Southern baked mac and cheese with a crunchy, golden brown breadcrumb topping! Made with gruyere and white cheddar cheese. Creamy, cheesy, and comforting!
Southern baked mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort meals to make. It's creamy and loaded with tons of gruyere and white cheddar cheese. The breadcrumb topping adds tons of crunchy texture and buttery flavor! I use two different kinds of cheese in this baked mac and cheese but this recipe is versatile and can be made with different kinds of cheese. More on this below!
When making this southern baked mac and cheese, I recommend buying blocks of cheese and grating this using a food processor with the grater attachment. The cheese is fresher and it's way more cost effective than buying pre-shredded cheese. But you can definitely use pre-shredded cheese and your mac and cheese will still taste delicious!
Variations on Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Add protein
- precooked chicken or pork
- smoked sausages
- ham
- Add veggies
- sautéed onions and peppers
- roasted garlic
- peas
- diced carrots
- mushrooms
- Toppings
- panko or regular breadcrumbs
- fried crunchy onions
- bacon
- pepperoni
- more shredded cheese
- Spicy Mac and Cheese
- cayenne pepper powder
- smoked paprika
- ancho chili powder
- chopped jalapenos
The Best Kind of Cheese to Use in Southern Baked Mac and Cheese:
The best cheese combination for mac and cheese is to use at least two types of cheeses - one for melting and creaminess, another for adding flavor:
- Use cheese that's extra creamy and melts smooth. These are usually younger cheeses that haven't been aged too long (though there are some exceptions to this). Examples of this are gruyere, harvarti, fontina, Swiss cheese.
- Use cheese that adds a lot of flavor - sharp cheddar, parmesan, pecorino, blue cheese, provolone.
For this recipe for southern baked mac and cheese, I used a creamy gruyere and a sharp white cheddar. Gruyere cheese is a creamy, mild cheese that is excellent for melting into sauces. But gruyere's flavor lacks sharpness and tang. To add more cheesy flavor, I used a sharp white cheddar. This combination was perfect in this mac and cheese!
What type of pasta is used in mac and cheese?
For mac and cheese, you want to use a pasta shape that's able to hold onto the mac and cheese sauce. Choose one with lots of texture, ridges, and grooves. A great example of this is cavatappi pasta. You can see in the photo below, the shape of the pasta allows it to hold onto a lot of sauce. Other good pasta shapes to use in mac and cheese are elbow macaroni, shells, fusilli, penne, or bowtie.
How to Make Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
How to Make Mac and Cheese Sauce
Start with Roux
Roux is a butter and flour mixture used to thicken up sauces. It's the base of a good mac and cheese. You don't want your roux to get too dark so keep the heat low enough to keep this a pale yellow color. Note: darker roux is traditionally used for gumbo and etouffee.
Make a Bechamel Sauce
Once the roux is ready, slowly drizzle in warm milk. This is important because it will help you avoid lumps. I also recommend using a whisk at this point to make sure you get a smooth sauce. Once the milk is added to the roux, it's called a bechamel sauce and it's now ready for the cheese.
Make a Mornay Sauce aka Mac and Cheese Sauce
Now that you have the bechamel sauce, turn off the heat and add in the shredded cheese. Once you add cheese to the bechamel sauce, it's called a mornay sauce, otherwise known as mac and cheese sauce. At this point, if you want spicy mac and cheese, you can add a dash of cayenne powder or finely chopped jalapenos to the sauce. I added a half teaspoon of cayenne and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. It definitely added a kick but it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy as we didn't want to make an overly spicy mac and cheese.
Pour your gruyere mac and cheese sauce on top of your slightly undercooked pasta and stir it together until the sauce completely covers your pasta.
Top it with extra shredded cheese and toasted butter breadcrumbs for some crunchy texture, then bake it in the oven. If your breadcrumbs start to get too dark, cover it with foil and continue baking.
Your southern baked mac and cheese should have a crunchy golden brown breadcrumb topping sitting on top of a layer of gooey, melted cheese. Underneath will be perfectly cooked pasta covered in a rich, creamy gruyere sauce. The perfect gruyere mac and cheese!
This gruyere mac and cheese makes the perfect side for the holidays! We've been making this for Thanksgiving and Christmas for 6 years and our friends and family request it every time!
How to Reheat & Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This also freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for 1 month.
