Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole

My ultimate Baked mac and cheese casserole recipe includes three cheeses, sharp cheddar, nutty gruyere, and rich camembert. Extra flavor notes of roasted garlic, crispy prosciutto and an herb toasted baguette topping take basic macaroni and cheese up a notch. All the required notes of gooey, cheesy, tangy, salty, chewy, herby, and crunchy are deliciously accounted for.

Key Ingredients & Test Notes

• French Baguette: Grab a baguette from your local bakery to create a thick herby homemade crouton topping.
  • Test Note: Choose a sourdough or artisanal loaf with a chewy texture.
• Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, sage and thyme complete the herb medley needed to enhance our baguette topping.
• Pasta Noodles: Choosing the right pasta shape to hold the cheese sauce and deliver the perfect ratio of noodle to cheese into your mouth is key. I’m using ‘lumache rigate’ noodles that are shaped like little snails. But, you can use elbow macaroni or your favorite short noodle instead.
• Roasted Garlic: Don’t skip the magic that roasted garlic brings to a dish. It transforms into a sweet, mellow, nutty, and rich pasta enhancer. Once roasted the garlic cloves are soft and spreadable. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze out the roasted cloves and mash them with a fork to form a paste.
  • Test Note: The prep is super simple and it can roast while you’re making other items. Or make a day ahead and store in the fridge.
• Crispy Prosciutto: Texture and saltiness comes from roasting slices of prosciutto, until crispy. This cured ham works to break up the richness of the cheese.
  • Test Note: Crispy ham only takes a few minutes, plus you can prep ahead and store in the fridge.
• Cheddar, Gruyere, and Camembert or Brie Cheese: A pasta with three cheeses makes a wonderful dinner date. Here we have a mixture of melt worthy cheeses including aged cheddar, gruyere and camembert. Aged cheddar for sharpness, sweet nuttiness from the gruyere, along with camembert’s earthy notes create a fantastic blend.
  • Test Note: Grating blocks of cheese for the best quality texture and flavor. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese.
• Nutmeg and Dijon: Nutmeg is the sweet nutty highlight of a classic French béchamel sauce, aka the base of our pasta sauce. And who can resist a bit of dijon? A little tang, a little spice..it’s very nice.

How to Make Baked Mac and Cheese

I cooked my sauce in a 12 inch(3.5L) Le Creuset enamel cast iron skillet, added in the noodles, mixed together additional ingredients, then topped with baguette croutons and baked. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, make the mac and cheese in a large pit, then transfer everything into a 9×13 inch casserole dish, top with croutons and then bake.

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or pot.

2. Sprinkle flour onto the melted butter.

3. Whisk to form a smooth shiny paste.

4. Slowly pour in the warm cream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.

5. Stir in the mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and roasted garlic.

6. Stir in the cheeses, one at a time.

7. Add in the drained noodles and crispy ham.

8. Transfer to baking dish. Top with more shredded cheese and the baguettes.

Helpful Tips

• Use quality cheese. Freshly grated aged cheddar and gruyere melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
• Warm the milk before adding it to the roux. Warm milk helps the béchamel thicken faster and prevents lumps. Whereas cold milk slows things down and can cause the sauce to seize.
• Cook the pasta just shy of al dente. Since it finishes in the oven, slightly undercooked pasta ensures it won’t become mushy in the final bake.
• Mash the roasted garlic very smooth. A finely mashed roasted garlic paste blends easily into the cheese sauce without noticeable chunks.
• Add the cheese off the heat. Stirring in cheese after removing the pan from the heat prevents the sauce from overheating and becoming grainy.
• Reserve a splash of pasta water. If your sauce tightens up during mixing, a tablespoon or two of starchy pasta water helps loosen the sauce without thinning the flavor.
• Let the crispy prosciutto cool fully before breaking. It becomes significantly crunchier after cooling. This is essential for getting those crisp, salty bites throughout the casserole.
• Chop the croutons to your preferred size. Smaller pieces give you a more even topping; larger chunks create a rustic, bakery-style crunch.
• Keep an eye on the bake. You want bubbling cheese and toasted croutons.

Make Ahead

• Make the herb croutons up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If they soften slightly, re-toast for 3–4 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
• Roast the garlic 2–3 days in advance. Store the cooled roasted garlic paste in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Crispy prosciutto can be made ahead. Bake, cool, then store for up to 24 hours at room temperature.
• Grate the cheese ahead. Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Assemble the casserole base fully (without baking). Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, then refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add the croutons and final cheese topping just before baking. Let dish sit on counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature then bake for 25-35 minutes, until bubbling.  

Leftovers and Storage

Creamy cheesy pasta is going to be its gooiest self right from the oven. But, any leftovers can be stored in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to serve. I have definitely had it for lunch the next day and it’s just as tasty.

★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!

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Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole

By Jenn Davis

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Topping & Add In Baking: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

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A cozy baked mac and cheese layered with sharp cheddar, nutty gruyere, and rich camembert, then finished with roasted garlic, crispy prosciutto, and a crunchy herb-toasted baguette topping.

