Classic Homemade Mac and Cheese made with bite-size pasta, cheddar cheese, and a simple creamy sauce all baked to perfection in the oven.  This recipe includes tips, tricks, and photos for making PERFECT baked mac and cheese.

This mac and cheese recipe has many similarities to another of my favorites; One Pan Baked Ziti. They are both creamy, and dreamy, comfort food that gets baked to cheesy, bubbly perfection in the oven.

Mac and cheese in a white baking dish with a wooden spoon in it, ready to serve.

Mac and Cheese

I'm pretty sure that most adults love a great homemade macaroni and cheese recipe just as much as our kids do! My kids will enjoy a box of Kraft macaroni and day, but everyone gets especially excited when I make this homemade mac and cheese, and for good reason!

This recipe is incredibly easy, and your kids would probably love to help you make it! I let my littles help grate the cheese and measure the noodles.

For me, mac and cheese has to have a smooth and creamy cheese sauce, and I’ve had enough trial and error in this department to understand that there are a few simple things you can do to achieve that smooth sauce we all want in our macaroni!

How to AVOID grainy cheese sauce:

  • The type of cheddar makes a difference. High quality aged cheddar cheese will give you a stronger taste and smoother texture. More mild and inexpensive cheddar cheeses will have less flavor and almost a grittier taste.
  • Use fresh grated cheese. Pre-shredded store-bought cheese will not melt the same as freshly grated cheese, and grating the cheese helps it melt smoothly and evenly in the sauce.
  • Bring the cheese to room temperature. I like to grate the cheese very first, before moving forward with the recipe. That allows it to sit at room temperature while I prepare the white sauce.
  • Use low heat. In order for the cheese to melt properly and smoothly we want it to have gradual changes in temperature (like how we shredded it and allowed it to come to room temperature at the beginning of the recipe). When it’s time to add the cheese to the white sauce, remove the sauce from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. It only needs to be warm enough to melt the cheese.
  • Don’t over-stir the sauce once the cheese has melted. Add the noodles and quickly assemble in pan and put into the oven.

AVOID pre-shredded Cheese!

I know they are sooo convenient, but not only do pre-shedded cheeses just not taste as great, they are also mixed with various types of powder which prevent them from melting as well as freshly shredded cheese.  So while it's not life or death, I highly recommend getting out your block grater and shredding fresh cheese for your homemade mac and cheese!  You won't regret it!

8 Simple Ingredients is ALL you Need:

  • Elbow macaroni: It's my favorite for this recipe, but any other bite-sized pasta will work.
  • Butter: salted or unsalted will work–just adjust the amount of salt you add, depending on the butter.
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Milk
  • Half and half
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese: the higher quality aged-cheddar, the better!

Perfect Mac and Cheese in 5 Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees and lightly grease a square baking dish.
  2. Cook the macaroni. Slightly undercook your noodles (about 1 minute under al-dente). Drain and set aside.
  3. Make the roux.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add milk and cheese.  Stir in milk and half and half, slowly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup shredded cheese to the sauce and stir just until melted. Add the cooked macaroni noodles and toss to coat them in the sauce.
  5. Pour into baking dish.  Pour half or the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the top. Pour remaining pasta over it and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Three process photos for making mac and cheese in a skillet including melting butter, adding flour, cream and milk to make a roux, and then adding shredded cheddar cheese.

To bake or not to bake:

You don't have to bake the mac and cheese in this recipe. Everything gets fully cooked and is essentially ready to eat after the cheese and noodles are added. However, I love the extra gooeyness that comes when the cheese is baked and I think baking it adds a level of sophistication you just don't get without.

Overhead view of a skillet with homemade macaroni and cheese in it, ready to eat.

What Type of Cheese?

This classic mac and cheese recipe is made with cheddar cheese.  I particularly love medium or sharp cheddar cheese but any type will do.  If you want a more luxurious mac and cheese or you're really trying to impress a crowd, you could use a combination of different cheeses.  Just be sure to select a type of cheese that is good for melting, like white cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, brie, goat cheese, mozzarella, or fontina.

Freezing and Storing:

This recipe freezes well.  Just like with my other freezer friendly meals, I love to prepare two and freeze one for another day.  You'll want to freeze this dish prior to baking it in the oven!  Make sure to let the mac and cheese cool completely then pour it into a freezer friendly dish, cover it well and freeze if for up to 3 months.

A square white baking dish with mac and cheese and shredded cheese topping, ready to go in the oven.

To reheat:

  • From frozen: Bake from frozen at 350 degrees F for 70-80 minutes or until warm throughout.
  • From thawed: Cover the mac and cheese with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake it at 325ºF for 20 minutes.

Additional Add-in & Toppings:

If you want to take this classic Mac and cheese to the next level check out my Gourmet Mac and Cheese, or consider adding some of the following:

  • Extra cheese topping – Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top before baking.
  • Breadcrumbs– combine about 1 cup of breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a bowl. Sprinkle over top of the macaroni and cheese just before baking.
  • Bacon Bits – Cook about 4-5 slices of bacon.  cut the cooked bacon into small bits and stir into the mac and cheese before pouring it into your baking dish.

A white bowl with homemade mac and cheese in it and a spoon.