To reheat, place your mac and cheese in an oven safe dish and reheat at 350 degrees until the cheese starts to melt. You may need to cover the top with foil so the breadcrumbs don't burn. You can also microwave for 1 minute at a time until the cheese starts to melt.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for southern baked mac and cheese with breadcrumbs! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Recipe
Southern Baked Mac and Cheese with Breadcrumbs
Equipment
☑ Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
Mac and Cheese Sauce:
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 6 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk - warmed up in the microwave
- 1 cup diced yellow onions - (optional)
- 16 oz gruyere cheese - shredded
- 8 oz white cheddar cheese - shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Breadcrumb Topping:
- 5 Tablespooons butter
- 2 cups breadcrumbs - use panko bread crumbs for a flakier crust
Optional spices:
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder - add more or less depending preference
- 2 teaspoons truffle oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degress F.
- Boil the cavatappi pasta according to the directions but take it out and drain 1 - 2 minutes early. The pasta will further cook when it's baking in the oven so we do this to avoid overcooking the pasta.
Mac and Cheese Sauce
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Once it's melted, add in the flour and stir quickly using a flat spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Make sure the roux doesn't get dark and stays a pale yellow color.
- Make the bechamel sauce: Slowly drizzle in the warm milk into the pot while stirring vigorously with a whisk. Add in the diced onions at this time. Stir continuously for about 5 - 7 minutes until the roux and milk have combined and the sauce has thickened. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides. The bechamel should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the cheese: Turn off the heat and add ¾ of the gruyere and cheddar cheese to the pot. The rest will be used on top of the mac and cheese. Stir the sauce and cheese together until the cheese has fully melted. At this time, you can taste for salt and pepper. You may not need any depending on the saltiness of your cheese. Add in cayenne powder if you prefer a little spice.
- Add your cooked pasta to a baking dish and pour the sauce over the pasta. Mix it well until the pasta is completely covered. Top with the remaining ¼ shredded cheese.
Breadcrumb Topping:
- Melt the butter in a pan and then add the breadcrumbs and toss together until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Add in the optional truffle oil at this time.
- Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on top of the shredded cheese.
- Bake the mac and cheese on the center rack in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. If the breadcrumbs start to get too dark, cover the mac and cheese with foil and turn down the heat to 350.
✎ Recipe Notes
- Mix the pasta with the cheese sauce and add it to your baking dish, leaving out the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping.
- Let it cool, cover tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake, add the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping and bake at 375. It's ready when the edges are bubbly.
- Note: Chilled mac and cheese may take longer to bake than the time listed in the recipe. If you need to bake it longer, you may need to cover the top with foil towards the end to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning.
- Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Reheat until the mac and cheese is warmed through and the breadcrumb topping has crisped up again. If desired, you can add more breadcrumbs before reheating for more crunchy texture.
- If you find the cheese sauce has separated or to be dry, you can mix in a tablespoon of milk per serving and stir gently to combine.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Emily
Loved the breadcrumbs on this one! So flavorful and gives the perfect crumble texture.
Diana
Great recipe! Tried it today for Thanksgiving and my husband loved it! Said it was better than his favorite steakhouse. I did leave out the onions since he doesn’t like them. Any tips how to best warm up leftovers?
Jamie
Thanks Diana! So happy you and your husband loved it! To reheat, you can place the mac and cheese back into the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F until it's warmed through and the breadcrumb topping has crisped up. If you find the cheese sauce has separated, you can mix in a tablespoon of milk per serving and stir to combine. Hope that helps!
Liz Brady
I just made this recipe to test before I make it for Thanksgiving day!! It is so delicious!
This recipe will be a staple for the holidays. I used panko bread crumbs and it was sooo good!
Jamie
Thank you Liz! I’m so happy to hear that. I love the panko breadcrumb topping too!
Kim
Hubby doesn’t care for onions or truffle oil 😕 do you think omitting this will cause a difference in taste?
Jamie
Hi Kim! You can certainly leave out the onions and truffle oil and it would still taste delicious! Hope that helps!
Alexandra Morgan
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the recipe- are the onions essential? My bf hates onions but I've already decided on this dish. Thanks!
Jamie
Hi Alexandra! You can certainly make this without onions. Hope you and your boyfriend enjoy this!
Nate
Jamie, I cannot freaking wait to make this for Thanksgiving this year! Mac and cheese is my jam, and that’s why I was given this dish as mine to bring. My only question is what size of a baker/casserole dish did you use?
