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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!
There’s an apparent typo in this recipe. You call for 2 1/2 cups of cheese, then call for melting 1 cup in the milk mixture, then 1/2 a cup (twice) over two layers. This doesn’t add up.
The math is correct. The recipe uses 1 cup in the sauce, 1/2 cup on the first layer, and then the remaining 1 cup on top (not another 1/2 cup). That’s 1 + 0.5 + 1 = 2.5 cups total. The instructions say “sprinkle with remaining cheese” for the final layer.
seriously the best mac and cheese i’ve ever had i make it all the time!! which is why im kind of shocked by some the comments…. if you’ve made this and find it soupy, i recommend making extra noodles just in case! seriously dont let too much sauce turn you away!!!
I saw a lot of comments about it being soupy. I don’t cook much but this was not soupy for me. I made sure I heated/stirred the roux long enough .. not sure if that is the issue for others. Turned out great!
I used the 2X recipe and added 3 cups of milk and 1 and a half cups of half and half to my roux mixture which had 6 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp of flour. I drained my macaroni entirely and it sat in the colander for over 30 minutes..Once I added 5 cups of good quality cheese (that I grated) I ended up with soup as well. I added 16 ounces of additional cheese to remedy this. Still soup. Something is wrong with the 2X recipe. I am baking it for far longer than your recipe hoping for the best. I didn’t deviate at all from the recipe and am hoping my Christmas dinner is not ruined. The Mac and Cheese was to be the signature fise fish to my ham. I am a very cool cook and this has never happened before. Please check your 2X recipe ratios as they are clearly wrong
I saw how soupy it was and did a corn starch slurry with milk and that thickened it right up. I thought I might have cooked the flour too long, but it might be that the flour ratio for that much liquid is off. Otherwise it was a really good recipe. I adjusted the seasonings to include garlic powder, onion powder and changed the black pepper to a scant 1/4 tsp of white pepper because I didn’t want flecks
Super tasty, thank you! I can see how some ended up with soupy sauce. Mine looked headed that way so I added one more tablespoon of flour and turned the heat up a notch. After that it came together beautifully and ended up tasting amazing.
Basically curd milk…. what a waste of good cheese.
Sometimes amateurs need practice with recipes but no doubt you’ll figure it out! Try bringing the cheese to temp slowly and don’t be such a cheesy waste.
This was actual milk soup. My milk and flour mixture never came anything close to a gravy? How could I mess up two ingredients plus mixing??????
I don’t know what I did but the recipe infuriates me. I accidentally made it again and same thing. Jsut a pot of noodle milk SOUP. Good luck trying to make a double batch and split it into two containers when it’s soup. Your recipe amounts also don’t change (mls) when we switch from x1 x2 etc. fyi.
I’m so sorry you had trouble. If its soupy the most common issue is not baking it long enough. It needs time in the oven for the liquid to absorb and thicken up. Also really important to let it sit for like 10-15 minutes after baking bc it thickens alot as it cools. And make sure you drained the pasta really well before adding the cheese sauce, extra water from the pasta can make it soupy. Also thanks for catching that about the recipe multiplyer not converting, I’ll get that fixed!
I know its annoying when a recipe doesnt work but I promise this one does work when you follow it exactly. Try giving it more bake time and let it rest, that should help!
Question – I haven’t made this yet, but are 5 cups of cheese after it’s been shredded? I’m just wondering how many 8oz blocks of cheese this is. Thanks! Will update the rating after we make it! I needed to enter a rating to post it seems.
Yes the 5 cups are measured after shredding. You’ll need about three 8 ounce blocks to get that amount. Hope you enjoy it and I’d love to hear how it turns out!
If you like heating your home with gas then look no further! This soupy mac and cheese recipe is sure to leave your family unsatisfied, yet producing a saucey vapourous melange of delight well throughout the night! 5 stars for gas production, if I could give a 0 for taste I would. Gochujang helped suffer through this meal.
I’m so sorry it turned out soupy for you. It should be thick and creamy, so something definitely went off. Often it’s the cheese not melting smoothly or the sauce not cooking long enough to tighten up. If you ever want to try it again I’m happy to help troubleshoot.
You have so many WONDERFUL comments on this recipe that it really confuses me when I see a review like this. Are these people straining the pasta and tossing the water???? Im si confused!!!