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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.
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Mac and Cheese:
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb uncooked elbow macaroni, * (225 g)
- 3 tablespoons butter, (43 g)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, (16 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups milk, , any kind (360 ml)
- 3/4 cup half and half, (180 ml)
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*, (250 g)
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
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.
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!
Really good! I did a cheese blend of medium cheddar, Mozzarella and sharp cheddar. Added a little garlic powder also. Definitely. Aking this recipe again!
So easy to make and so good. Creamy, broiled 5 minutes, crispy on the top. A definite keeper.
this shit was terrible
Can I make this the night before my event, then finish it off in the oven the next day? Thank you!!
Yes! You can assemble it the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Just add a splash of milk before baking to keep it creamy.
Mac n cheese turned out but is almost flavorless… any suggestions? Did I miss something?
For more flavor, try using extra sharp cheddar, adding spices like garlic powder, or mixing in something tasty like crispy bacon bits.
I added a bit more salt and pepper, plus some ground mustard. Yum!
I’d like to make a quadruple batch so my kids can have freezer meals at university. What adjustments should I make?
If you scroll down to the recipe card, there’s an option to hit 2x the recipe. Since you want 4x, just make it twice and bake in two 9×13” pans
This is great recipe. It’s so simple with simple ingredients and so delicious. I added onion and garlic powder and a little extra black pepper (it’s a Southern thing), and it was so good!
What should I do with the clumps that form when you put the flour in the butter??
Totally normal! If clumps form when you add the flour to the butter, just keep whisking—it’ll smooth out as it cooks.
Can I substitute anything for half and half? I currently don’t have any on hand
Yes! You can use equal parts milk and heavy cream, or even just whole milk in a pinch (the sauce may be a little less rich, but still tasty).
When you say equal parts, do you follow the milk amount or the half and half amount? I’m using heavy cream, how much of that do I use with how much of milk?
You can replace the half and half with equal parts milk and heavy cream, or just use whole milk for both the milk and the half and half if that’s what you have.
This mac n cheese was just like my mom’s. I did quadruple the recipe for 2lbs macaroni. The milk may seem like alot at 1st but after about 20mins of stiring it, it thickened nicely. I started at a med high heat then turned it down a bit once I saw small bubbles. It thickened perfectly. I added a small very finely chopped onion that I sautéed in the butter before adding the flour. I added most of the cheese to the sauce with cooked finely chopped bacon and then saved some of both for sprinkling on top. Then added tomato slices and panko bread crumbs. Cooked for about 50 mins. There was a perfect amount of sauce to noodles. Not soupy at all. The key is to let that sauce thicken. It may take longer but the amount of everything is spot on.