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.
This was delicious! Made it for the super bowl and everyone loved it! I did put the panko crust on the top. Loved the creamy inside and crust texture on top! Followed recipe to a tee and no changes are needed. Thanks Holly!
So glad you loved it Melissa!
Wow! Wow! Wow! I made this Mac and cheese yesterday for super bowl Sunday! Gone! It was a big hit.Very creamy and tastey.I used Cavatappi pasta (16ozbox) I did add the Chedder cheese soup! Love it! Will be making this version again! Thank you Holly!
Yay, so glad you loved it as much as we do!
X the can cheese. Add sliced jalapenos and cut up green onion.
Hi, Holly! Was looking for something for our Monday family dinner get together with kids, spouses & grandkids. Wanted a good, but simple mac and cheese that both the younger ones and the adults would like. Doubled the recipe and it was perfect! The only change (due only to my having just 1% milk, in an effort to make it a bit richer) was using only 1 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of fat-free half n half and 1 cup of regular half n half. Served it with a variety of hot sauces and fake bacon bits (as they were all I had). Great salad on the side and everyone loved it!
Next time will have real bacon and perhaps some chopped up green onions as options as well. This will definitely be a go-to recipe in our household.
Thank you!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Sue!
I made it without the cheese sauce and it was delish! Easy to follow recipe and measured out perfectly. I I will keep this one in rotation as everyone in my family loved it.
So glad you loved it!
I want to make this for a Mardi Gras party. I want to add Cajun seasoning and cooked shrimp to recipe. What do you think?
I want to make this Mac and cheese for a Mardi Gras party. do you think it would be okay with Cajun seasoning and Cajun cooked shrimp?
I think that’d be delicious!
My husband loves cheese, so when I came across this recipe, I just had to try it. It turned out so great.
I followed the recipe to the T. First time making without putting breadcrumbs on top. Mine cooked to brown on top. He liked it so much, he gave some to his mother and she loved it. Good recipe and easy and
also liked the cheddar soup in it. Thank you.
Holly is it necessary to use parmesan cheese? I’m going to make this for a large group of people. I know some of them don’t like parmesan.
You can certainly leave it out. The parm just adds a kick of flavor. I’d suggest making sure you use a sharp cheddar if skipping the parmesan. :)
I just mixed the cheese mixture with the pasta and holy cheese! It seems to me there is WAY too much cheese for this amount of pasta. I can’t imagine that 20 minutes in a 350 oven is going to change the fact that the pasta is currently swimming in cheese! I’m in the process of boiling another box of pasta as we speak.
If you add extra pasta, it could potentially come out drier than intended. This recipe works perfectly as written and is intended to have a nice cheesy sauce.
I am sure you did not mean this to be as defensive as it sounds. As a long time follower all I could think was WOW!
:) Not defensive, just wanted to let Sally know that if she adds more pasta and then bakes it risks coming out dry… it’s intended to be a bit more saucy than most mac & cheese recipes as I hate dry mac & cheese.
I usually use either 16 oz or 18 oz of large/xlarge elbow macaroni instead of regular 12oz macaroni and it always turns out great. A lot of creamy sauce but never too much or too little.
Tried it and omg it’s delicious! Such a big hit with out family, only thing I changed was adding a little more breadcrumbs with the topping to make it crispy, this had for sure become a family favorite
I have never made homemade mac and cheese. I love it but my spouse does not. When I saw this recipe I decided to give it a try – and it was the best mac and cheese I have ever eaten and the only mac and cheese I will make from now on! I also added some cubed ham to it (about a pound and a half, cubed into bite size pieces) and made it our main course for dinner. My husband, who does not like mac and cheese at all, gave it a try, ate a huge portion of it and said 2 or 3 times how much he liked it! Thank you for this recipe, it is without a doubt the best mac and cheese ever!
From one mac & cheese lover to another, I’m so glad you loved it!
This is Awesome. Made with mozzeralla. Co Jack. Med cheddar Munster & Velveeta
Just made my first casserole and this one is really good!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this recipe for Christmas Lunch and I added sweet corn. It turned out delicious!!!
I made this recipe for thanksgiving and was a hit. Also I was required to make it at New Year’s dinner again. I am happy.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your loved ones!
OMG. This is some damn good mac and cheese! I have tried tons of recipes and this is AMAZING! Perfect combination of baked and creamy. This will be my go to, for sure!
I read through all the comments, so I just want to ask:
1) Can you make it ahead of time and reheat
2) I can’t find “light” cream. What else can I use?
C’mon, people….spend five minutes reading the comments before you ask your question. Chances are, it’s been answered 15 times.
I’ve made this twice and the first time I made it with half and half (for the light cream) and substituted evaporated milk (for the regular milk) because I only had skim on hand and didn’t think it would be “fatty” enough using skim. The second time I made this I used heavy cream in place of the light cream and 1% milk for the milk. I also doubled the recipe using two 12oz bags of macaroni. Both times it came of perfect. This recipe is pretty fool proof.
I made this for Christmas dinner with ham and apple compote. It was a hit! My vegetarian daughter said it was the best ever! Thanks,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Love this one! I use the soup or dried mustard extra onion powder.
I don’t use the bread crumbs just another type of cheese on top.
Ok, I’ve searched as much as I could through the comments. How many ounces is your canned cheese soup? I have a can that’s 14.75 and one that’s 10.75. Big difference so I don’t want to mess it up.
10.75 oz. I’ve updated the recipe, sorry for any confusion.
This is my go to when making Mac and cheese! Only change I make is omitting the onion powder and adding a dash of cayenne pepper! ALWAYS rave reviews from my family!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!