Baked Feta Mac and Cheese

A super simple baked feta mac and cheese recipe, made by baking a block of feta in one dish with uncooked pasta - so easy and hassle-free!

I don't spend much time on TikTok (I think I'm a good decade older than most people who use that app), but there are some TikTok trends that you just can't escape from - and baked feta pasta is one of them!

This baked feta mac and cheese is a fun twist on the recipe, and since the pasta and sauce are all cooked together in the oven, it truly couldn't be easier to make.

What is TikTok baked feta pasta?

The original baked feta pasta recipe involves baking a whole block of feta with tomatoes and garlic in the oven, then mixing it through cooked pasta.

My baked feta mac and cheese is actually even easier, as the pasta is cooked right in the oven, along with the feta. So this truly is a one pot recipe - you don't need to cook anything separately at all.

Just pop it in the oven, and go and relax while your dinner cooks itself.

How to make baked feta mac and cheese

Step 1: Add the pasta and feta to a baking dish

Mix some milk and pasta together in a baking dish, along with some grated cheddar cheese. I also added some garlic and plenty of black pepper.

Then pop a block of feta on top (this recipe is not for the faint-hearted, nor the lactose intolerant...).

Sprinkle it with some more black pepper and some dried herbs, and it's ready to go in the oven. It literally takes about 5 minutes to prepare!

Step 2: Bake until the pasta is soft

After about half an hour in the oven, the pasta will be fairly soft, and the cheese will all be crisped up nicely.

These golden bits will add so much flavour to your mac and cheese once it's all stirred together - is there anything better than the flavour of crispy cheese?!

Step 3: Mix well

Now it's time to break up the feta and mix it through the cooked pasta.

Feta cheese doesn't melt in the oven - that's why it's so great for baking. But, it does still go beautifully gooey in the middle, and gets lovely crispy bits around the edges.

Just keep mixing until everything's nice and smooth.

Step 4: Add some veg (if you want to)

You could eat your baked pasta right away, if you want to keep it plain. It will already be creamy and salty and cheesy and utterly delicious.

But I like to try to get some veg into my meals wherever I can, and sometimes it's nice have something to break through the creaminess a bit. So I added some halved cherry tomatoes and some fresh spinach, and returned the pan to the oven for another ten minutes or so.

The end result is just incredible. It's insanely creamy, and since it's made with feta, it has that wonderful salty, cheesy flavour. The slight tang makes it feel a little less heavy than some other macaroni cheeses.

How to serve baked feta mac and cheese

As with all cheesy pasta recipes, this baked feta macaroni cheese is pretty rich - so a small portion goes a long way!

I served mine with a good handful of greenery - watercress is my favourite, as you can eat it raw or wilted, and it has a lovely peppery flavour that holds up really well against the tangy feta.

Baked Feta Mac and Cheese

A super simple baked feta mac and cheese recipe, made by baking a block of feta in one dish with uncooked pasta - so easy and hassle-free!

If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 640kcal

Author: Becca Heyes

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Ingredients

• ▢ 300 g (~ 2 cups) uncooked macaroni
• ▢ 650 ml (~ 2 ½ cups) milk
• ▢ 100 g grated cheddar cheese (~ 1 cup when grated)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic puree
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 200 g (~ 7 oz) block of feta cheese
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• ▢ 1 large handful fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• ▢ ~ 8 good quality cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 75 ml (~ ¼ cup) water (if needed)

Instructions

• Add the uncooked macaroni, milk, grated cheddar cheese, minced garlic, and black pepper to a baking dish (mine measured approximately 8 x 8 inches), and mix thoroughly. Place the block of feta cheese in the middle of the dish, on top of the pasta, and sprinkle with some dried herbs and a little extra black pepper.
• Bake, uncovered, at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for about 30 minutes. Break up the feta with a spoon or spatula, and stir thoroughly.
• Add the chopped spinach and cherry tomatoes to the dish, and stir again. If the mixture seems too thick, or the pasta needs a bit more cooking, you can add an extra splash of water at this stage. Then return the dish to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and the cherry tomatoes are hot.

Notes

If you swap the macaroni for a larger pasta shape, it may take longer to cook, and may require a little more liquid. Check towards the end of the cooking time to see if it needs longer in the oven / an extra splash of water.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 640 kcal - Carbohydrates: 75.8 g - Protein: 31 g - Fat: 23.6 g - Saturated Fat: 15 g - Cholesterol: 84 mg - Sodium: 823 mg - Potassium: 757 mg - Fiber: 4.8 g - Sugar: 15.8 g - Calcium: 656 mg - Iron: 4 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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