Cheez It Baked Mac and Cheese
by This post may contain affiliate links.
Get ready to take comfort food to the next level with this Cheez-It Mac and Cheese recipe! Creamy, cheesy, and topped with a crunchy Cheez-It crust, this dish is a fun twist on a classic favorite. It’s easy to make in under an hour, totally irresistible, and perfect as a weeknight dinner, or as a side dish for potlucks or holiday meals. One bite, and you’ll see why this is the ultimate mac and cheese upgrade!
Why you’ll love this mac and cheese
Inspired by my best friends love for Cheez-It crackers, this year for Friendsgiving I decided to take my classic stovetop mac and cheese recipe and turn it into a baked mac and cheese with a crispy Cheez-It cracker topping.
The result was a super creamy, cheesy base, with a super crispy, cheesy topping. The ultimate way to double up on the cheesy goodness and get the perfect balance of textures. This dish received the stamp of approval from my bestie, and everyone else at the Friendsgiving dinner! Here’s why we all loved it and I know you will too!
- That Crunchy, Cheesy Topping! The crushed Cheez-Its on top add the perfect salty, buttery crunch that takes classic mac and cheese to a whole new level of deliciousness.
- Ultra Creamy & Flavor-Packed! Made with a rich, velvety cheese sauce, this recipe delivers bold flavor and the ultimate creamy texture in every bite.
- Easy & Crowd-Pleasing! Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner, game day, or the holidays, this recipe is simple to make and guaranteed to impress both kids and adults!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Cheez-It baked mac and cheese recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Macaroni noodles
- Sharp cheddar cheese – I always recommend sharp, over mild or medium cheddar cheese because of it’s rich and robust flavor that really shines through in the cheese sauce. For this recipe, you’ll want to freshly grate an 8 ounce block of cheese, which will give you about 2 1/4 cups shredded cheese.
- Swiss cheese – the nutty, slightly sweet flavor of Swiss pairs perfectly with the rich, bold cheddar cheese. You’ll also want to shred an entire 8 ounce block of Swiss cheese for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter, so that I can determine how much salt I want to add to the recipe. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt in this recipe by 1/2 teaspoon.
- All-purpose flour – used to make a roux, to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Salt + black pepper
- Mustard powder – the acidity and tanginess of the mustard powder helps balance out the richness in this dish. It’s a secret ingredient that you should always add to mac and cheese! If you don’t have mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard can be used in it’s place.
- Hot sauce – this is an old chef’s trick used to enhance the flavors of the cheese. The richness of the cheese will be enhanced by adding just a few dashes of hot sauce to the cheese sauce.
- Half-and-half – you can use whole milk, but the sauce will not be as thick and creamy. I’ve made this recipe with both, and they both work, but I do prefer the texture of the cheese sauce made with half-and-half.
- Cheez-It crackers – these cheesy crackers will be crushed to make the topping for the mac and cheese.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
To start this recipe, you’ll want to bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook the macaroni noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and set them aside, while you prepare the cheese sauce.
- Shred the cheddar and Swiss cheese. I always recommend shredding the cheese at home, instead of buying pre-shredded cheese. It melts so much better into the mac and cheese.
- Make a roux. Melt butter in a large skillet, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle flour over the butter, then whisk to combine, to form a roux. Add salt, pepper, mustard powder and hot sauce. Whisk to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
- Add half-and-half. Reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and slowly pour in the half and half. Whisk to combine it with the seasoned roux and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Add the cheese. Add the shredded cheddar (reserving ¼ cup for the topping) and Swiss cheese to the pot. Stir consistently until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Remove the pot from the heat on the stove.
- Add the cooked macaroni noodles to the pot with the cheese mixture. Stir until the noodles are fully covered in the sauce. Transfer the mac and cheese to a greased 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish. Yes, it does look like there’s way a lot of liquid right now, but I promise, it’s going to cook perfectly into the macaroni in the oven and will give you the most creamy mac and cheese!
- Crush the Cheez-It’s. Add the crackers to a food processor and pulse into crumbs. Alternatively, place the crackers in a large zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Prepare the cracker topping. Melt butter in a medium bowl, then stir in the crushed crackers and reserved ¼ cup cheddar cheese.
- Add the topping and bake. Sprinkle the Cheez-It cracker topping evenly across the mac and cheese in the baking dish. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 30 minutes. Optional: if you want to crisp up the crust a little more at the end, switch the oven from bake to broil on high for the last 2 minutes of the cook time. Always keep an eye on the mac and cheese when it’s under the broiler. Once the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven immediately.
You can make this recipe ahead of time and store it, covered in the fridge, for up to 3 days before baking. I do recommend waiting to put the cracker topping on the dish until right before popping it in the oven. This way the cracker crust will stay crispy.
What to serve it with
For a holiday meal, you can pair this baked macaroni and cheese with a smoked turkey, prime rib, honey baked ham, or beef tenderloin.
For an easy weeknight meal, try pairing it with one of these recipes to add protein to the meal.
Baked Mac and Cheese with Cheez-It Crust
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked macaroni noodles
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded into approximately 2 ¼ cups
- 8 ounces swiss cheese, shredded into approximately 2 ¼ cups
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups half and half, or whole milk
- 2 cups Cheez-It crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Add the macaroni noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- While the noodles are boiling, shred the cheddar and Swiss cheese, and set aside.
- Place a large saucepan, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium heat.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, once melted, add ¼ cup flour and whisk into a roux. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard powder and 3-4 dashes of hot sauce. Whisk to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and slowly pour in the half and half. Whisk to combine it with the seasoned roux and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar (reserving ¼ cup for the topping) and all of the Swiss cheese. Stir consistently until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce.
- Remove from the heat after the cheese is melted, stir in the cooked macaroni noodles, and transfer to a greased 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.
- Crush the Cheez It's in a large zipper bag with a rolling pin, or by pulsing them in a food processor.
- In a medium bowl, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter. Combine it with the crushed Cheez-It's and the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the mac and cheese in the baking dish.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Optional: if you want to crisp up the crust a little more at the end, switch the oven from bake to broil on high for the last 2 minutes of the cook time.
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten free, use Annie’s gluten-free cheddar crackers instead of Cheez-It’s. Use gluten-free macaroni noodles. Replace the flour with cornstarch, but only use half of the amount of cornstarch. Because cornstarch has more thickening power than flour, you’ll only need 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to replace the 1/4 cup flour.
- This recipe will serve 4-6 people as a meal, or 8-10 people as a side dish. If you’d like to double this recipe to serve 15-20 people at a holiday meal, simply click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts will automatically update for the new serving size.
- Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. To reheat it in the microwave, place one serving in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for 2 minutes. To reheat it in the oven, place it in an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
