This Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese is an ultra-creamy, made-from-scratch recipe cooked entirely in one pot. It's made with a blend of cheeses, whole milk, and a touch of Dijon mustard, then cooked on the stovetop and finished in the oven. It's simple comfort food your whole family will love!
Made in under an hour, this Dutch oven mac and cheese recipe is easy enough for a busy weeknight yet satisfying enough for a cozy Sunday dinner.
And thanks to the Dutch oven's deep, thick walls and heavy-duty lid, this mac and cheese goes straight from stovetop to oven-no need to transfer the pasta to another dish!
That's why we love Dutch oven recipes here at Sugar & Snap Peas! They're perfect for everything from Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken and Dutch Oven Chili, to Pumpkin Ricotta Mac and Cheese (made in a Dutch oven).
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- Equipment Tips
- Why make mac and cheese in the Dutch Oven?
- How to Make Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- Expert Tips
- What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
- Storage and Reheating Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes to Try
- Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- Hungry for more?
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made in one pot. You can boil your pasta, mix your cheese sauce, and bake your mac and cheese all in the same pot!
- Flavor. It's super savory, thanks to the combination of sharp cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, and Dijon mustard.
- Quick and easy. If you're short on time, you can skip the baking step and serve this pasta dish straight from the stovetop.
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese - My recipe calls for a combination of shredded sharp cheddar and shredded gruyere. Gruyere adds a slightly richer, nuttier flavor, but if you can't find it, feel free to use all cheddar.
- Butter and flour - When combined these form a roux, which is the base that thickens the cheese sauce.
- Whole milk - This is added to the roux to create a béchamel sauce. It sounds fancy, but it's just a creamy white sauce that is often used as a base for cheese sauce.
- Pasta - You can make macaroni and cheese with a variety of short pastas, such as elbows, cavatappi, penne, rotini, or shells. I prefer medium-sized macaroni shells, sometimes called "shellbows," because they're great at trapping the creamy cheese sauce!
- Dijon mustard - My favorite flavor-maker! I recommend using grainy Dijon mustard, not smooth. If you love Dijon too, try my Chicken and Butternut Squash with Maple and Dijon or cast-iron skillet Dijon Chicken Thighs.
- Seasonings - Kosher salt is a must! I exclusively use it in all of my recipes.
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities needed.
Equipment Tips
- Dutch Oven: You'll need a cast-iron Dutch Oven with a lid. I use the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. I know many other bloggers like the Amazon brand of Dutch ovens as well!
Why make mac and cheese in the Dutch Oven?
A Dutch Oven is the perfect cooking pot for mac and cheese because it allows you to make the entire macaroni and cheese recipe in one pot! There is no need to dirty 2-3 dishes!
How to Make Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
Recipe Rundown
- Cook the pasta.
- Make the roux and cheese sauce.
- Combine the pasta and sauce.
- Bake, serve, and enjoy!
- After cooking your pasta, drain the water and set it aside.
- Return the Dutch oven to the stove, melt the butter over medium heat, and then whisk in the flour until smooth.
- Add the milk and mix non-stop until the mixture thickens.
- Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the shredded cheeses.
- Mix until smooth.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard and mix until combined.
- Take a taste and adjust any seasonings. Many readers have told me they like to double the Dijon!
- Add the pasta into the cheese sauce in batches, stirring between each addition.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid, place it in the oven, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Always shred your cheeses yourself! Preshredded cheese contains anti-caking agents, which prevent it from melting smoothly.
- For added flavor, I like to generously salt the pasta water after it comes to a boil.
- Do not let the butter and flour mixture burn when making the roux. It's okay if it browns slightly. However, you should adjust your temperature if it starts to smoke or your pan begins to burn.
- To speed up the time it takes to thicken the sauce, you can bring your milk up to room temperature or microwave it for 2 minutes before adding it to the butter and flour.
- If you prefer a super-smooth, saucy cheese sauce, you can skip the baking step and serve the mac and cheese right away. Baking simply firms up the sauce and gives the dish a casserole-like texture.
What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese is a versatile dish that pairs well with so many different mains and sides! These are a few of my favorite recipes to serve it with:
Storage and Reheating Tips
- How to store: Leftover Dutch Oven Macaroni can be stored in a glass, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Let the macaroni and cheese cool completely. Once cool, transfer the leftover mac and cheese to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Let frozen macaroni thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave in 1-2 minute increments, stirring between each increment. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a saucepan. If it seems dry, you can add a splash of milk to rehydrate the pasta and loosen up the cheese sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Cook your pasta in a large stock pot and make your cheese sauce in a large saucepan. Combine the cooked pasta and sauce, and then transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil before baking.
Grainy mac and cheese usually means the cheese didn't melt smoothly. This can be due to adding the cheese all at once in a big clump, cooking over high heat, or using preshredded cheese mixed with anti-caking agents.
When your cheese sauce separates, or "breaks," it becomes oily and curdled, rather than smooth and creamy. This is usually due to high heat. It can happen when you're making the cheese sauce, during baking, or reheating. It's important to heat the cheese sauce over low to medium heat, bake it at low temperatures, and reheat it slowly.
More Recipes to Try
If you tried this Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium macaroni shells shellbows
- ½ cup salted butter 1 stick
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk brought up to room temp
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard grainy
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Fill your Dutch Oven with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, salt the pasta water and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Return the Dutch Oven to the stove. Add the butter and melt over low to medium-low heat.
- Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until smooth.
- Increase your heat to medium and slowly pour in the milk. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens. This will take about 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture burn or come to a boil. Reduce the heat if needed. A gentle simmer is okay. You'll know your sauce has thickened when it starts to coat the sides of the pan.
- When the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the shredded cheddar and gruyere until smooth and creamy.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard and mix until combined. Taste your sauce and adjust your seasonings if needed.
- Stir in the cooked pasta. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for another 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Bring your milk up to room temperature, or microwave it for 2 minutes, before adding it to the butter and flour. This will speed up the amount of time it takes to thicken the sauce.
- Taste your cheese sauce before adding your pasta. You might want to increase the salt, pepper, garlic, or Dijon mustard. Since this recipe calls for salted butter and I recommend salting your pasta water, I don't recommend adding too much additional salt to the cheese sauce. You might find you want more, though!
- If you need to cut down on the cooking time, you can skip the baking step! This recipe is delicious even when it's served straight from the stovetop.
- The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Katie says
This is my all-time favorite macaroni and cheese recipe! The combination of cheeses and the mustard give it so much flavor.
Susie says
Loving the dutch oven recipes, this one was another winner. Combination of two cheddars and gouda, next time I think ill double the mustard, really liked the added flavor from that.