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Home » One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese

One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese

July 22, 2019 by Debi 9 Comments

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Just one dish, no precooking the pasta to add it in with the sauce. Nice and easy and so deliciously comforting. This homemade One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese has been a favorite of mine for many years.

Two white dishes filled with homemade mac & cheese on a white background with a blue striped towel

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Two servings of mac & cheese next to the pot that the pasta was cooked in all on a white background

I mean, noodles swimming in a thick, silky creamy cheese sauce that’s spiked with onions, AND it’s easy to make! Count me in!

Oh, and it’s super budget-friendly.

The pot of mac & cheese out of the oven and with a blue striped towel

Cupboard Cooking

If you have a copy of my cookbook, Cupboard Cooking, then you already have a copy of this recipe. I’ve changed it a little bit for the first publication, however it’s just as good, and just as easy as the original.

I love this recipe too because anyone can make it. It’s super easy, just toss the ingredients in an oven proof casserole dish, pop in the oven, give it a couple of stirs, mix in the cheese, and you have a delicious dinner!

One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese recipe in a white bowl with a spoon on the right on a white background

Can I use a different broth?

I’m a big believer in using ingredients that taste good to you and your family.

I love vegetable broth. I find the flavor to be neutral in all the dishes I make, and I really like the mild veggie flavor. Not to mention the fact that it makes the dish vegetarian.

What already tastes good to you is what will end up being your favorite.

I use Better Than Bouillon vegetable base for pretty much all of my cooking (if it’s not homemade broth). I like that it isn’t too salty, and how little space it takes to store so much broth.

However, if the idea of vegetable broth isn’t pleasant to you, or you just think you’re going to really prefer chicken broth, by all means, use that. Again, use what already tastes good to you.

two white bowls with cheddar mac & cheese garnished with green onions on a white background with a blue cloth in the back

What milk to use?

This is a pretty simple dish, so I recommend going with whole milk.

But, if you want a mac & cheese that’s lighter in calories, you can use a lighter milk. I have made it many times with lighter milk, 2% and skim milk, and it works just fine.

What kind of cheese should I use?

I prefer simple extra sharp cheddar cheese in this baked mac and cheese.

You can also use low-fat cheddar cheese in this dish to lighten it a bit.

I’ve also mixed up the cheese, to make 3 cheese mac & cheese. Try Monterey Jack cheese, Gruyère, mozzarella, Smoked Gouda (which would lend a meaty flavor to the dish), or Parmesan.

A black pot filled with cheddar mac & cheese on a white background

Other mac & cheese dishes

I’m a big fan of mac & cheese. It’s so comforting and delicious.

I have a few others you may like as well.

Crock pot mac & cheese, for when you need to feed a crowd

Butternut squash mac & cheese, for a lightened up version

And, here are some great recipes from my friends:

Instant Pot mac & cheese

Chicken Cordon Bleu creamy mac & cheese

Gouda mac & cheese

One pot chili mac & cheese

French onion mac & cheese

A white dish of cheddar mac & cheese with green onions garnishing on a white background

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One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

The pot of mac & cheese out of the oven and with a blue striped towel

One Dish Oven Baked Mac & Cheese

Debi
An easy to make, one dish, baked, mac & cheese that’s creamy and cheesy, comforting, and delicious.
4.91 from 11 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 673 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 4 tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick
  • 4 teaspoons flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Combine all ingredients except cheese in an oven proof casserole dish. Cover, and bake 50 minutes, stirring twice during baking.
  • Carefully remove from the oven, and stir in cheese until melted.

Nutrition

Calories: 673kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 27gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 750mgPotassium: 413mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1250IUVitamin C: 3.7mgCalcium: 542mgIron: 1.5mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword baked, mac & cheese, one dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!
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Filed Under: Budget, Main Dish, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Weeknight meals Tagged With: Cooking, dinner, Food, mac & cheese, Meatless Monday, pasta, recipe, vegetarian, weeknight

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer A Stewart

    July 22, 2019 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    I already made this twice because I can’t get over how yummy it is! It’s a good thing it’s budget friendly because Connor can’t stop eating it and he is growing so fast I will need to take out a second mortgage just to keep up!

  2. Dorothy Reinhold

    July 22, 2019 at 6:44 pm

    I am totally digging this one pot recipe! It makes it so easy. Can’t wait to dig in!

  3. Deb Clark

    July 28, 2019 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    No preboiling the noodles? Yes! Well frankly you had me at noodles swimming in a thick, silky creamy cheese sauce… sounds dreamy and delicious!

  4. Sandra Shaffer

    July 29, 2019 at 8:51 pm

    5 stars
    So simple and delicious! I too love the extra sharp cheddar on mac ‘n cheese. My nephews are coming next week and they are going to devour this!

  5. Irina

    August 4, 2019 at 8:22 am

    5 stars
    Nothing can beat a homemade baked mac and cheese! It looks delicious! This is the recipe I was looking for to teach my son how to cook simple dishes. Thanks for sharing!

  6. Kate

    August 4, 2019 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    Woow this looks like the best recipe to come home to, comforting, easy and no fuss. Thanks for sharing!

  7. SHANIKA

    August 4, 2019 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    This Mac + Cheese looks so delicious! I love that you’ve chosen to bake this! It creates such a creaminess on the inside and light crust on the outside! YUM!

  8. Tatiana

    August 4, 2019 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    Great!! I am ditching my current Mac and Cheese recipe for this one! This is SSOSOSOSOSOOOO yummy!

  9. cheflolaskitchen

    August 4, 2019 at 9:45 am

    5 stars
    My children love mac and cheese! They will surely love this one, and I love how easy it is!

4.91 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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