baked macaroni and cheese

I am all about the carbs lately.

I mean, I guess I have a valid reason, but still. The only fruit I’ve been able to handle the past 2 months is in juice form and I want exactly zero vegetables. Some nights I’m able to have salad with dinner, but green beans? Peas? Broccoli? Nope, nope, big nope.

baked macaroni and cheese

So while I’ve been trying to eat as balanced as possible, the majority of my meals have definitely been carb heavy.

But – I think I’m turning a corner!

And regardless of what I’m eating, ya’ll need to be making this macaroni and cheese.

baked macaroni and cheese

I’ve talked about the Lowell’s before (especially because of breakfast casserole), and this is another dish that is full of memories for me. Jill always made the best baked macaroni and cheese. THE BEST. No one else at church fellowships or holiday get togethers could touch hers – it was always, always, always my favorite. And I still love it more today than any other mac and cheese I’ve had!

So I have no idea why it took me this long to ask her for the recipe. After getting it from her a few weeks ago, it was the first thing on my weekend plans. My friend Jen and I had a day full of cooking, so I whipped this up for lunch while we watched football and worked on soup to freeze and 2 batches of cinnamon rolls.

baked macaroni and cheese

And you know what? It was even better than I remembered. There’s something about her mac and cheese that just tops all the rest for me.

I think it’s a combination of the layered noodles + cheese (rather than a thick cheese sauce), the perfect amount of salt + pepper, and the crushed saltines on top.

The pepper is so important! Why does no one else put pepper in their macaroni and cheese?! It makes it 1 million times tastier.

baked macaroni and cheese

And seriously – when you can make macaroni and cheese even easier to put together? I’m all for it. Not having to make a cheese sauce means less cooking time AND one less dirty pan.

I ate this all week for lunches a couple of weeks ago…..and I’m just about ready to make another pan. It’s. that. good.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

A classic baked macaroni and cheese recipe that's even easier! No cheese sauce means this comes together even quicker and leaves you with less dishes to clean. The crushed crackers and pepper make this dish, so don't leave them out!

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. elbow macaroni
  • 4 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • milk (3/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

Directions:

  1. Cook the macaroni, drain, rinse, and set aside. 
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Put half of the macaroni in pan, sprinkle with half of the salt & pepper, then cover with half of the cheese.
  4. Repeat this again.  
  5. Cover with the crumbled saltine crackers.
  6. Starting with 3/4 cup, pour milk all over the top of it, moistening the crackers. You want enough milk so you can see it come about 1/4 inch up side of pan (see thru glass pan) OR when you tilt the pan, the milk comes up to the top. If 3/4 cup isn't enough, add more milk, 1/4 cup at a time until it's at the right level.
  7. Bake it at 350 for 35-40 minutes.