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.
I am wondering what percent milk you use in the recipe(skim, 1%, 2%, whole)? Is one better to use?
Thanks!
Any would work fine, I usually use 1% or 2% as it’s most often what we have on hand.
I’d like to make this for a potluck tomorrow, but will need to use 16 Oz of pasta. What measurements should I use for the other ingredients if using the full 16oz box?
You’d want to add ⅓ more of each of the other ingredients
This was delish! My husband and I loved it! Thank you!
So happy you both loved this Gail! You know mac and cheese and I get along very well ;)
I’d like to make this for the 4th and freeze ahead of time. Any one have luck with that?
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. Some readers have had success as you can see in the comments.
This was delicious it was gone within 1 day
After trying dozens of recipe
Finally a crowd pleaser
Kid and adult and even better the next day
So happy to hear Nadia!
OMGoodness this is sooo good!
I added extra of everything and chopped up a precooked ham to add in. Rave reviews!
So glad you loved it Michelle!
Absolutely delicious!!! The addition of the Cheddar Soup is GENIUS.
Thank you! So glad you loved the macaroni and cheese recipe Felicia!
As a big fan of this recipe that has made it several times, I thought I would add a few comments.
PEOPLE!!
1. Use the concentrated soup, regular cheddar cheese soup, not the low fat kind. The can of soup is the secret ingredient that adds just the right amount of “Goosh” to this mac.
2. DONT put more pasta in this!! When you stir the al dente mac into the cheese sauce, it DOES look like it is wayy too saucey, but after it bakes for a half hour or so, the mac expands, and once you let it cool, it will be the perfect saucy consistency, not DRIED out!! I was a little confused about the 12 oz of mac, but used a 16 oz. box, and just took a little bit out.
3. Use old school, regular macaroni. The Cavatapi pasta I have is thinner, and by the time you boil it and bake it, it doesn’t stand up as well and can be mushy.. Hope this helps! ENJOY!
Thanks so much for leaving these tips Alex! I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe!
I am going to make this today. Just a quick question; what is the fastest and easiest way to shred the cheese?
I use a food processor or grate it with a cheese grater.
1) many have asked about the soup – I find it adds an extra creaminess and also helps it retain the gooey goodness when reheated the next day (without it you get that separated oily yuck most bechamel-based sauces become when reheated)
2) I sometimes use half gruyere/half sharp cheddar and sub nutmeg for the onion/garlic – yummm!
Thank you!! :)
This is SOOO good! I have tried three different recipes and they all failed. But this is exactly what you crave in a Mac and Cheese. I don’t think I will ever be able to serve the stuff in the box again. This was easier to make than I thought, extra bonus! I added some Creole because we like spicy! Amazing! Even the picky boy liked it!
Thank you for the recipe and instructions!
YAY!! So glad you loved it because it’s one of my faves too!!
This is the second time I’m making this recipe. I liked it so much I’m making it again. One of the easiest & tastiest mac & cheese recipe I’ve ever tried & I think I tried quite a few. Keep up with the good recipe like this one!
I enjoyed making this recipe .
So glad you loved it Delores!
My Mom always made homemade macaroni. Thanks a lot for sharing.
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Just finished making this + serving it for dinner, and I just want to put out a BIG WARNING, you won’t be able to stop eating it!! This is a fantastic recipe that I’m sure I’ll use at least once a week :) only feedback would be that this recipe does make quite a bit of cheese sauce compared to the macaroni, so you could add some more Mac if you don’t like your Mac n cheese SUPER engorged in cheese sauce haha
Happy to hear you love it Danny!
Oh my! Just got done making this delicious mac and cheese and it is so good!!! going to have to make this more often, and its so easy to make! Thanks for sharing love.
So happy to hear you love this Celeste – a weakness of ours!
Questions: can I substitute corn starch for flour? If yes, please let me know of the process or how to add it.
Thank you
While I haven’t tried it, 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).
Please let us know how it works out for you!
Awesome! Came out very creamy, did use the cheddar soup. Made topping which came out crunchy. Definitely will make it again. Hubby loved it!
Thanks for the recipe. I made this one time to try and it’s my go to for gatherings now. Everyone at church specifically requests it along with my family. I adjust to whatever I have on hand. So I usually just use milk, but sometimes I will sub the Parmesan cheese with a Mexican blend and just Cheddar with a little seasoning salt. Yummo!! So glad I found this one, it’s for sure a keeper!!
I’m so glad you love it, it’s one of our favorites too!