Creamy Homemade Mac and Cheese is loved by all! It’s warm, ultra cheesy and comforting. This baked mac and cheese is perfect for a delicious weeknight meal or a holiday side dish.
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Who doesn’t love a cheesy, creamy homemade bowl of macaroni and cheese?! It’s such a family favorite, we can’t get enough! It’s easy enough to make on a Tuesday night and special enough for your holiday dinner table.
This is my easy, go to recipe for the creamiest and cheesiest mac and cheese.
What you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- A 9×13 baking dish– or cut the recipe in half and use a 9×9 size baking dish
- Elbow macaroni– or anything smaller that’s perfect for sauce such as shells or orecchiette
- Shredded cheddar cheese– cheddar is classic and my go-to. You can mix it up and use pepper jack, gruyere, fontina, or muenster. Any cheese you use should be hand shredded because it melts (and tastes) better. I love this cheese shredder
- Whole milk– for that richness you want in a mac and cheese.
- Unsalted butter, all purpose flour– for the roux.
- Seasonings– I use basic salt and pepper along with a touch of paprika, nutmeg, and mustard powder.
How to make it
Pre-heat the oven and cook the pasta according to the package directions, but 1 minute less. Drain and set aside.
Start the cheese sauce:
In a pot or Dutch oven melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until light brown to make the roux. (about 2-3 minutes)
*A roux is fat (the butter) and flour cooked together and then milk is added. A roux is the base for most cheese or cream based sauces.
Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking constantly. Add in all of the spices at this point.
Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce is thickened. (about 3-4 minutes) Add 4 cups of the cheddar cheese and stir until melted and creamy.
Add in the cooked macaroni and mix well with the cheese sauce.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour in half of the macaroni and cheese. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour in the rest of the macaroni and cheese and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.
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Tips and Tricks
- Try a variety of cheeses in place of the cheddar cheese such as pepper jack, gruyere, colby jack cheese, or muenster cheese. Try a combination of 2 cheeses. If you are really brave, add in some bleu cheese!
- Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package directions to keep the noodles firm while baking.
- Add cooked chicken or broccoli in to the dish before baking for a full meal.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Shred your own cheese from a block of cheese for the creamiest dish. Hand shredded cheese melts and tastes better.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days.
More family favorites
- Baked Boursin Cheese Pasta
- Slow Cooker No Boil Macaroni and Cheese
- Chicken Marsala Pasta
- Stuffed Pepper Pasta Casserole
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed shells
- BLT Pasta with Chicken
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
For more videos, kitchen hacks, recipes and ideas follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
Creamy Homemade Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup All purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni in according to the package directions, but 1-2 minutes less. When finished cooking, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, start the cheese sauce. In a large pot or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium to medium high heat.
- When the butter is melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add in the spices.
- Continue cooking over medium high heat until the sauce is thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add in 4 cups of the cheddar cheese and stir until melted and creamy. Pour in the cooked macaroni. Mix together until well combined.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour in half of the macaroni and cheese. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour the rest of the macaroni and cheese and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Try a variety of cheeses in place of the cheddar cheese, such as pepper jack, gruyere, colby jack cheese, or muenster cheese. Try a combination of 2 cheeses. If you are really brave, add in some bleu cheese!
- Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package directions to keep the noodles firm while baking.
- Add cooked chicken and/or steamed broccoli in to the dish before baking for a full meal.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Shred your own cheese from a block of cheese for the creamiest dish. Hand shredded cheese melts best.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days.
