skillet-baked macaroni and cheese

I hadn’t planned to spend most of the fall to date making skillets upon skillets of baked, gooey, decadent macaroni and cheese, though given the state of things right now, perhaps this steady dose of comfort food was some unintended brilliance on my part. But mostly it started because we had baked mac and cheese from The Smith one night. My kids fought over the last scrapings from the pan and I reminded them — I honestly don’t even think they realize it sometimes — that I could make it for them, too. And so the next night, I pulled up my trusty Martha’s mac-and-cheese, a forever SK and internet favorite, and it immediately …irked me. Start with cooked pasta? Warm the milk for the bechamel? So many pans, so many bowls, so many steps. On a Tuesday, no less. It felt unacceptable.


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Once something gets under my skin, I can forget my other editorial plans. I was now pursued by a need to make it better, easier, and more practical for my real life in 2024. Each week since, I’ve made it one to two more times (I’m very popular with friends and family right now, thank you very much), trying to shave off time, steps, and keeping it simple enough that I’ve basically memorized it. And this is the result, my new forever go-to baked macaroni and cheese with the best part of the easiest baked mac and cheese (no need to boil the pasta) with the best parts of Martha’s (a decadent, perfect sauce) and as little fuss as possible.

A few details:

  • Uncooked pasta: Soaking the uncooked pasta in hot tap water for 10 minutes eliminates the need to boil the pasta, saving us a step. I also preferred this method because even when I reduced the boiling time of the noodles to 3 or 4 minutes, I still felt that they ended up too mushy by the time the macaroni came out of the oven. I tested this hot tap water method with Barilla, De Cecco, and Trader Joe’s brands of elbow macaroni, and all cooked to a perfect tenderness with a 10-minute soak and 30-minute bake.

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  • Single pan: Making the cheese sauce in an ovenproof skillet means we just use a single pan which delights me, a person who hates washing dishes.

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  • Toasted crumbs: I was disappointed that the buttered breadcrumbs never picked up enough color in the oven and started toasting them first in the skillet. They also take on a browned butter flavor, which upsets nobody. (The ones in these photos got a little accidentally dark but still tasted great.)

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  • Seasoning and spice: I consider this a core recipe with a simple flavor profile: salt, black pepper, cayenne, and a pinch of nutmeg. My kids don’t like it when I add mustard powder or smoked paprika, but it doesn’t mean you cannot tweak things with flavors that will make it taste more classic to you. Here are a few suggestions: Add a teaspoon of said powdered mustard, 1 teaspoon hot or mild smoked paprika, 1 clove of minced garlic, a few shakes of hot sauce, and/or some fresh thyme leaves.
  • Cheese choices: My perfect baked mac and cheese trifecta is 1 part pecorino (which is salty and a little funky), 2 parts gruyère (which is nutty and harmonizes well), and 3 parts sharp white cheddar (classic and perfect). But I’ve replaced the gruyère in tests or due to what I had around with everything from comté to jack, gouda, fontina, and even raclette cheese and they were all fantastic. Look for something melty, nutty, and a little funky. If you replace the pecorino with parmesan, you might want to bump up the salt slightly. For an even cheesier mac and cheese, you can increase the cheddar from 6 to 8 ounces.

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  • Size and yield: While 90% of the time I make it as written, perfect for 4 servings, it can be easily doubled in a 12-inch round skillet, my favorite braiser, or a 9×13-inch baking dish for the bigger holiday gatherings ahead. The baking time is the same.

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  • Evaporated milk: I learned when making Kenji Lopez-Alt’s three-ingredient stovetop mac and cheese for our first podcast episode last spring that using evaporated milk — yes, the canned stuff — in the place of some or all milk in mac and cheese can help keep the sauce creamy and smooth, due to the higher concentration of milk proteins. So, I tested this a few times with half the milk swapped with a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk (which holds 1.5 cups) and did find that the sauce had a slightly smoother quality, especially when reheated. But, I wasn’t religious about it. I used it if I had it, and feel that the recipe is still excellent if you use all regular milk.

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    It’s here! The special audiobook edition of Smitten Kitchen Keepers, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation! published yesterday. Read by me, I hope it feels exactly like you’ve pulled up a chair and we’re hanging out in the kitchen together. Bonus recipe: When you purchase the audiobook, you will receive a signed holiday card from me, perfect to give as a gift, with a bonus recipe. To receive your card, complete the form with your purchase order number right here. [US Residents, 18+. Ends December 13, 2024.]

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    Skillet-Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    This recipe can be be doubled in a 12-inch round ovenproof skillet, my favorite braiser, or a 9×13-inch baking dish. If you don’t have a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, you can make the mac and cheese in one large sauté pan and transfer it to a 2-quart baking dish for the oven portion. See notes in the introduction about cheese options, flavorings, and technique.
    • 1/2 cup (30 grams) panko-style breadcrumbs
    • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter
    • Kosher salt
    • 1/2 pound (8 ounces or 225 grams) dried elbow macaroni
    • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces or 170 grams) coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) coarsely grated gruyère, comte, jack, gouda, fontina, or raclette
    • 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces or 55 grams) finely grated pecorino romano cheese
    • 1/4 cup (35 grams) all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups milk (710 ml), any kind, or 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) milk, any kind, plus 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (see Note)
    • Many grinds of black pepper
    • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
    • A pinch or two of freshly grated nutmeg
    Heat oven: To 375°F (190°C).

    Toast the crumbs: In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I’m using this one), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the breadcrumbs. Toast the crumbs in the butter, stirring, until they’re a light golden brown. Season with a pinch of salt and scrape crumbs into a dish to set aside. Swipe out the pan to clean it, if you wish. Nobody will notice if a crumb ends up in the sauce, however.

    Soak your pasta: Place uncooked pasta in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Soak for 10 minutes then drain it, shaking the pasta out. (I find it traps a lot of water.)

    Make the sauce and assemble: Combine the three cheeses right on the paper or board you’ve grated them onto.

    Return your ovenproof skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in it. Add the flour, whisking to combine. Add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to combine each addition with the butter-flour mixture until smooth. When all milk is added, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond brand; use half of any other brand), many grinds of black pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg, and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. Once simmering, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Turn the burner off.

    Setting aside 2/3 cup of the cheese mixture, add the rest of the cheeses to the sauce, stirring just until it has melted. Taste the sauce (carefully!) here and adjust seasonings if needed to taste. Stir in drained pasta until evenly coated. Sprinkle the surface with reserved cheese, followed by the toasted breadcrumbs.

    Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. You can fish out a piece of macaroni just to confirm it’s cooked through, but I’ve never found this to be an issue. Add another 5 minutes in the oven, if needed for it to soften. If you want it a little more browned on top, run the pan briefly under your broiler for a minute.

    Serve: Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then serve right away.

    Do ahead: Given the choice between reheating cooked macaroni and cheese and baking it fresh, and given that it can take almost the same amount of oven time to bake it as to warm it through, I always choose baking the mac and cheese right before serving it. You can assemble it earlier, however, and bake before you’re ready to eat. Reheat leftovers in the original pan or an ovenproof dish at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes.

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