Pimento Mac and Cheese Squares Recipe

Cook the pasta just soft enough. Drain it bone dry—water kills the whole thing. While it’s still steaming, crush those bullion cubes into powder, whisk them with milk and eggs until there’s no grittiness left. That’s your binder. Everything gets mixed, spread into a square pan, topped with extra cheese, and into a 350°F oven for 25 minutes until the edges pull back and the center’s set but still has give. Cool it ten minutes. Slice. It’s the kind of thing that tastes better the next day.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Mac and Cheese Bake

Takes 50 minutes total and most of that’s just waiting around. Comes out in squares instead of a bowl—easy to grab, easier to serve cold later. Sharp cheddar does the heavy lifting. Pimentos add something without trying. Tastes better room temperature than hot, which means no rushing. One pan. One bowl. You already own everything.

What You Need for Cheesy Baked Pasta

Elbow macaroni. One cup uncooked. Has to be al dente—cooked through but still firm. Mushy pasta before it goes in the oven means a soft, loose bake, and that’s not what this is.

Two bullion cubes crushed into powder. Not three—two is enough salt without making it weird. You could use powdered chicken or veggie broth instead. About the same amount.

Milk. One and a half cups. Half and half works if you want it richer, creamier. Some people do whole milk. Doesn’t matter much.

Two large eggs. This is the binder. They firm everything up as it bakes. You could do one if you’re desperate, but expect softer squares.

Two cups sharp cheddar, shredded. Save half a cup for topping. The sharpness matters—mild cheddar tastes like nothing. That half cup on top gets brown and crusty.

Half a cup diced pimentos straight from the jar. Roasted red peppers work. Green chiles if you want something spicier. Just pimentos though—they’re sweet and they’re there.

Nonstick spray for the pan. Eight by eight dish.

Bacon is optional. A quarter cup cooked and crumbled. Adds salt and texture and something salty that punches through the cheese.

How to Make Baked Macaroni Cheese Squares

Start water boiling. Salt it. Cook the macaroni until it’s barely done—you want it to bend but not fall apart. Most people overcook it. Don’t. Drain it and let it sit in the colander for a minute so the steam comes off and no water clings to it.

While that’s happening, crush the bullion cubes in a medium bowl. Get them into powder. Add the milk and eggs and whisk hard until there’s nothing gritty left, until it’s totally blended. This is the custard. It soaks into every piece of pasta and sets firm in the oven.

Pull out half a cup of the shredded cheddar and set it aside—that’s your topping. Everything else gets stirred into the bowl with the pimentos and the drained pasta. Stir until the cheese starts to melt from the heat of the hot pasta, until everything’s coated, until you can barely see where one thing ends and another begins.

Spray the eight by eight pan. Pour the whole thing in evenly.

Sprinkle that reserved cheddar across the top. It gets brown. It gets crusty. It’s the best part.

How to Get Sharp Cheddar Baked Pasta Crispy and Set

Slide it into a 350°F oven. Don’t use 375. Don’t guess. Three fifty.

Watch it around the 20-minute mark. The edges will start to pull back from the sides. The top will bubble gently. Poke the center with a knife. If it jiggles, it’s not ready. If it’s firm, it’s close.

You want 25 to 30 minutes total. Visual cues matter more than the timer. If the top’s browning too fast and the center still jiggles, throw foil on it loose—not tight—and keep going for another few minutes.

When it comes out, the cheese on top is brown and crispy and the edges are pulling back and there’s almost no jiggle in the center. Let it sit. Ten minutes minimum. The eggs are still setting. Hot out of the oven and you’ll get a soft, almost custard-like mess. Ten minutes and it firms up enough to cut clean squares. Room temperature and it’s actually better—has a snap to it.

Baked Macaroni Cheese Squares Tips and Common Mistakes

Overcooked pasta is the biggest trap. You think you’re being safe. You’re making mushy bake. Cook it to al dente. Drain it completely. Some people leave water on it because they think it’ll stay moist. It won’t. It’ll get soupy and fall apart.

Too much liquid overall will make it not set. If yours comes out too soft even after sitting, add a quarter cup more cheese next time or bake it five minutes longer. Sometimes it’s the eggs. If you used smaller eggs or half a cup of milk came up short, you’ve got too much liquid relative to binder.

The milk matters less than people think. Whole, half and half, even a splash of heavy cream—all work. But don’t substitute with water or broth straight up. The custard needs some richness or it tastes thin.