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Equipment

• baking pan
• large heavy bottom pot or skillet
• 9×13- casserole dish

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Herb Baguette Crouton Topping

• ▢ 1 medium French baguette, torn into pieces
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh sage, stems removed, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ▢ fine sea salt, to season

Roasted Garlic Head

• ▢ 1 large head of garlic, outer layer of skin removed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Crispy Proscuitto

• ▢ 100 grams (3.5 ounces) prosciutto ham

Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole

• ▢ 450 grams (16 ounces) lumache rigate or elbow macaroni pasta
• ▢ 84 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• ▢ 64 grams (½ cup) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1080 grams (4 ½ cups) whole milk, *warmed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ roasted garlic paste, made ahead
• ▢ 270 grams (3 cups) aged yellow cheddar cheese, grated
• ▢ 180 grams (2 cups) gruyere cheese, grated
• ▢ 120 grams (4 ounces) camembert or brie cheese, rind cut off and cut into cubes
• ▢ crispy prosciutto, made ahead

Topping

• ▢ herb baguette croutons
• ▢ 60 grams gruyere cheese, grated for topping more if desired

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Instructions 

Herb Baguette Crouton Topping

• Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Tear fresh baguette into 1-2 inch chunks. Place baguette pieces in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil to evenly coat.
  1 medium French baguette, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinkle in the chopped herbs and a few pinches of salt. Toss again with your hands to evenly coat the bread with the herbs.
  3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, 3 tablespoons fresh sage, 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, fine sea salt
• Spread baguette pieces evenly across the lined baking pan. Sprinkle any leftover herbs from tossing onto the bread.
• Place pan on middle rack of the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and allow baguette pieces to cool.
• Roughly chop the toasted baguette pieces a bit smaller and set aside for later. Save any herbs pieces from the baking tray.

Roasted Garlic Head

• Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃). Remove the outer papery layer of skin from the head of garlic.
  1 large head of garlic
• Turn garlic head on its side and cut off the top 1/2-inch of the garlic head to expose the inner cloves. If some of the cloves are still intact, carefully cut the tips off to expose the inner clove. The head should still remain in one piece.
• Place the head, cut side up onto a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the exposed garlic cloves with the olive oil and wrap the head of garlic into a package with the foil.
  3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Place the wrapped head of garlic onto a baking pan or in a baking dish. Bake for 55-70 minutes until the garlic is golden and soft.
• Allow garlic head to cool completely in its wrapper.
• Squeeze or spoon out the soft roasted garlic cloves from their shell. Mash the roasted garlic cloves with a form to make a paste and set aside.

Crispy Prosciutto

• Leave oven at 400℉ (200℃). Place slices of ham evenly spaced on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  100 grams prosciutto ham
• Bake on middle rack of the oven for 9-10 minutes until slices start to shrivel and get firm. Keep an eye out not to over bake.
• Remove from heat and allow the crispy prosciutto to cool completely. Tear into 1-1.5 inch strips and set aside.

Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta ‘al dente’ according to package directions. This may be about 1-2 minutes less than instructed. Do not drain the pasta. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water just in case.
  450 grams lumache rigate or elbow macaroni pasta
• Make the bechamel roux first. In a large ovenproof skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, for 1 minute. It will turn into a oatmeal like paste. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
  84 grams unsalted butter, 64 grams all purpose flour
• Slowly pour in 240 grams (1 cup) of the milk to start, whisking to dissolve the flour paste into the milk. Add in the remaining milk, 1 cup at a time and continue to whisk until all lumps have been worked out.
  1080 grams whole milk
• Grate in the nutmeg, add the salt and pepper, then stir again. Add in the dijon, stir to distribute.
  1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Continue to cook while whisking for 5-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened to a creamy milk gravy consistency.
• When the sauce coats the back of spoon and you can draw a path through it with your whisk/spoon it's ready for the cheese.
• Remove the pan from the heat (or simply turn the heat off) and stir in the mashed roasted garlic cloves to distribute.
  roasted garlic paste
• Next, add in the grated cheese a handful at a time. Stir to mix into the sauce, but it doesn’t need to melt completely.
  270 grams aged yellow cheddar cheese, 180 grams gruyere cheese
• Add in the chunks of camembert cheese and stir again. The camembert should melt pretty quickly. Stir cheese until it is mostly melted.
  120 grams camembert or brie cheese
• Now, to add in the pasta shells! Use a slotted spoon to transfer all of the noodles into the cheese sauce.
  450 grams lumache rigate or elbow macaroni pasta
• The pasta shells will hold a little bit of pasta water in them and will help smooth out the sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, just add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
• Fold the noodles into the sauce to evenly mix and coat with a rubber spatula.
• Sprinkle the crispy ham pieces into the mixture and fold them into the cheese using a rubber spatula.
  crispy prosciutto
• Level the mac and cheese into the pan. Add a layer of sprinkled gruyere onto the pasta mix.
  60 grams gruyere cheese
• Spread the toasted herb baguette croutons across the mac and cheese.
  herb baguette croutons
• Sprinkle the remaining gruyere cheese across the baguette pieces.
• Transfer the skillet onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until you see the cheese is bubbling around the outsides of the pan and a little in the middle.
• Don’t overcook the mac and cheese, as it will cook down the cheese sauce.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately!

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