Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese is an ultra-creamy, made-from-scratch, one-pot dish. This Dutch Oven macaroni recipe uses a combination of cheeses, whole milk, and Dijon mustard. It starts on the stovetop and finishes off in the oven, resulting in a no-fuss, comfort food recipe that 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
- Ingredients
- 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
- Recipe variations and substitutions
- How to store, freeze, and reheat
- Frequently asked questions
- More pasta recipes to consider
- 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.
Ingredients
- Cheese - My recipe calls for a combination of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded gruyere cheese. I used Cabot Alpine Cheddar, which is one of my favorites and always has a spot in my refrigerator! I chose to also include Gruyere cheese because of its rich, creamy, and slightly nutty taste.
- For the roux - A roux is a combination of flour and fat and is used to thicken sauces. I use salted butter, all-purpose flour, and whole milk.
- Pasta - You can make macaroni and cheese with macaroni elbows, cavatappi, farfalle, penne, fusilli, rotini, or shell pasta. I chose to use medium-sized macaroni shells, also known as "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 Maple Mustard Chicken or 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!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta in your Dutch oven according to package instructions, to al dente or slightly softer. Drain the pasta water and set the cooked pasta aside.
Step 2: Return the Dutch oven to the stove, add the butter, and melt over medium to low heat. Add the flour and continuously mix the flour and butter together until creamy, smooth, and no lumps of flour remain.
Step 3: Add the whole milk and continuously stir the milk, butter, and flour combination over medium to low heat, until the mixture thickens. You'll know it has thickened enough when it starts to coat the sides of the Dutch Oven.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded cheddar cheese and shredded gruyere cheese. Mix until creamy and smooth.
Step 5: Add the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard to the cheese sauce. Mix until combined.
Step 6: Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and mix until fully incorporated.
Step 7: Cover with a tight-fitting lid, place it in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving, and then enjoy!
Expert tips
- 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.
- Feel free to adjust your seasonings to taste before tossing the pasta into the cheese sauce. Go ahead and add another scoop of mustard or a dash of garlic powder if you'd like!
What to serve with mac and cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese is a versatile main course that can be served with so many different side dishes!
- Veggie sides: I would serve this pasta dish with Roasted Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts, Sauteed Kale and Mushrooms, Roasted Green Beans and Carrots, Tomato Cucumber Salad, Caesar Salad, and any other non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, mixed green salads, and vegetable salads.
- Starch sides: If you want to take this ultimate comfort food recipe over the top, then you need to serve your mac and cheese with Dutch Oven Bread, 3-Ingredient Biscuits, or Vegan Garlic Bread.
- Protein sides: Sometimes, when I serve a pasta dish that doesn't contain any meat, I like to serve some meat on the side. My top picks are my Dutch Oven Ham, Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast, Blackened Pork Chops, Baked Panko Chicken, and BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumsticks.
Recipe variations and substitutions
- Substitutions: Substitute the macaroni for any short noodles you prefer. Substitute cheddar and gruyere for any other cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, or Swiss cheese. It's also an option to use a combination of whole milk plus heavy cream, 2% milk, and half and half.
- Variations: Get creative with optional mix-ins like taco meat, shredded Buffalo chicken, bacon, jalapenos, or shredded slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs.
How to store, freeze, and reheat
- 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. Add a splash of milk to rehydrate the pasta and cheese sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, allow the macaroni to cool. Transfer it to the aluminum pan. Tightly cover it with a layer of plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer.
You can freeze mac and cheese, both cooked or uncooked. Typically, it's better to freeze homemade macaroni and cheese before it has been baked. Baking can dry the pasta and sauce out slightly, so freezing before baking will help the macaroni and cheese stay creamy. You can bake it when you're ready to eat it.
Cheddar is the best cheese for mac and cheese. After you've added your shredded cheddar cheese, you can add other common cheeses like gruyere, swiss, parmesan, and gouda.
More pasta recipes to consider
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
Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese is an ultra-creamy, made-from-scratch, one-pot dish. This Dutch Oven macaroni recipe uses a combination of cheeses, whole milk, and dijon mustard. It starts on the stovetop and finishes off in the oven, resulting in a no-fuss, comfort food recipe that your whole family will love!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: lunch, dinner
- Method: stove top cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
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
- 6-ounce block sharp cheddar cheese - shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
- 6-ounce block gruyere cheese - shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
- 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 spring water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, salt the pasta water and cook your pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Return the Dutch Oven to the stove. Add the butter to the Dutch Oven and melt over low to medium-low heat.
- Add the all-purpose flour to the melted butter and mix until smooth and fully incorporated together. This is your roux. It is the base for the cheese sauce and is what will make your cheese sauce thick and creamy.
- Increase your heat to medium. Add the milk to the roux. Continuously stir the milk, flour, and butter mixture until the mixture has thickened. 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 when your sauce has thickened when it starts to coat the sides of the Dutch Oven.
- When the milk, flour, and butter sauce has thickened, reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded cheddar and shredded gruyere. Stir until the cheese is smooth and creamy.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard to the cheese sauce. Mix until combined. Taste your sauce and adjust your seasonings if needed.
- Pour the cooked macaroni shells into the cheese sauce and mix until combined. Cover with your tight-fitting Dutch Oven lid and transfer your Dutch Oven into your preheated oven. Cook the Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese for 20 minutes covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!
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 have you add 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 shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 559
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 531.4 mg
- Fat: 26.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.6 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 23.8 g
- Cholesterol: 77.5 mg
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.