Jamie
Hi Nate! I used a baking pan that measures 14.5 x 12 inches with a height of 2.5 inches. I hope you and your family enjoy this for Thanksgiving! 🙂
Nate
Thank you! I hope they do too! 😁
Adrianne
This mac and cheese is seriously to die for!! I love the cheesiness of it and the comfort food factor as well. I've made this in the past and plan on making this again for Thanksgiving! It's so good in winter on a cold night for belly warming yumminess!!
Jamie
Thanks Adrianne! So glad you're making this again for Thanksgiving! It's always on our table for the holidays too!
Kayla
Can I make this before hand and freeze? If so how do I go about that?
Jamie
Hi Kayla! Yes you can make this before hand about two days ahead. I updated the recipe card for make ahead instructions under the Notes section. As far as freezing, I can't say for sure but will test that out soon and update the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Cathleen
Okay, this is now my go to recipe for Thanksgiving. Everyone loves this recipe so much and you bet I'm going to make it again for Christmas! Really really good!
Jamie
Thanks Cathleen! It's our go to recipe for the holidays in our family too! In fact I'm preparing to make this for Thanksgiving in a few days myself! 🙂
Annmarie
Can i make this recipe days in advance?
Jamie
Hi Annmarie! Absolutely you can. I updated the recipe card with instructions for making this ahead of time. It's under the Notes section. Hope that helps!
Kc
Looking forward to trying this recipe for Thanksgiving! Is this something that can be made ahead of time?
Jamie
Hi Kc! Yes this can be made ahead of time! I updated the recipe card with instructions for making this ahead under the Notes section. Simply, mix the pasta with the cheese sauce and add it to your baking dish, leaving out the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping. Let it cool, cover tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake it, add the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping and bake as directed. It may take a bit longer since the mac and cheese will be chilled from the fridge. If you do end up baking it longer, I recommend covering with foil towards the end if you see the breadcrumbs starting to burn. Hope that helps!
Anjali
This is comfort food at its absolute best!! And it's such a crowd pleaser too - made it this weekend and my whole family loved it!
Jamie
Thanks Anjali! My whole family loves it too, it's such a great Thanksgiving side!
Cathleen
That cheese pull was all I needed to see!!
Baked mac and cheese is one of my favourite things to make (and eat!) and this recipe didn't disappoint 🙂
Jamie
Thanks Cathleen! The cheese pull is the best part! So glad you loved this!
Jeannette
Such a phenomenal comfort food! Loved this mac and cheese, especially with that incredible breadcrumb layer. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Jamie
Thanks Jeannette! So happy you liked it. The breadcrumbs really make a difference!
Maria
I can’t wait to try this amazing recipe! Do you have any tips to making this prior to Thanksgiving and freezing?
Jamie
Hi Maria! I updated the recipe card for how to make this ahead. Simply, mix the pasta with the cheese sauce and add it to your baking dish, leaving out the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping. Let it cool, cover tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you're ready to bake it, add the shredded cheese and breadcrumb topping and bake as directed. It may take a bit longer since the mac and cheese will be chilled from the fridge. If you do end up baking it longer, I recommend covering with foil towards the end if you see the breadcrumbs starting to burn. Hope that helps!
As far as freezing, I'll test that out and update the recipe card with instructions soon! We've never had enough leftovers to freeze. 🙂
Tab
Heello! Great recipe, I would like to make this for thanksgiving, but I wanna make it the night before, are there any tips you suggest for storing over night and heating up the next day ? Any help will be appreciated
Jamie
Hi Tab! You can absolutely make this the night before and heat it up the next day! I updated the recipe card with instructions in the Notes section. Hope that helps!
Liz
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Jamie
Hi Liz! I used unsalted butter in here. Hope you like it! 🙂
Jenn
What size block of cheeses do you buy to get the shredded amounts listed in the recipe? Or, are you buying 16oz and 8oz blocks of the cheeses and shredding all of that for this? This looks SO good and I want to make sure I get the right amount!
Jamie
Hi Jenn! Yep, I used 16oz and 8oz blocks of cheese and shredded them for the recipe. It might seem like a lot of cheese but that's what makes it taste so good. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Kyla
White or black truffle oil?
Jamie
Hi Kyla, feel free to use any you prefer!
Jimi
That was fun to do. My 8 year old daughter helped me. She always does in the kitchen. It was delicious and not that difficult.
Jamie
Thanks Jimi! That's awesome you and your daughter made this together!