Bullion cubes work but some people use salt and a bit of chicken powder instead. Tastes almost the same. Some people say powdered broth is better. Haven’t noticed.

If you want to add bacon, cook it crispy and break it into pieces and stir it in at the same step where you add the cheddar and pimentos. Or sprinkle it on top with the extra cheese. Both work. Just don’t add it raw.

Pimentos are mild. If you want more heat, use green chiles. If you want smoke, roasted red peppers. The texture’s slightly different but close enough.

Scaling it up? Double everything and use a nine by thirteen dish. Same oven temp. Maybe 35 to 40 minutes. Check around 30.

Pimento Mac and Cheese Squares Recipe

By Emma

Prep:

25 min

Cook:

25 min

Total:

50 min

Servings:

9 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 2 bullion cubes crushed (originally 3, reduced to 2 for subtle salt)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (sub half and half for creamier texture)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
• 1/2 cup diced pimentos
• nonstick cooking spray
• optional twist add: 1/4 cup cooked crispy bacon pieces

Method

1. 1 Start boiling water. Cook macaroni just until al dente; tender but still firm. Drain well; wet pasta waters will kill the bake by making it too soupy.
2. 2 While pasta steams dry, crush bullion cubes in a medium bowl with back of a spoon or fork until powdery. Add milk and eggs; whisk together vigorously until fully blended. This mix baths the pasta with salty creaminess and helps binder the eggs firm up the custard base.
3. 3 In bowl, reserve 1/2 cup cheddar cheese—set aside for topping. Stir remaining cheddar in with pimentos and drained macaroni. Get everything evenly coated; you want the cheese to almost melt into pasta lumps, with pimento bits scattered throughout.
4. 4 Spray 8x8 dish lightly. Pour mixture in evenly. Sprinkling reserved cheddar on top creates a crusty golden lid when baked, adds to texture contrast.
5. 5 Slide into oven preheated to 350°F. You'll know it's ready when edges pull away slightly, the top bubbles gently, and poking center shows firmness not jiggle. Expect 25–30 minutes but check visually around 20 min for first signs. If top browns too fast, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning.
6. 6 Pull out, cool about 10 minutes to let custard firm fully; easier to slice cleanly then. Hot out the oven is tempting but too soft. Served warm or room temp—nice cheesy snap, not squishy mess.
7. 7 For last minute swaps: bullion can be swapped for powdered chicken or veggie broth; eggs can be scaled back to one if pressed but expect softer squares; milk can do whole or a splash cream for richness. Pimentos replaced by roasted red peppers or green chiles for smoky bite.
8. 8 Bacon twist? Adding it before baking introduces crisp salty bursts. Mix in with pasta step. You can also sprinkle on top with extra cheddar.
9. 9 Common trap is overcooked pasta – mushy bake results. Drain well and watch pasta cooking tightly. Another issue is too much liquid; adjust by adding a little more cheese or waiting longer to bake until set by feel.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

15g

Carbs

28g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Pimento Mac and Cheese With Bacon

Can I make this ahead? Assemble it the night before. Keep it covered in the fridge. Bake it when you need it. Might take five extra minutes since it’s cold going in. Or bake it, let it cool, cover it, and reheat it at 325 for 10 minutes before serving.

What if the top browns too fast? Foil. Loose, not sealed. Three fifty is right but ovens vary. Some run hot. If you’re seeing dark brown cheddar before the center sets, cover it and check every few minutes until it’s done.

Can I use mild cheddar instead of sharp? Yeah. Won’t taste like much though. Sharp cheddar’s why this works. If you only have mild, use more of it or mix in a small amount of whatever cheese has flavor.

How do I know when it’s done? Edges pull back slightly. Top bubbles gently. Poke the center. If it’s firm, it’s done. If it jiggles, five more minutes.

Does it have to cool ten minutes? No, but hot out of the oven and it’s almost custard. Still good, just messy to slice. Room temperature is better. The texture’s firmer, cleaner.

Can I freeze leftovers? Sure. Cool it completely. Wrap it tight. It’ll keep a few weeks. Reheat at 325 for 15 minutes covered, then uncover for the last few to get some crust back.

What if I only have one egg? It’ll work but softer. The bake sets less firmly. Still tastes good, just don’t expect clean squares.

Can I use fresh pimentos? Roast and peel them. The jarred ones are already prepared so they’re easier. Fresh ones need actual work and don’t add much difference.