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This is the cheesiest, creamiest, altogether best homemade mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!

Best homemade Mac and Cheese on spoon in casserole dish.

We love IT – a lot!

Macaroni and cheese is always a safe main dish in our home because the entire family loves it! We make it for Sunday dinners, holidays – you name it!

This homemade mac and cheese recipe is filled with cheese, milk, butter and topped with Panko making it incredibly delicious. We love it as a pasta dish to enjoy all year long, but it’s also a classic side dish for big family gatherings and special meals.

The kids have claimed it the “BEST homemade mac and cheese recipe out there” – and we have to agree!

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • This dish is simple! It’s prepped in 15 minutes and on the table in 40.
  • It’s cheesy and delicious. With Panko bread crumbs on top and loads of cheese in between, everyone loves this recipe.
  • Can be made ahead of time. For busy nights and holidays (like Thanksgiving and Christmas), it’s always great to have dishes that can be made in advance.
Macaroni pasta on table.

Ingredients

  • PREP TIME: 15 minutes
  • COOK TIME: 25 minutes
  • 1 (16-ounce) box elbow macaroni – we prefer elbow macaroni, but other pastas to use are: shell, Cavatappi, penne, Farfalle, fusilli, or rotini
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons salted butter – divided
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups milk – using 2% or whole milk is suggested for the creamiest sauce
  • 6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese – we also like equal parts mozzarella, cheddar, and American. Other cheeses include Parmesan, White Cheddar, Fontina, smoked Gouda, Gruyere, Colby Jack, and Gorgonzola.
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs – We use plain Panko breadcrumbs, but flavored crumbs or regular breadcrumbs work. Crushed Ritz crackers and crushed cornflakes also work.
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How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. PASTA. Boil 16 ounces of macaroni according to package directions.
  3. SAUCE. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Whisk in ½ cup flour and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon garlic salt and black pepper. Slowly pour in 4 cups milk, whisking until smooth. Heat to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4–5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  4. COMBINE. Drain pasta and transfer to a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 6 cups shredded cheese over pasta. Pour thickened cheese sauce over pasta and cheese. Let sit until the cheese has melted, then stir together.
    • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle on the bread crumb topping, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese.
  5. BAKE. Bake for 14–15 minutes. Serve warm.

CROCK POT VERSION

  • COMBINE. To make this version in the slow cooker, follow the instructions through step 1, then add hot pasta to a greased crockpot. Sprinkle 6 cups shredded cheese over pasta. Pour the thickened cream sauce over the pasta and cheese. Let sit until the cheese has melted and stir together.
  • HEAT. Cook on Low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • TOPPING. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add in bread crumbs, stirring constantly until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Pour over the mac and cheese and let warm for 5 minutes before serving.

For our favorite Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Best homemade Mac and Cheese recipe in casserole dish.
4.99 from 173 votes

Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

This is the cheesiest, creamiest, altogether best homemade mac and cheese you'll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!
Servings: 10
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups milk
  • 6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
  • Boil pasta according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic salt and pepper. Slowly pour in milk, whisking until smooth. Heat to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Drain pasta and transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta. Pour thickened cream sauce over pasta and cheese. Let it sit until the cheese has melted, then stir.
  • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Recipe tips.
  • This recipe uses a flour roux as a thickener. It takes a bit of time for the sauce to simmer before it thickens, so be patient.
  • Shred your cheese. Preshredded cheese is coated and doesn’t melt as well.
  • Some easy variations include mixing the cheddar cheese with other cheese, adding bacon bits, diced ham, or broccoli florets, or making it spicy using jalapenos or red pepper flakes.
Slow cooker directions. Follow Steps 2 and 3, then pour hot pasta into a greased slow cooker. Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta, followed by thickened cream sauce, and stir together. Cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Make breadcrumbs as directed in Step 4 and pour over macaroni. Let warm for 5 minutes before serving.
Prep ahead of time. Prepare the mac and cheese as directed above, but do not add the buttered breadcrumbs. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or wrap tightly with plastic and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, add breadcrumbs, and bake per recipe directions.
Store. Allow the mac and cheese to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container(s). Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Reheat. Thaw, if needed, and reheat, covered, in the oven or microwave. Add a splash of milk or cream to prevent dryness. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 292kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 1245mg, Potassium: 207mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 582IU, Calcium: 411mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Best Additions?

Spice. salsa, jalapeños, or chili flakes
Meats.cooked bacon bits, diced ham, grilled chicken, or cooked hamburger
Veggies. chopped spinach, broccoli, or roasted red peppers
Seasoning. a dash of flavor with garlic powder, dry mustard, onion powder, or paprika

Why is my Mac and Cheese Grainy?
How do I Thicken the Sauce?
Make Ahead of Time?
Freeze Ahead of Time?
How to Store Leftover Homemade Mac and Cheese?

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.99 from 173 votes (82 ratings without comment)

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186 Comments

  1. BJ says:

    Hi-
    Just discovered your site today as I was looking for Snickerdoodles-will try your recipe.

    I also looked at the homemade mac and cheese and noticed a couple of small errors-If I had a blog, I would like to know if something seemed amiss, so I hope you don’t mind. In the recipe it says:
    COMBINE. Drain pasta and transfer to a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 6 cups shredded cheese over pasta. Pour thickened cheese sauce over pasta and cheese. Let sit until the cheese has melted, then stir together. Shouldn’t it say pour thickened sauce or white sauce, not cheese sauce? Also in the the nutritional info it says Serving: 1g,. One gram?? That would be like one or two noodles. Made me chuckle. Darling family and great recipes that I have seen thus far. I will have to check back often and try some more recipes.

  2. Oliveen Alyette says:

    I tried making the roux twice with the ingredients given, and no matter how much I slowly poured in the flour and milk and continued whisking, it always came out extremely lumpy and couldn’t be amended anymore.

    1. BJ says:

      I hope you don’t mind me replying, but I make white sauce all the time for peas and potatoes, sausage gravy, cheese sauces, etc. What I find that works for me, is to melt the butter, add the flour and stir it into the butter, and then add the milk. That is how I make all my white sauces. It works for me since the flour gets mixed in with the butter first-making a type of roux, and then stirring/whisking in the milk. Once it starts thickening and reaching that close to boiling point, it is usually smooth. That has worked for me for years. Just a suggestion. I also add the cheese to the sauce, stirring it until it melts, then I pour it on the noodles, the veggies, etc., but either way works.

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