Macaroni and Cheese is always a crowd-pleaser, with kids and adults alike! This make ahead mac and cheese is great for saving time without sacrificing flavor. It has a creamy béchamel sauce with white cheddar cheese.
Béchamel is a white sauce made with flour, fat, and milk. In this recipe shredded cheese is melted into the béchamel sauce to make a cheesy creamy sauce that is perfect for macaroni and cheese! Béchamel sauce is also used in other recipes like bolognese sauce lasagna. See all the pasta recipes for more pasta inspiration.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Can be made ahead to save time (or served right away).
- A béchamel sauce makes this mac and cheese extra creamy.
- Homemade macaroni and cheese is better than store bought, and is easy to make!
Dana’s note: This recipe is designed as a make ahead recipe. It starts off with extra sauce to ensure that it will still be moist and creamy later once reheated. As the assembled dish chills in the refrigerator, the noodles absorb some of the sauce. By the time you’re ready to heat and serve, the dish has the right amount of sauce and is perfectly creamy. However, if you want to serve this Mac and Cheese right away, use about three-fourths of the sauce or make slightly less.
Every time I make this Mac and Cheese recipe for guests, adults and kids alike go crazy for it and ask for the recipe. I hope your guests will love it just as much.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Jump to Recipe- Elbow macaroni pasta - This recipe is made with the traditional Mac and Cheese shape of elbow macaroni. However, other pasta shapes will work such as penne, fusilli, cavatappi, or shells.
- Olive oil - This low lactose mac and cheese uses olive oil instead of butter to cut down on lactose and fat, yet it still has good flavor from the olive oil.
- White whole wheat flour - Regular all purpose flour can be substituted.
- Lactose-free low fat milk - I use this kind of milk to lower the lactose and fat content, but regular whole milk works well in this recipe too.
- Sharp aged white cheddar - Aged cheese usually has less lactose, so it's a great choice for those with sensitivities. This recipe also works with other cheeses like yellow cheddar, medium cheddar, colby, or monterey jack. Use one type or a combination of cheeses. Using a combination with gruyère or smoked gouda gives a nice punch of flavor. I don't recommended pre-shredded cheese as it doesn't melt as well.
- Other ingredients include - nutmeg, kosher salt, and pepper.
How to Make Make Ahead Mac and Cheese
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
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Step 1. Boil
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are al dente. Drain and set aside.
Step 2. Béchamel
Whisk oil and flour together over medium-high heat, and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add in milk, and stir until smooth.
Step 3. Cheese and seasonings
Turn heat to low and add in shredded cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir to melt cheese.
Step 4. Mix
Pour béchamel cheese sauce over the macaroni noodles in a casserole dish, and gently mix. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate.
Step 5. Bake
When you’re ready to serve, let the casserole come to room temperature. Then heat in the oven until the dish is warmed throughout, and the sauce is bubbling.
Top Tips
- Shred your own cheese if possible. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents which prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
- Use a large 5 quart casserole/lasagna pan, which is about 11x15x2.5 inches. If your pan isn't quite this large, divide the mixture into two pan baking pans.
- Don’t put a cold dish into a hot oven, or it may break. Let the prepped dish sit out at room temperature after removing it from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Store the unbaked macaroni and cheese covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Once baked, keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
How to freeze: Freeze baked macaroni and cheese in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
How to reheat: Let the casserole dish sit out for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Add to a 375°F oven to reheat until warmed throughout.
When to Serve Make Ahead Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese serves a crowd on New Year’s Day, Mother’s Day, Shavuot, Break the Fast, Sukkot, Thanksgiving, and game day.
It fits well whenever you serve a dairy meal like is commonly served for Shavuot and Break the Fast. Serve it as the main dish for a vegetarian meal, or as a side dish for a bigger spread.
And being a casserole, it’s convenient to take outside to the sukkah during Sukkot. I like to serve it with a salad and soup like Parsnip and Apple Soup or Butternut Squash Soup.
What to Serve With Macaroni and Cheese
If it's a brunch or dairy meal, serve Mac and Cheese with these dishes:
If it's a BBQ or Game Day meal, serve Mac and Cheese with these dishes:
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This post was updated in 2023 to include new photos, revised text, and more tips. The recipe remains the same.
Recipe
Make Ahead Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
- Medium pot
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni pasta
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour
- 4 cups lactose-free low fat milk
- 12 ounces sharp aged white cheddar shredded, about 4 cups lightly packed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- About 2 teaspoons kosher salt to taste depending on saltiness of cheese and preference
- Several grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water. Slightly undercook the noodles until they are al dente, meaning that the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite. Drain noodles in a colander, and then run noodles under cold water to halt the cooking. Drain well, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce. In a medium-sized pot, add the oil and flour, and heat over medium high heat. Whisk until the flour is incorporated, and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add in the milk and whisk until the sauce is smooth and thickens up, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, and stir in the shredded cheese. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- To make ahead, put the noodles in a large casserole, and pour the sauce over the noodles. Gently, fold the noodles over to coat the noodles in sauce. The dish will be extra saucy now, but will be just right when reheated.
- Let the dish cool, then cover and refrigerate.
- Let the mac and cheese sit out at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven so that the casserole dish will not break from heat shock. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the mac and cheese covered for about 30 minutes or until dish is warm and sauce is bubbling, then serve.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Homeroom restaurant.
- If serving immediately, make the following adjustments: do not run cold water over the cooked pasta, use about ¾ of the cheese sauce, and no need to bake it.
- Using lactose free milk and aged cheddar will make this a lower lactose recipe. Aged cheddar usually has less lactose.
- Don’t put a cold dish into a hot oven or it may break. Let the macaroni sit out at room temperature after removing it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- How to store: Store the unbaked macaroni and cheese covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Once baked, keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: Freeze baked macaroni and cheese in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
- How to reheat: Let the casserole dish sit out for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Add to a 375°F oven to reheat until warmed throughout.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Heather Jarman says
Hi Dana, As a variations, have you tried Dijon mustard instead of nutmeg in a cheese sauce? It enhances the flavour of the cheese. It could be interesting to use a grainy mustard.
Dana says
Yes, mustard sounds like the perfect "secret ingredient" to give Mac and Cheese a flavor boost. Thanks for the suggestion Heather.