A Better Way to Make Mac and Cheese
I have six kids and a husband with a taste palate of a 12-year-old-boy, which means we eat a lot of mac and cheese in our house. Because of this, I wanted to find a homemade recipe that could ditch the boxed mac and cheese. I created this easy homemade recipe so that we could consume less of the boxed varieties. I care about feeding my family healthy meals that they actually enjoy.
This easy homemade mac and cheese recipe uses just 8 ingredients and takes about 15 minutes to make. It’s the same amount of time it takes to make the boxed varieties, but with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. The result is an irresistibly creamy, smooth, and cheesy homemade recipe.
Once you taste this homemade mac and cheese, you and your family will say “goodbye” to powdered cheese forever, and say “hello” to this creamy, dreamy, real-cheese version over and over again. I am so confident in this recipe, and I have heard from many people who feel the same way. Cici, for example, says this is one of the best recipes she has made, and this is just one of over 1300, 5-star reviews.
This Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe is made with only 8 ingredients in just 15 minutes on the stovetop, so no baking is required.
Homemade Mac and Cheese: Ingredients & Substitutions
This mac and cheese recipe is extremely versatile, with many substitutions that work well. You can use just about every kind of noodle variety under the sun to make this dish, and it always turns out delicious. I recommend a shape like bowties or rotini instead of spaghetti noodles, but they will work if it’s all you have. You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, or even chickpea pasta.
For the sauce, the Butter is a must, there really isn’t a substitute for butter in this recipe. I have found you can use either salted or unsalted with great results. When it comes to the All-Purpose Flour, a few substitutions are tapioca starch or flour, corn starch, and all-purpose gluten-free flour. For the Milk, any kind of liquid dairy will work well, but just remember the higher the fat content, the creamier your homemade mac and cheese will be. 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream all work well to create a luscious sauce.
When it comes to the Cheese, I recommend a high-quality medium to sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor. To avoid grainy mac and cheese, I suggest buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself, as this ensures there are no stabilizers or additives in your cheese sauce. I have used Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream with excellent results. The Garlic powder is an optional ingredient, but I think it adds just a touch of flavor that takes this mac and cheese recipe up a notch without making it unpalatable to kids. You can adjust the amount to your family’s tastes.
I’ve organized the keywords from the provided text into a table, grouping them by ingredient type and related concepts.
| Pasta & Flour | Dairy & Fat | Cheese & Flavorings | Other Concepts |
| macaroni | butter | cheese | recipe |
| noodle | salted | high-quality | substitutions |
| variety | unsalted | medium to sharp cheddar cheese | work well |
| bowties | milk | flavor | turns out delicious |
| rotini | 2% milk | grainy mac and cheese | recommend a shape |
| spaghetti noodles | whole milk | buying a block of cheese | all you have |
| gluten-free pasta | half and half | shredding it yourself | great results |
| whole wheat pasta | cream | stabilizers | excellent results |
| chickpea pasta | sour cream | additives | adjust the amount |
| All-Purpose Flour | Greek Yogurt | cheese sauce | family’s tastes |
| corn starch | liquid dairy | garlic powder | optional ingredient |
| tapioca starch/flour | fat content | touch of flavor | takes up a notch |
| all-purpose gluten-free flour | creamier | unpalatable to kids | – |
| – | luscious sauce | – | – |
How do you make Mac and Cheese?
Making this homemade mac and cheese recipe is a very easy process that comes together in just 15 minutes flat. As always, we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for extra guidance. I’ve always found that watching a quick video makes recipes like this even simpler to make.
Gather & Measure the ingredients
This easy mac and cheese recipe is fast-paced once you start cooking, so it’s important to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go. From my own experience, having everything prepared beforehand makes the entire process smoother and more enjoyable. It’s the key to a stress-free cooking experience.
Cook the Macaroni
Perfecting the Macaroni
From my years in the kitchen, I can tell you that the secret to a phenomenal pasta dish often lies in the details people overlook. It may seem like an insignificant step, but believe me when I say it makes a huge difference in the overall taste of this mac and cheese, or any pasta dish for that matter. You must be sure to add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water. This is the one and only chance you get to season the pasta from the inside out, creating a depth of flavor that a sauce simply can’t achieve on its own. It is truly the foundation of a great dish.
