Macaroni and cheese doesn't have to be hard or time consuming. With this foolproof recipe, you can make a cheesy, creamy homemade baked mac and cheese everyone will love!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the noodles per the directions on the back of the box. Drain well and run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking. Let them drain until ready to use below.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk it in; cook for 1 minute while whisking.
Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, whisk it in, and cook for an additional 1 minute while whisking.
Very slowly, while whisking constantly, stream in the milk; no lumps will form if you do it slowly. Then slowly add the heavy cream while whisking (same as you did the milk).
Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer until it starts to thicken about 3 minutes.
Take off the heat, add 2 ½ cups of the cheddar cheese and 2 ½ cups of the gruyere cheese a little at a time, whisking until it melts into the sauce before adding more.
Add the cooked noodles back to the large pot they were cooked in.
Pour the sauce into the pot and mix so the noodles are coated in the sauce.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes until bubbly, and the cheese is lightly browned. Note: if you notice the cheese on top is get more brown than you would like, cover the pan with aluminum foil until finished. If you do not like your mac and cheese browned at all on top, just bake it fully covered the entire time.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Use as much or as little cheese as you like.
If you would like it extra browned top, you can broil during the last few minutes of cooking. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn! It happens fast!
I would not make this ahead of time and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight before baking. Normally with a sauce that is made with heavy cream, it tends to separate. However, heating up leftovers is perfectly fine. Or if you make it with all milk, that would be fine as well.
Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months.
Seasonings are up to you. I added just a tad bit of garlic powder and onion powder but you can just use salt and pepper if you don’t like much seasoning in your mac and cheese.