Homemade Mac and Cheese is a rich, creamy casserole and this recipe is truly my favorite!
Not only is this creamy macaroni and cheese recipe easy to make, it has a special ingredient so it turns out extra delicious!
This dish has so much cheesy sauce, it’s impossible to resist and once you try it, this is going to be the only baked macaroni & cheese recipe you’ll ever need!
Why This is Our Favorite Homemade Mac & Cheese Ever
Hello, my name is Holly and I am obsessed with Macaroni and Cheese. I love all kinds from crock pot mac & cheese to baked mac and cheese, or even out of a little blue box. Of all of the cheesy macaroni recipes, *this* recipe right here is the best mac and cheese recipe ever and always gets rave reviews!
- The sauce is from scratch and easy to make.
- This recipe is extra saucy.
- The pasta doesn’t get dry, it’s still nice and creamy even after it’s baked in the oven.
- It’s got great flavor, especially when using sharp cheddar cheese. (The sharper the better!)
- And most importantly, it’s the best homemade mac and cheese you’ve ever had.
Ingredients & Variations
PASTA This easy mac and cheese casserole starts with elbow macaroni that are slightly undercooked so they don’t get mushy when baked.
Any short pasta like penne, rotini, or shells will work. Feel free to use gluten free pasta or whole grain pasta if desired.
SAUCE A classic flour and butter mixture is used to thicken the cheese sauce. We add sharp cheddar and fresh parmesan for lots of flavor. A secret ingredient I love to add is condensed cheddar cheese soup (this is optional but reccomened).
For extra richness, I add a bit of light cream to the milk. You can use all milk if it’s all you have.
VARIATION This casserole has a simple cheese topping. But feel free to add a breadcrumb topping if desired.
How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
Making homemade macaroni and cheese (especially this 5-star recipe) is surprisingly easy and quick!
- Cook Pasta – Cook pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) drain & rinse.
- Make Sauce – A homemade cheese sauce with lots of cheese takes about 10 minutes. (more on the sauce below).
- Combine and bake – Toss sauce with pasta and top with remainder of shredded cheese.
- Bake (as per the recipe below) until golden and bubbly.
Mac and Cheese Sauce
The sauce for this easy homemade macaroni and cheese is a classic roux based cheese sauce. This just means fat (in this case butter) and flour cooked together and then liquid (milk) added! This sauce is incredibly rich and creamy making sure the macaroni and cheese is velvety smooth and extra creamy every single time.
Be sure to shred your own cheese for the sauce, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
The Best Cheese For Mac and Cheese
Sharp Cheddar is my first choice for flavor however you can certainly use your favorite cheeses. Mix it up and use a bit of gruyere, or even pepper jack for a little kick. If you have bits of cheese leftover, you can combine them all together in this easy homemade cheese sauce.
This recipe has a special ingredient that is a little bit unconventional but makes it extra yummy… AND it is optional. The addition of cheddar cheese soup makes the sauce a little bit extra velvety and just adds a little something. I think it’s much better than Mac and cheese with Velveeta! Give it a try! (You can find it at your local grocery store with the other condensed soups or online here).
Recipe Tips
Making Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is not difficult, but below are a few simple tips to make sure it turns out perfect and creamy every single time!
- Cook pasta al dente (firm) Otherwise the noodles cook extra in the sauce and can get over- cooked in the oven.
- Salt the pasta water It really makes a difference in the flavor of the pasta.
- Rinse the pasta after cooking While not everyone agrees, in this particular recipe the sauce is created with a texture that pairs perfectly with rinsed noodles. Rinsing with cold water stops the cooking process, too, ensuring that pasta won’t overcook and get mushy during baking.
- Shred the cheese by hand Pre-shredded cheeses contain additives to keep it from sticking together which affect the way it melts.
- Rest before serving Allowing the baked macaroni and cheese to rest for a few minutes after baking will thicken the sauce and allow the casserole to set.
- Watch the timer Most importantly of all… do not over-bake this recipe.
When cooking your macaroni noodles, cook them according to the package directions but you want them to be still firm. If your package says 6-8 minutes, just cook them 6… you get the idea.
How to Make a Bread Crumb Topping (optional)
Combine the following and sprinkle over your casserole before baking.
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Panko Bread Crumbs are best)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon parsley (optional)
This recipe makes an extra saucy creamy macaroni. Do not over-bake this recipe. You want it creamy and rich, over-baking will cause it to dry out. I find that 20 minutes is perfect in my oven, the cheese sauce will thicken slightly while standing.
More Macaroni Recipes You’ll Love
- Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese – so hearty
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – super easy!
- American Goulash Recipe (Tomato, Beef and Macaroni) – crowd pleaser
- Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole
- Homemade One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni – easy & quick!
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese – reader favorite
- Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Did you love this Mac and Cheese Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup half and half or light cream
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 10.75 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 can, optional
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook macaroni al dente according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour and let cook 2 minutes while stirring. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, mustard powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat while stirring until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and 3 cups cheddar cheese until melted. Add soup if using. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Toss cheese sauce and macaroni noodles together. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
- Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until bubbly. Do not over cook. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente (firm) so it doesn't overcook in the oven. I usually undercook by about 1-2 minutes
- Rinse the pasta after cooking This particular recipe is designed for rinsed pasta. This stops it from cooking.