With your water properly seasoned, you can cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until it’s perfectly al dente. When it is cooked, immediately drain the macaroni, but—and this is the part you can’t forget—do not rinse it. Rinsing washes away the beautiful surface starches that are absolutely essential for helping that creamy cheese sauce cling lovingly to every single piece of mac. This ensures your final creation is velvety and perfectly blended, not watery or separated.
Make the Cheese Sauce
The best way to manage your time is to work on the components simultaneously. While the macaroni, or your noodles of choice, is cooking, that’s the perfect window to make the cheese sauce. It’s really easy, but there are a few notes that we’ll go over to ensure your success. Think of these less as rules and more as my personal tips, gathered from making this dish countless times, which will help you achieve that perfectly smooth, velvety sauce you’re dreaming of.
Make a Roux
To create the creamy base for your homemade mac and cheese sauce, you need a roux, which is a simple but essential mixture of fat, usually butter, and flour.
As a seasoned cook, I’ve found that getting the roux right is the key to a perfect sauce. Start by melting the butter in a pan; be careful to not let it brown, as that changes the flavor too much. Next, gently whisk in the flour, salt, and garlic powder—these are the “dry ingredients”—until the mixture is smooth. Let it cook until you will see it bubbling, which should take about 60 seconds. This short cooking time is important to remove the raw taste of the flour and prepare it to create thick sauces.
Add wet ingredients.
After the roux has cooked for 60 seconds, it’s time to start building the creamy body of the sauce. Carefully add the milk and whisk the mixture really well to ensure there are no lumps. Add the sour cream or Greek yogurt and whisk again. At this point, the mixture will be fairly runny, which is completely normal. I’ve found the key to a smooth sauce here is patience and constant movement.
Next, you’ll cook over medium heat, whisking every 10-15 seconds, until the sauce starts to thicken. It’s incredibly important that you do not let this mixture boil! If you do, you may end up with a mac and cheese sauce that is too thick and pasty—a mistake I learned the hard way in my early days of cooking. Once the sauce has thickened enough to stick to a spatula, indicating it’s ready for the next step, turn the heat to low.
Add the cheese & whisk until smooth
Then, add the cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and all the cheese is melted. You should do this over low heat, and typically, this will take 1-2 minutes. At this point, it is important to taste the cheese sauce and adjust the salt and garlic to your preference, according to your tastes. In my experience, a final taste test is non-negotiable—it’s the only way to ensure the seasoning is perfect for the final dish.
Add the Cooked Macaroni
Once the cheese sauce is silky smooth, turn off the heat. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine everything. This final step is straightforward, but remember this crucial point: the sauce will thicken as it cools, so keep that in mind when you mix it all together. I always take the sauce off the burner before adding the pasta; it ensures the sauce remains perfectly creamy and doesn’t get too tight before serving.
Serve
The best part is finally getting to serve this homemade mac and cheese recipe! It’s versatile enough to stand all by itself for an easy lunch or dinner. For something extra, I often serve it with roasted broccoli to add some green. If you have little ones, I can tell you from experience that my kids love it with chopped up hot dogs mixed right in!
You can also treat this homemade mac and cheese as an easy side dish for a BBQ or potluck. But if you’re like me, sometimes you just want to balance things out: I enjoy eating a small portion with a giant salad. You can also serve this fantastic recipe with whatever you or your family love most.
What can I add to Mac & Cheese?
If you’re looking for an extra special way to serve this dish, here are some suggestions for delicious add-ins. From protein to flavor boosters, these options can transform your dish. You could include cooked, crumbled bacon for a smoky flavor, or the always popular hot dogs, a kid favorite, as mentioned above. Adding Vegetables like broccoli, peas, carrots, etc. is a great idea—in fact, check out my vegetable mac and cheese recipe for more inspiration on that front!
For deeper flavor right from the start, try incorporating Minced garlic and diced onions. Cook them in the butter before adding the flour when making the roux. If you choose to add this, you may need 1 extra TBS butter to properly sauté them. Finally, for a finishing touch, you can drizzle on Hot sauce, ketchup, or BBQ sauce just before serving. Personalizing your mac and cheese with these additions is what makes a great recipe truly your own!