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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OMG! this recipe was amazing definitely going in the cookbook! I’m not the best cook but I was very proud of myself at how well this turned out! this was so easy and so damn delicious ! Thank you so much!!
This was an AMAZING recipe that came out perfectly. I used a little less of the shredded cheddar and it still came out well. Be prepared to have more than 8 servings – it was a lot, but sooo delicious! This is the best Mac and cheese recipe I’ve ever had.
We love hearing that, Meg! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
We have been searching for a mac n cheese recipe that would check off all the boxes: made from scratch, could be done 100% organic, 15-month and 7yo grandsons love, adults appreciate, and easy to make. This recipe has it all! Whipped this up to serve alongside bbq chicken and a 7-layer salad. It was a huge hit across 3 generations! And when I told them it came from Butters’ and Cartman’s mom…. the kids were even more excited. We follow you on IG every day.
Aw, we love that, Laura! Thanks for following along and leaving such a sweet review! 🙂
Hi,
I tried this recipe at home yesterday, and it turned out to be really delicious..
Thank you so much for such a yummy recipe.
Gonna save this and will share with others.
Keep sharing 🙂
This looks amazing. I can’t wait until I can eat dairy products again. This is at the top of my list.
Mac and cheese, it’s my all-time favorite recipe. And its looking so much delicious with lots of cheese and creamy texture.Thank you so much for this lovely recipe.
Yum! This looks a lot like the recipe I got from my mum that I make all the time. I’d usually use sharp cheddar and then throw in whatever extra cheeses I had left in the fridge, but a while back I started using the Cheddar-Gruyere Melange from Trader Joe’s- I think that cheese was made exactly for this recipe!
Just what my family felt liked today. The best mac and cheese ever, truley. Give it a try!!
This is the basic recipe I use to make my Mac n Cheese except for the parmesan which sounds delicious. Panko is a favorite pasta topping so that will also be a hit. Can’t wait to try this out – diet be damned!
Let us know how you like it, Nicole!
Looks so YUMMY! However, cannot have heavy cream……substitute, please?
Hi Joyce! I personally substitute coconut milk for heavy cream, but you have to like the flavor. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Good luck!
Oh man….a photoshoot that I would have loved to crash! Any tips on how to prepare the sheet pan before it goes in the oven? Can’t wait to make this very soon!
I sprayed ours with avocado oil and it simply rinsed clean after broiling. I use a stainless Nordicware sheet. Not even non-stick.
Can you use olive oil or canola oil spray?? I cannot have avocados
Please include the nutritional guide for your recipes. i am on a low sodium diet. It would be appreciated.
Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!
This looks INCREDIBLE…..only problem is that the broiler on my oven is broken…any chance of baking? and if yes, what temp and how long? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Deb, the broiling is actually very crucial here to get those amazing crispy bits! You can try to bake it for a little bit longer at the highest temperature possible. Good luck!
thx…..wish I had been at YOUR photo shoot :~(