and Dietary Information
Contains: milk (whole milk, Cheddar cheese, Gouda cheese, butter); wheat/gluten (elbow macaroni, all-purpose flour, breadcrumbs); sulfites (elbow macaroni); mustard (Dijon mustard) • Gluten: yes, in the pasta and the roux • Not suitable for: individuals with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, egg and mustard allergies
Suitable for
Quick weeknight dinner, kids’ lunch, party for six to ten people, side dish for grilled meat, homemade version of fast food.
Substitution Guide
- Cheddar: aged Gouda or Gruyère. The flavor will be milder, but the melt is similar.
- Gouda: Edam or young Gouda. The melt remains, the flavor changes only slightly.
- Parmesan: Grana Padano or another long-aged hard cheese. The saltiness is a bit lower, so lightly salt the crust.
- Macaroni: penne, fusilli, or shells. Hollow shapes absorb the sauce better, while smooth surfaces coat it better.
- Whole milk: 12% cooking cream diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. The sauce will be thicker and less sweet.
- Dijon mustard: whole-grain mustard mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar. The sharpness will be higher.
FAQ
Why does my sauce curdle?
Most often because the cheese was added to a boiling sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, wait until the thermometer reads 70°F, and add the cheese in handfuls.
Can I use just one type of cheese?
Yes, but you’ll lose two qualities. Cheddar adds flavor, Gouda adds melt. If you use only Cheddar, the sauce will be tasty but thinner and grainier.
How do I prevent lumps in the roux?
Add the milk warm and in parts, not all at once, and keep whisking. If lumps form, strain the base through a fine sieve and return it to the pan.
Can I make this recipe ahead?
Yes, prepare the mixture in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Sprinkle the crust just before baking and bake five minutes longer.
How do I reheat leftovers so the sauce stays smooth?
In the oven at 325°F covered, with a spoonful of milk on top. In the microwave, the sauce separates into fat and protein and stays grainy.
Why cook the pasta for a shorter time?
During baking, it absorbs water from the sauce and softens further. If it were already soft from the pot, after 18 minutes in the oven it would turn to mush.
WAGUU Tip: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Use two baking dishes instead of one – in a single large layer, the sauce won’t heat through and the crust will form unevenly. • 10+ people: Double the batch and bake in three dishes, or prepare the sauce in two pots simultaneously. Always cook the pasta in a separate pot with plenty of water so it doesn’t stick.
Sides and Serving
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: 3 days • Freezer: 2 months • Reheating: In the oven at 325°F for 15 minutes covered, with a spoonful of milk on top. Let frozen portions thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly; rapid heating will separate the sauce.
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 6 Oct 2026 • Updated: 9 Oct 2026
More Recipes from the Article
Guide: 12 Most Famous American Dishes: Traditional Recipes from American Cuisine
Barbecue Ribs – slow-cooked or smoked pork ribs brushed with barbecue sauce
Pulled Pork – slow-cooked or smoked pork shredded into strands and served with barbecue sauce
Gumbo – thick Louisiana stew-like dish with meat or seafood, vegetables, and a highly seasoned base
More Recipes You Might Like
Why WAGUU?
WAGUU recipes are checked for accuracy of ingredients, procedures, and nutritional values. For this recipe, the quantities are given in the same form in the ingredient table, in each step of the procedure, in the shopping list, and in the printable version – 1.5 oz flour and 3.5 cups milk correspond to a roux that holds 14 oz cheese in a smooth sauce.
Photo Gallery from the Process
Community photos: Cook, snap a photo, and share your result.
You can upload photos in the comments below or send them by email.
Did you film a video of our recipe? Paste the link to YouTube, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Pinterest, Vimeo, or X (Twitter) in the comments – we’ll be happy to publish it and help you and your content get noticed.
Most Common Mistakes
- Cheese into boiling sauce – proteins coagulate and the sauce separates into fat and water. Let the base cool to 70°F and add the cheese in handfuls.
- Soft pasta from the pot – it will turn mushy in the oven. Cook it two minutes less than the package directions.
- Rinsing the pasta – it washes away the starch that thickens the sauce. Just drain the pasta in a colander.
- Cold milk into hot roux – lumps form that won’t mix out. Warm the milk to 60°F beforehand.