This post contains affiliate links.
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
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:
- Preheat the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees and lightly grease a square baking dish.
- Cook the macaroni. Slightly undercook your noodles (about 1 minute under al-dente). Drain and set aside.
- Make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Mac and Cheese:
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb uncooked elbow macaroni, *
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups milk, , any kind
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*
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.½ lb uncooked elbow macaroni
- 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.3 tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 ½ cups milk, ¾ cup half and half, 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese*
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
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.
I’ve made this several times now and it’s been a hit every time!!!
Best Mac and cheese. EVER!!! Definitely making this again!!
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and it’s my absolute favorite Mac and cheese. So simple, rich and delicious!
Looks like a simple and delicious recipe!
Nothing “easy” about this…but it does turn out real yummy!!! Giving 4 stars bc of the complexity.
This came out very well. Next time, I will mix 2/3 of the shredded cheese into the roux as directed. Add the macaroni -and mix. THEN mix the remaining shredded cheese into the macaroni mixture (instead of layering). Bake 15-20 mins as directed.
Simple and delicious!!! I didn’t change anything about the recipe and it was perfect. I will indeed make this again.
This recipe is way off, and I am mystified by the 4.86/5.00 rating after reading all the negative reviews posted here. I should have read the reviews before making this recipe. Here are my observations…
– Prep and cook times took 3-4 times longer than the recipe stated.
– The sauce took at least 20-30 minutes to get thicker, not a “few minutes”, plus I had to increase heat to medium.
– The milk and half and half mixture was way more than the specified volume of noodles could take. I had to use cook another batch of noodles (used twice what was specified).
– I baked it for an hour to get the top a big more brownish.
– After doubling the noodles the mixture looked good going into oven.
– I added a lot more breadcrumbs and was glad I did. They soaked up the extra oil from the excess butter.
Final verdict, the final result turned out very good, as a result of my improvisation. BUT these instructions are way off. If I had followed the instructions, this would have resulted in a cheesy noodle soup.
Proportions are all off, as others stated, I should’ve read the comments first. Please update this recipe to a more accurate guide. Had I not followed my intuition I would’ve ended up with cheese soup.
I’m so sorry you had trouble, but the ingredient ratios are accurate. Be sure to cook the sauce until it has thickened, in step 4. That is important, before adding the cheese, so that it’s a thick, cheesy sauce.
Made this for 15 people at a family weekend and it was the favorite at the meal! I used half the recommended flour for the roux for a triple batch and it took about 20 minutes for that amount to thicken, but it worked – better a thin sauce than too thick, and it thickened as it baked. Everyone liked Franks Red Hot or BBQ sauce on it as well. I’ll definitely make this again.
Sooo goooood!👌
My husband love this recipe
I used white cheese but followed the exact recipes and yummy
Made it today! Sorry I forgot to take pic it was so good
I have been working on this recipe for 1 hour and 15 minutes now. My toddler is starving. I’m at the part where you’re supposed to let the milk thicken until it’s a gravy consistency. And per the recipe it’s only supposed to take “a few minutes”. I am not joking when I say I’ve been waiting for it to thicken for TWENTY minutes…I’m following the instructions exactly—I’m stirring as I type! I wish I would have read the reviews—this recipe is a joke!
It took 2 teaspoons of corn starch slurry and an extra cup of cheese and noodles but I got there. Not sure what happened with the roux but the mixture never thickened for me.
Just made this the first time and doubled it because I had a 16oz box of pasta. It turned out really well. I did not bake it in the oven and omitted the black pepper.
Used sharp cheddar aged 9 months.
I made the recipe with a couple alternatives.
1. Did not have milk but used almond milk. (Same measurements)
2. After the cooking time, broiled for 5 mins so the cheese would brown
3. Sprinkled smoked paprika on top after cooking.
The consistency of the Mac & Cheese was perfect, not soupy nor dry. I will definitely make this again!
Fat to solid should always be 1:1. 6 TBSP butter to 6 TBSP of flour.
The 1x recipe make more than enough sauce for double the amount of noodles listed. The milk and butter did not thicken much until I added all the cheese. The recipe should be corrected. Good news is that you can freeze the extra sauce or use it in scalloped potatoes and ham.