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
- 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 dry elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup half and half or light cream
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup optional 10.75 ounces
- 4 cups sharp cheddar divided
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook macaroni al dente (firm) 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 & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat while stirring until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese & 3 cups cheddar cheese until melted. Add soup if using.
- Toss cheese sauce & macaroni noodles together. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake 18-24 minutes or until bubbly. Do not over cook. Cool 10-15 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
- Salt the pasta water.
- 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.
My kids love this, perfect for those cold winter nights when you want something comforting. Question for the author…
Could you make this but put it in the crockpot instead of the oven for a potluck?
Thank you so much, Joy! If we want to make crockpot mac and cheese, we use this recipe instead! It’s a reader favorite :)
I just made this for Thanksgiving (again!)…. I usually use the larger elbow noddles like in your picture but I wanted to throw this together for dinner tonight and I only have the smaller variety of elbow noodles in pantry (the size of the Kraft or Annie’s brands )…. Do you think this would be ok to use?
Yes, they’ll be just fine in this recipe!
Best Mac recipe ever! I made it for thanksgiving one year and it was so good that my family requested I make it for Christmas. I now make it every thanksgiving and Christmas and have had several people ask for the recipe. Thank you!
Is it ok to assemble and combine all ingredients then keep in fridge (up to 48 hours then cook right before serving?
Yes! That would work great.
cornstarch vs flour?
Both would work great. 1 part cornstarch replaces 3 parts flour so in this case you would need about 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to replace the flour. The method would be different in that you would need to mix the cornstarch directly into the cold milk before adding it to the pan (and not into the butter beforehand).
Legit the best mac n cheese I have EVER made. 10390/10. Didnt even have the cheddar cheese soup or cream, still the perfect amount of cheesy and creamy.
Hi! I just premade this for Thanksgiving and added too much salt!! Anything I can do to recover the dish? I was thinking adding more milk and macaroni? Hopefully, that doesn’t dilute the flavor.
Oh no, how disappointing! I would suggest a bit more milk and macaroni and then let it rest overnight. The noodles will soak up some of the sauce as it rests so you could maybe add a little more tomorrow if needed. If you do need to add extra cheese, Swiss and mozzarella are a bit lower in salt than other varieties. I hope that it works out for you!
I’ve been making this everyday for thanksgiving and Christmas since 2017. My whole family loves it so much!!! We had it a few weeks ago too! I do heavy cream instead of half & half too!
I tweaked the recipe a little, added garlic powder and used whole milk and heavy cream. So delicious!
This looks delicious, but I don’t have the cheddar cheese soup. What can I substitute?
You can leave it out.
Hi…does anyone know what I can use instead of mustard powder? I cannot find it!
You can leave it out or add a few dashes of hot sauce.
Just have to say I make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year! My family always request this and say it’s the best Mac and cheese they’ve ever had. Funny story a few years back I made it the day before and went to work..came back and there was a corner chuck eaten out of it by my fiancé. I was so mad but it was for family so it didn’t matter but now makes for a funny story each year. Now I tape a sign that says do not eat!
LOL! I love this, someone just had to sneak a little taste! ;)
Is there something I can use instead of mustard powder?
You can add a small dash of hot sauce in place.
I want to try this for thanksgiving this year. Can I put together the night before than bake day of? Thank you ! I’ve never made one of your recipes that wasn’t fantastic.
Thank you for your kind words! This Mac and Cheese can be prepared 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated before serving, reserve the cheese for topping in a separate container. Remove the baking dish from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and stir, top with the reserved topping and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until browned. I sometimes stir in a little bit of warm milk with the after the 20 minute mark if needed.
How much oz of “Chunk / Block” cheese makes 4 cups ?
4 cups is approximately 1lb (1 cup = 4 oz).
Hi! Will someone please tell me what “light cream” is and where to find it
You can use half and half or light cream (which is 10 to 12% mf).
Thank you so much, Holly! I just wasn’t sure if I could use half & half …I’ve never seen light cream
I had never made home-made mac & cheese, but my extremely picky 12 year old daughter wanted me to try. I found this recipe on Pinterest & decided to go for it. We love it! I made the recipe exact the first time & now I do half sharp cheddar & half pepperjack (she’s picky but loves spicy food). I also split it into smaller Pyrex dishes prior to baking & freeze them. They thaw & bake perfectly for meals just for her.
Really delicious and super easy to make. I halfed the recipe for my husband and I.
Question…when you say cream, do you mean like a heavy whipping cream?
Trying this for Thanksgiving this year.
Thanks!
Hi Laura, this recipe calls for ‘light cream’ so look for cream that is 10-12% MF. Hope that helps!
Would this recipe come out okay if it was baked for 350 degrees? 425 seems high and I’d like to bake it next to something else
Hi Ashley, I can’t say for sure because we have only tried baking at 425°F. Maybe another reader can help!