- Shred the cheese by hand Pre-shredded cheeses contain additives to keep it from sticking together which affect the way it melts.
- Rest before serving this will thicken the sauce and allow the casserole to set.
- Watch the timer Most importantly of all... do not over-bake this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I made a Mac and cheese recipe before that allowed for some of the milk to be replaced with chicken broth, would that work here? Thanks.
I have made this before as written and we love it!
While I haven’t tried it, I’m certain it will work. This may change the flavor/consistency a bit.
This looks delicious I will make this.
Could I use Durkheim French fried onions for top instead of panko crumbs
Sounds like a great idea.
This was soooo delicious!!! Followed to a T and added the cheese soup and panko topping. This was better than any Mac and cheese I’ve ever had!!! It was a hit on Christmas Day!
Can I substitute almond milk for regular milk in this recipe?
Yes, almond milk may change the flavor slightly but will work in this recipe.
This recipe is perfect! It’s become a family favourite! The cheese soup is the magic ingredient!
It sounds delicious! Can this be made a day or two in advance?
Yes it can, the prep ahead instructions are in the recipe notes.
Hi Holly! I love your recipes and am looking forward to trying this one! I always struggle with the “salt and pepper to taste” part of recipes (particularly with salt). Do you have a general ballpark amount you would start with for this recipe?
Great question Jay, for this recipe I add about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. I’ve updated this in the recipe. I appreciate the feedback and just an FYI, we’re adding measurements to the newer posts this year and updating older ones as we remake and retest them to include this info. Enjoy the recipe!
Hello! I would like to take this to a family dinner but oven may not be available. How would I heat it up so it does not dry out?
When reheating, I often add a little bit of milk or cream and cook over low heat on the stove. Or you can cook your noodles al dente, assemble the casserole up to step 5, then bake on the day of the party. Whichever works best for you!
How would you alter this to cook/serve in a crockpot? I made it once in the oven and everyone loved it, but I am unsure there will be oven space for Christmas.
I am wondering this as well?
I have never tried making this recipe in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure. If ywe want to make crockpot mac and cheese, we use this recipe instead! It’s a reader favorite :)
taste so good. I add bacon bit n garlic.. came out great taste..
Mac and Cheese, omg sooooo good.
Instead of half and half cream or light cream I mixed I cup vanilla yogurt with a bit of 1% milk. ( I do not buy 2% milk)
I don’t use butter, I used margarine.
For the flour I used gluten free. i bought it by accident. Still worked good.
I did mix in a can of Cheddar Cheese soup.
Thank you Holly.
I made this for the 1st time and followed the recipe exactly as written and it came out perfect and was absolutely delicious and will most definitely be making this again. Thanks so very much for sharing this amazing recipe
How do I double this recipe to serve 11 people ? Do you use 2 -16oz boxes macaroni?
Thank you
Hi Debra, the recipe calls for 1-12oz box of macaroni. To double it you would need a second 12oz box. To double the recipe, there is a little box at the top of the recipe card, beside the ingredients title – 1x, 2x, 3x. Clicking on this will double or triple the recipe. I hope that helps.
I’m going to make your mac/cheese casserole for Christmas. Can you share what brand of cheddar cheese you recommend for best results? Do you use mild, sharp, extra sharp cheddar? White, or yellow? Thank you
Hi Debra, I have no preference for a brand. I do suggest sharp cheddar cheese. However, you can mix it up and add some gruyere, or even pepper jack. I would avoid using the pre shredded cheese. This doesn’t melt very well. I hope that helps.
I’m in Europe and i don’t have condensed cheddar soup, can you recommend a substitute?
It is optional and can be left out, no other changes needed!
Huge hit! Cheesy and delicious. Comfort food staple! Will be keeping this in the rotation. Thanks!
This recipe is so delicious! I used the condensed cheddar soup as recommended. In the past three weeks I have made this recipe exactly as described for three different families and they all loved it!! Thank you!
Can I substitute heavy cream w condensed milk?
Yes, that will work just fine.
I disagree with using condensed milk instead of heavy cream. Condensed milk is sweet.
Some people refer to evaporated milk as condensed milk (not the same as sweetened condensed milk). Hope that helps!
If I wanted to use the entire 16oz package that macaroni comes in, how will I convert the recipe? My brain is fried from cooking so much today…lol
lol! I totally get you! Click print on the recipe and increase the servings to 11 portions. You’ll use the whole box (it will say 16.5oz but it will work just fine) and there will be new amounts for the ingredients.
Please note that any measurements in the written portion of the instructions will not update, just on the ingredients list.
Hi! I’m about to make this for thanksgiving tomorrow. If making a day ahead of time, do we bake twice (16-24 minutes the first day and 20 minutes the second day), or just on the second day?
You’ll do all of the baking on the second day. Enjoy!
Excited to make this for Thanksgiving tomorrow! Do you use salted or unsalted butter? :)
Either will work, I usually use salted butter for cooking (and unsalted for baking).
Thank you for the quick reply to the question about butter. This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving! There were 10 of us and there was none left, people were getting seconds and thirds. Will definitely be using this recipe in the future.
I’m so glad everyone loved it!