 

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Recipe

Mac and cheese in a white baking dish with a spoon ready to serve.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and lightly grease an 8' square (or similar size) baking dish.
  • Cook the macaroni to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and half and half, stirring constantly, and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened like the consistency of gravy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup shredded cheese, stirring just until melted.
  • Combine: Add the cooked macaroni noodles and toss to coat. Pour half or the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the top. Add remaining pasta and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.

Notes

*½ pound uncooked macaroni = about 1 ½ cups
Tips for getting a smooth cheese sauce:
  • High quality aged cheddar cheese will give you a stronger taste and smoother texture. More mild and inexpensive cheddar cheeses will have less flavor and almost a grittier taste.
  • Use fresh grated cheese. Pre-shredded store-bought cheese will not melt the same as freshly grated cheese, and grating the cheese helps it melt smoothly and evenly in the sauce.
  • Bring the cheese to room temperature. I like to grate the cheese very first, before moving forward with the recipe. That allows it to sit at room temperature while I prepare the white sauce.
  • Use low heat. In order for the cheese to melt properly and smoothly we want it to have gradual changes in temperature (like how we shredded it and allowed it to come to room temperature at the beginning of the recipe). When it’s time to add the cheese to the white sauce, remove the sauce from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. It only needs to be warm enough to melt the cheese.
  • Don’t over-stir the sauce once the cheese has melted. Add the noodles and quickly assemble in pan and put into the oven.
Gluten-free Adaptations: use gluten-free elbow noodles, and all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 24gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 693mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1023IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 540mgIron: 1mg

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Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

I originally shared this recipe in July 2014. Updated August 2019. 

 

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Holly
8 months ago

5 stars
Best Mac and cheese. EVER!!! Definitely making this again!!

Patti Osborne
1 year ago

5 stars
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and it’s my absolute favorite Mac and cheese. So simple, rich and delicious!

Matt S
3 days ago

1 star
Super liquidy and gross

Karen
10 days ago

4 stars
Made this once and it was delicious. However making the roux takes like half an hour..wondering if too much liquid. Doubled the recipe. Thoughts..

Admin
9 days ago
Reply to  Karen

Ahh yes—the roux can definitely feel like it takes forever, especially when doubling! Sounds like it may have needed a bit more heat (medium–low is your friend here), or just a longer cook time to thicken all that extra liquid. Next time try adding the milk slower and let it bubble longer before the cheese. You got this 👏 and I’m so glad you loved it!

Kerry
4 hours ago
Reply to  Karen

Agree with the admin’s comments–when making bechamel sauce in school they always had us add the liquid a little bit at a time allowing it to heat up between additions; otherwise “you’ll be waiting forever,” as our instructors put it.

Naomi
11 days ago

5 stars
Ohhh my god. I made this for dinner and it was so good. For cheese I actually mixed white cheddar, parmesan and a goat cheese that had spring veg and herbs in it. Totaled out to about 258g of cheese- so a little more than recommended. Other than that – and running out of milk, having to substitute some of the milk with cream mixed with water, and using cream instead of half and half – I made it exact to the recipe. This is 100% going to get made again. It was so creamy, rich and delicious, I watched my mom’s (who’s a big foodie, but also very particular) eyes roll back and she shivered with the first bite. We actually had leftovers, though, because of how rich and filling it was. 10/10 recipe.

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Admin
11 days ago
Reply to  Naomi

Okay but the goat cheese with herbs?? You basically made the deluxe version and I’m obsessed.

James
13 days ago

1 star
Soupy, liquidy, portions are wrong, recipe forgets about a whole half a cup of cheese and doesn’t balance the sauce properly. It was inedible. If I could give this 0 stars, I would.

Admin
13 days ago
Reply to  James

I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like this recipe. In step 4, it says to sprinkle remaining cheese on top, that’s where that last 1 cup of cheese is supposed to go. We would be happy to help you troubleshoot the recipe and help with any questions you have.

M F
18 days ago

5 stars
We’re millennials so we grew up with the idea that mac n cheese = a box of Kraft. Now that we have cut out processed foods and make everything from scratch, we’ve been searching for a homemade mac n cheese recipe that was reminiscent of our youth. I’ve tried so many recipes, but my family hasn’t loved a single one. Some were better than others, but a lot of them were too seasoned or too bland or had chunks of onions that offended our kids no matter how small I diced them or it was too grainy, etc. Well if you’re like us, LOOK NO FURTHER. This is the BEST recipe out there. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s not grainy, and the taste is amazing. Thank you for cracking the code!

Matt
28 days ago

5 stars
Kids dug it. Best recipe I have found

Misty
1 month ago

Will This work if I don’t have half and half what could I use to substitute the half and half

Admin
1 month ago
Reply to  Misty

Yes, you can totally substitute the half and half! Use an equal mix of milk and heavy cream, or just milk in a pinch

Marilene
1 month ago

can i use mozzarella cheese?

Admin
1 month ago
Reply to  Marilene

Mozzarella works, but it’s mild and can get stringy—mix with cheddar for better flavor and texture!

Cheyenne
1 month ago

Question..

What size pan should I use to double recipe?

Thanks in advance..

Admin
1 month ago
Reply to  Cheyenne

If you’re doubling the recipe, I recommend using a 9×13-inch baking dish.

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