Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese
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Crowd-pleasing mac and cheese on a sheet pan! Perfectly cheesy and creamy with the maximum amount of crunchy bits. MIND BLOWN.
Featured Comment
No one could sit still the day that we were shooting and testing this recipe. NOPE. We all sat there, hoping to get this shot in 10 seconds. That way, we could all grab a fork and immediately dive right in.
Which is exactly what we did. We shot it. We ate it. We ate some more of it. And no one exchanged a single word until we were basically finished with 90% of the sheet pan.
With a combination of being perfectly cheesy, perfectly creamy, and perfectly crispy in every single bite, no one needs to be talking.
The best part about all this? There is no fiddle, no fuss. This comes together fast and quick with minimal clean up, making this a true weeknight hero.
Tools For This Recipe
Baking sheet
Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese: Frequently Asked Questions
All out of elbow macaroni? Cavatappi or fusilli are great substitutes here.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store. While both panko and breadcrumbs can be used as a coating for fried foods, panko is much more flakier and yields a crunchier, crispier texture.
Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound large elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ½ cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 cup Panko*
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Preheat oven to broil on high. Arrange an oven rack 6-inches from the broiler. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in flour and paprika until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, heavy cream and Dijon until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove from heat. Stir in 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, Parmesan and pasta until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine Panko and remaining 2 cups cheddar cheese.
- Spread pasta mixture into the prepared sheet pan; sprinkle with Panko mixture.
- Place into oven and broil, rotating the sheet pan a few times, until golden brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
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Incredibly delicious! Made this for the first time last weekend. Cooked pasta and tossed w/ a little oil to keep from sticking and put in gallon sized bag. Cooked everything including melting cheeses and put in a large covered bowl to transport. Put toppings in a separate bag. Mixed, topped and broiled at friend’s house. Since it only took 5-6 min to bake it didn’t hogtie the oven very long. Everyone loved it. (Note: I picked up the pasta, gruyere, white sharp cheddar & parm at Trader Joe’s).
creamy and loved the crunchy topping
I’ve made this recipe several times, beginning on New Year’s Eve and it’s been a huge hit every time! The only thing I changes was use Cavatappi noodles instead of elbows. It’s always amazing!
This was freakin delicious and made a ton! I’ve been wanting to try a new recipe for Mac and cheese and this checked all the boxes including being daily quick to put together and get on the table. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
sounds delicious
I made about 1/2 the recipe but instead of steps 3&4 making the sauce), I added a pint of ready made lobster bisque for a really delicious lobster Mac n cheese. With the sheet pan finish under the broiler…wow!
Soo good. Beyond my expectations. Mustard adds a nice tang. I chose to season my breadcrumbs. I did not have any panko. Made this as a side for some smoked ribs. Definitely sharing this recipe and making again!
Ah mazing! 5 stars for sure. Company loved it.
This is freaking delicious. I’ve made many baked Mac and cheese recipes and I loved this one the best. It’s creamy and rich and the mild garlic/shallot flavour elevates it. And the crispy topping is to die for. The only changes I made were to use 1/3 Monterey Jack cheese in place of some of the aged cheddar because I had to use it up. And I skipped the mustard as I don’t love that flavour in mac and cheese. The rest of the recipe is spot on and I think it will do well with a variety of cheese substitutions as long as they’re good melting cheeses.
I made this recipe last night and it turned out great. We loved it. I left out the mustard because my daughter thinks she doesn’t like that in macaroni and cheese. Otherwise I followed the instructions as is. The combination of cheese and breadcrumbs on top created the best crunch. The mac and cheese below the crunch is super creamy.
The BEST Mac and cheese recipe! It is so easy and a huge hit in my house.
This looks amazing. I too would like to know if it could be made ahead of time to step 5 and then finished prior to dining time.
A different Cindy.
Hi Cindy, I think it depends how far in advance you want to make it. I assembled everything a couple of hours before putting it under the broiler. But if you put it in the refrigerator and all the ingredients get cold you would probably want to bring it to room temperature because it only spends 15 minutes in the oven.
Sounds delish. I must try the mac and cheese
Delicious! I’ve tried about a billion different mac n cheese recipes and nothing ever stood out. This one did! Our family loved it. So crunchy and flavorful. Thank you. I do have one question… I know it’s an older recipe and I looked at the reviews to see if it was already asked but would this be okay to make this ahead of time (keeping the pasta and topping separate)? I’ve made mac n cheese ahead before and it is never as creamy and good as it is fresh.
This looks amazing. Could I assemble this through step 5 and the finish the rest prior to serving?
Would like to have this made prior to family arriving.
Turned out great! I froze the leftovers (we only had 4 of us at the dinner) and it reheated great. I used some seasoned PC panko and super delicious. I will be making this again.
This recipe was so-so. I kept picking up a hint of flavor that I didn’t like. It might have been the paprika. I seem to be the only reviewer that didn’t absolutely love this dish, so I’m going to give it a 2nd try using mild cheddar and excluding the paprika.
To be fair to the recipe, almost the entire pan was gone and I saw several people go back for seconds. Maybe I have a weird palette? Haha
Sarah, it is probably the mustard that you taste. My family doesn’t like the mustard flavor in any Mac n cheese. I omit it and it is yummy! Try that next time.
Made this tonight for my daughters birthday party. Wasn’t sure how it would turn out but the reviews were not wrong! This is insanely good!! Was hoping there would be leftovers but the pan was licked clean! Thank you for this recipe and all your others! I’ve tried many over the years and every single one has been a hit!
Oh. My. Word. I’m not a macaroni and cheese lover but this? This is sublime
Amazing! What a great solution when everyone usually fights over the yummy crunchy topping but now there is enough for us all! I can’t believe I didn’t use this sooner. Have I even lived? lol I used Balderson aged cheddar and cavatappi pasta and it was perfection on a sheet pan. Great side for bbq meats.