Tini's Viral Mac and Cheese (Elevated Baked)
There's a reason the viral baked mac and cheese took over every Thanksgiving table, and it isn't some secret ingredient — it's the method, and the patience to do it right. This is my own elevated take on it, built for a holiday crowd. It starts where most mac and cheese stops: I brown the butter first, cooking it past golden until it smells like toasted hazelnuts, which gives the whole casserole a deep, nutty backbone before a single ounce of cheese goes in. Then a three-cheese blend — smoky Gouda, sharp white cheddar, and buttery fontina — melts into a silky, custard-like sauce that bakes into a scoopable casserole with a blistered golden crust under the broiler. It's richer than our Classic Mac & Cheese, creamier than our Boursin Mac & Cheese, and — unlike our beefy Dirty Mac and Cheese — vegetarian and made to feed a crowd. Park it next to Cajun Butter Turkey or Classic Make-Ahead Herb Stuffing and watch it go first.
Dinner · Thanksgiving, Fall, Vegetarian, Comfort Food • 1 hr 5 min
Nutrition (per serving)610Calories·34gFat·52gCarbs·24gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- For the brown butter and cheese sauce:
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1½ cups (about 6 ounces / 170g) smoked Gouda cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces / 113g) sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- ½ cup (about 2 ounces / 57g) fontina cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- For the pasta:
- 1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the pasta water
- For the topping:
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons reserved brown butter
- ¼ cup (about 1 ounce / 28g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Get Our Free 5-Ingredient Summer Dinners PDF
10 effortless recipes with 5 ingredients or fewer — delivered to your inbox, plus one thoughtful recipe every week.
Steps
- Brown the butter: Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan now and then, until the butter foams, then quiets, then turns deep golden with toasty brown specks and a nutty aroma, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately scrape 2 tablespoons of the browned butter into a small bowl for the topping and set it aside; leave the rest in the pot.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season it with the 1 tablespoon salt — it should taste like the sea. Add the cavatappi and cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs for al dente, since it will finish cooking in the oven. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
- Build the roux: Set the pot of browned butter back over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells toasty and turns a shade deeper golden, about 2 minutes — this cooks out the raw-flour taste and deepens the nutty flavor.
- Make the sauce: Whisk in the warm milk and the heavy cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Whisk in the dry mustard, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Melt the cheese: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the smoked Gouda, white cheddar, and fontina a handful at a time, letting each addition melt completely before adding the next, until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified. Season with the salt and black pepper. If the sauce feels too thick, loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Combine: Fold the drained cavatappi into the cheese sauce, stirring gently until every noodle is coated. Transfer to a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish (or a 3-quart gratin dish) and smooth the top into an even layer.
- Add the topping: In the small bowl of reserved brown butter, stir together the panko, Parmesan, and thyme leaves until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Scatter the mixture evenly over the mac and cheese.
- Bake: Bake at 375°F until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Broil the crust: Switch the oven to broil and set the dish on a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly, until the top is blistered and deeply golden in spots — this is the crackly, caramelized crust everyone fights over.
- Rest and serve: Let the mac and cheese rest for 5 minutes out of the oven so it sets up slightly and slices scoopably. Serve hot, digging down through that golden crust into the creamy pasta below.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Assemble the entire casserole through step 7 (up to and including the topping), cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake from cold at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot through and bubbling, then broil for the final 1 to 2 minutes to re-crisp the top. For the day-of Thanksgiving shuffle, you can also bake it fully, then hold it warm in a slow cooker on the 'keep warm' setting for up to 2 hours — stir occasionally and add a splash of warm milk if the surface looks dry.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking, for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk, or rewarm the whole dish covered with foil at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The brown-butter sauce reheats gracefully and stays creamy. Freeze for up to 2 months in a well-sealed container; thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered and refresh the topping under the broiler for 2 minutes to bring back the crunch.
Substitutions
The cheese blend is flexible — swap the smoked Gouda for regular Gouda or a little extra white cheddar for a milder, less smoky profile, or trade the fontina for Monterey Jack or mozzarella. Keep at least half the total as a sharp cheese for flavor. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free cavatappi or elbow macaroni, a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the roux, and gluten-free panko. For a lighter casserole, replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk (the sauce will be slightly thinner). Fold in steamed broccoli florets, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, or pulled rotisserie chicken before baking to turn it into a one-dish meal. Swap the thyme for chopped fresh rosemary or chives, and finish with a shower of extra Parmesan if you like.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1¼ cups
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
