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 is 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 recommended).
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!
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.
Best Mac & cheese ever! My family loves it.
I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Absolutely Amazing!! My husband loved it too!! Thank you
Great recipe. Made as directed but used 2.5 cups of milk instead of the cream. Will definitely be making again
So glad you loved it!
Can you use sour cream instead of half and half?
I have only tried this as written. Please let us know how it works out if you try it with sour cream.
Really good and easy!
I made this without the soup, and added cream cheese with 2 cans tuna, paprika and peas for a more homemade casserole. Delish!!!
If making this for the next day would you recommend doing all the directions when cooking and merely re heating it in the oven, or should I follow until the last step and baking it the day of? Sorry I’m still new to cooking.
I would suggest baking the day of, it can tend to dry out if baked and reheated.
Just curious if Johnny (or anyone) ended up making a day ahead and then cooking day of? How did it turn out? I’m sure MANY people would love to make this ahead of time!
#PCFavoriteThings
I HAVE to try this! My 14 year old lives on mac ans cheese!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was excellent! I rarely ever comment on recipes, but had to on this one. Every mac and cheese that I have made, has been somewhat dry and never creamy, but not this one. It was super creamy and delicious – everyone loved it. Couple things that I wanted to note, is that I used half and half and also used freshly grated parm cheese, since that was all I had on hand and it worked perfect. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a creamy dish. Thanks for sharing this recipe – it will be made several times in the near future!
Disappointed. I was hoping for and looking forward to a flavorful, creamy dish. It turned out bland and thick. I even used the optional can-o-cheese. Wasn’t kid approved either.
Hi Holly!
I’m planning on making this tomorrow, but only have penne pasta on hand, is that ok to use? Also no ground mustard, but I do have Dijon mustard. Would these changes be ok, or should I make a store run in the morning? Thank you, so excited to try this!!
Penne should work just fine. I would skip the dijon mustard in this recipe if you don’t have ground mustard. Let us know how it goes!
Everyone raced over this dish. I will definitely make it every holiday. I did however leave out the can soup and added 1/2 cup sour cream and 4 ozs philly cream cheese. Delish!
I made this dish for Thanksgiving Dinner. Well it was a hit. The whole family gobbled it up. I was definitely the show stopper. Now the family wants this mac & cheese more then just for Thanksgiving. Great receipt!!
I made this recipe and it turned out wonderful.
This is the most tasteful sweet potato pie I have ever made. This is right up there with my mom’s recipes. Thanks!
Made this today, it is amazing!
Hey Holly!
If I’m using condensed cheddar soup do I still use milk?
You will use the milk called for in the recipe but you will not add additional milk to the soup.
Do you think it would be okay to prepare it the day before i cook it? I am worried about it drying out
Hi Ashley,
If you prep it in advance, make sure to stir it before cooking!
I’m curious… Could I bake this dish at 350 for a longer time? Would it have the same results?
You can but you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t over bake.
First off this is the best Mac and cheese ever! My grandmother in-law and her husband love it so much she asked me for the recipe. And for all of the people asking if it freezes well, it does. She makes big batches and freezes them in smaller containers so she can take out individual portions for dinner. When I make this I’ve used regular heavy cream every time and whatever milk I have on hand and it has been great each time. I use the soup every time, I can’t imagine not using it because of how creamy and good it makes it. Not dry like other recipes. The parmesan cheese just makes it that much more flavorful as well. I make this for every holiday and will be making it this Thanksgiving and Christmas as well.
YAY!! I’m so glad you love it as much as I do Mikayla!! Thank you for sharing the tips about freezing it! :)
Can you make this ahead and freeze it?
I have not tried freezing this recipe. Often recipes with milk don’t freeze well so I can’t say for sure how it would work.