Dinner

Baked mac and cheese

Name: Baked mac and cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6–8 as a side
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 250 g macaroni; 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter; Topping: 40 g (⅔ cup) panko breadcrumbs; 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted; ¼ tsp salt; Sauce: 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter; 50 g (⅓ cup) plain flour; 750 ml (3 cups) warm milk; 200 g (2 cups) freshly grated Gruyère or cheddar; 100 g (1 cup) freshly grated mozzarella; ¾ tsp salt; Optional: 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp mustard powder

Serves 6–8 as a side Prep 10 min Cook 40 min Total 50 min

This baked mac and cheese recipe is written for Aussie home kitchens — australian leaning, supermarket ingredients, and timings that match a real weeknight rather than a studio set. Plan on 50 min from starting prep to plating for 6–8 as a side. Prep is about 10 min; the active cook or oven time is closer to 40 min. Read the whole method once before you turn on the heat. The character of the dish comes from macaroni, unsalted butter and Topping: 40 g panko breadcrumbs. Check quantities in grams where listed — volume is fine for many liquids, but baking and batter ratios behave better on scales. After cooking, serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Feeds a small table as written; bump quantities if you are feeding a crew. If humidity or a fan oven changes browning, trust visual cues over the last minute of the clock. Method opens with: “Cook macaroni 1 minute less than packet; drain. Toss with 1 tbsp butter; set aside. Mix topping.”. Follow the order as written; jumping ahead is how pans crowd and sauces split.

Notes

Serving ideas without fluff: serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Keep accompaniments simple so the dish stays the hero — a green salad, steamed veg, rice, mash, or crusty bread depending on the style. Metric measures stay consistent across Scoops & Dishes, so once you trust the cups and scales here, the rest of the site cooks the same way.
Make-ahead and leftovers: feeds a small table as written; bump quantities if you are feeding a crew. Leftovers of Baked mac and cheese usually keep 2–3 days in a sealed fridge container; reheat until steaming hot in the centre. Label freezer bags with the dish name and date. Allergens sit in the ingredient list — always double-check if cooking for guests.
Before the heat goes on, line up macaroni, unsalted butter and Topping: 40 g panko breadcrumbs and anything perishable from the list. Soften butter, bring eggs off the fridge if the method needs them room-temp, and preheat so you are not waiting mid-recipe. For a dinner cook of this size (6–8 as a side), a clear bench saves more time than any gadget.
Putting it together for Baked mac and cheese: work clean, taste as you go, and do not rush browning or reduction steps if they appear in the method. If you are cooking for mixed diets, plate sauces and toppings separately where practical. Keep this page bookmarked if it becomes a household regular — we update wording when cooks report a confusing step. Metric consistency across Scoops & Dishes means once you trust the cups and scales here, breakfast through dessert behaves the same way.