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This is the cheesiest, CREAMIEST homemade mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!
The kids never complain, and they love it as much as our Creamy Penne Pasta and Fettuccine Alfredo.
We love IT!
Macaroni and cheese is always a safe dinner recipe. The entire family loves it, and we will tell you why:
- 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.
- Easy to change up. This recipe is a great base for a classic Mac and Cheese, but use it to change up and add any other favorite ingredients.
- 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.
This homemade mac and cheese makes for a great pasta dish for any time of the year, and it’s a fantastic side dish at big family gatherings!
Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- elbow macaroni – we refer elbow macaroni, but other pastas to use are: shell, cavatappi, penne, farfalle, fusilli, or rotini
- salted butter
- all-purpose flour
- garlic salt
- pepper to taste
- milk – using 2% or higher milk is suggested
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese – other cheeses that we like, include: equal parts mozzarella, cheddar, and American. Other cheeses include Parmesan, White Cheddar, Fontina, smoked Gouda, Gruyere, Colby Jack, and Gorgonzola.
- Panko breadcrumbs – We use plain Panko breadcrumbs, but flavored crumbs or regular breadcrumbs work. Crushed Ritz crackers and crushed corn flakes also work.
How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- PASTA. Boil pasta according to package directions.
- SAUCE. 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.
- COMBINE. Drain pasta and transfer to a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta. Pour thickened cheese sauce over pasta and cheese. Let sit until the cheese has melted, then stir together.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons 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. 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 CLICK HERE.
variations
Add-ins. To get adventurous, try adding some of these items to change things up:
- 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
Recipe tips
Adjust the sauce as needed with these tips.
- To avoid a grainy/gritty cheese sauce.
- Use high-quality aged cheddar cheese.
- Grate the cheese yourself – do not buy pre-shredded cheese (it does not melt as well and makes a sauce less creamy).
- Bring the cheese to room temp before grating.
- Make sure you add the cheese AFTER the roux sauce has thickened and cook on a low temperature or with the heat off – just needs to be able to melt.
- To fix a dry mac and cheese. Stir in the milk as you heat up the dish. It will add moisture and creaminess back to the dish.
- The flour mixture. When the roux technique is added to mac and cheese, it not only thickens the dish but keeps the cheese from separating and/or clumping together.
- Thicken. The sauce should be creamy, not soupy. To make it more thick:
- Use whole milk
- Add in more cheese
- Cornstarch slurry: In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of COLD water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it in to cook a bit more.
Storing info
- STORE. Leftovers can be stored, covered in the fridge, for 2-3 days.
- Make ahead of time. Prepare the mac and cheese according to the recipe.Before baking, cover the dish tightly and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days. When you are ready to use, bake as per recipe directions.
- FREEZE. If you plan to freeze the dish, make sure the pasta is cooked al dente. This pasta dish can be frozen for 2-3 months.
- Thaw then bake. Thaw it in the refrigerator and bake according to the recipe directions.
- Straight to the oven. Put it directly from the freezer into the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake until it’s hot in the center (about 1 hour).
For more cheesy pastas:
Mac and Cheese Recipe
This is the cheesiest, CREAMIEST homemade mac and cheese you'll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni
- ½ cup plus 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.
- 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 lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta. Pour thickened cream sauce over pasta and cheese. Let sit until the cheese has melted, then stir together.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons 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 14–15 minutes. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Make 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. Before baking, make breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top, and bake per recipe directions.
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.
Variations. Change up the cheese for extra flavor. A popular blend is equal parts mozzarella, cheddar, and American. Other cheeses that are good to use in mac and cheese include Parmesan, sharp cheddar, white cheddar, Gruyère, Colby Jack, and Gorgonzola.
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.
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Recipe adapted from That Which Nourishes
The calories in one serving are more than my daily allowance?! How? Where are all the calories coming from?
I don’t believe the nutritional information is correct. It can’t possibly be 1600+ calories per serving, right?
Tried the home made mac & cheese tonight. Let me tell you, I’m the only female in our 6 person household that includes a couple ridiculously picky eaters, & I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! Everyone loved it! Thanks again & keep ’em coming!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know!
Come up with your own recipe it’s easy everyone has their own blend of cheeses to use and you really don’t have to use the flour mixture I don’t if you bake it the macaroni will absorb the liquid and become creamy anyway
Hello.
Just to clarify.. I am a paranoid cooker.
With your “Best Macaroni and Cheese”, you poor the cream sauce over the shredded cheese and then you mix them together in the pan???
Please let me know. I would LoVe to make this for my family and for a meal I am taking to a family on Friday (4/16/18).
Thank you for your time and for your yummy recipes.
Yep, pour the sauce over the cheese & pasta, let sit for a minute, to melt the cheese, then stir right in the pan. Good luck! It will be a hit! Thank you for trying my recipes 😉
Just made this for my group of picky eaters. My crew loved it! My pickiest eater just went back for seconds! I used 4cups preshredded cheese, cheddar and Colby jack because that’s what I had. So good! Keeping this recipe handy for future use! Easy to make too, as I’m a novice in the kitchen.
Woohoo!! Love, love to hear that!! My kids love this stuff! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hello! Made this today and flavor was delicious but my husband felt like it had a little chalky texture to it. What did I do wrong? Also when should I add the garlic salt, I didn’t see it in the directions?
The chalky texture is probably due to not cooking the sauce out enough
You add it in step one. I just say salt, but it is the garlic salt 🙂 I am not sure about the chalky texture. I’m thinking it is not letting the sauce cook long enough, like Tara mentioned. Mix well 🙂
You should maybe modify the recipe to say garlic salt. I missed this addition too because “add salt and pepper to taste” has a different meaning than “add a tablespoon of garlic salt”. I noticed my garlic salt left over at the end of the recipe and was disappointed i wasn’t prompted to use it. Hopefully it still has the great flavor everyone’s raving about!
How many ounces is the 6 cups of cheese?
It’s roughly 24 ounces 🙂
It’s 48 ounces
Okay, now I’m really confused. 24ozs or 48ozs? Big difference! Help
Google suggests 4 ounces equals 1 cup grated cheese.
I’ve tried many recipes from online over the years, but this is the first time I felt the need to comment on one. Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite dishes, but I’ve never been able to make a satisfying homemade one until now. This is definitely a recipe I will be making over and over again. Thank you for sharing such an amazing meal!
I love hearing that!! Thank you so much for letting me know. We love this recipe!
I just came across this recipie I didn’t have macaroni noodles but I had penne so I used that it was so good lol
That works 🙂 Glad you liked it! Thank you!