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.
Loved it! The hub & I don’t recall eating a Mac & Cheese with onion powder and mustard, much less soup, so we weren’t sure what it would taste like- it’s awesome!! So rich & filling, hub had seconds and cleaned up the kitchen he was so happy. Thanks for another great and delicious meal!
This turned out great…I am not the best cook! It was going along fine but I realized I didn’t have any onion powder or dry mustard..two key ingredients! So to vamp up the cheese sauce I used Tony Chacheres original Creole seasoning…the sauce was saved. Then when I went to put in more fresh ground pepper.. I grabbed the Montreal Steak spice and sprinkled that in the sauce…totally by error…did not put more cheddar on top but sprinkled Panko bread crumbs for texture.
Bottom line…it tastes amazing!
Will serve it with some chicken for dinner…
A fan who’s not much of a cook but atleast I am honest! Haha
You substitutions sound delicious Jan!
Awesome! Thanks for the great cooking tips. I wondered about the soup, but you were right – made it very creamy. My 7 year old grandson gave it a 21 on a scale of 1 to 10. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made a creamy version of this, stopping after mixing in the cheese sauce instead of baking. The taste of the cheese was really odd. I have no idea how this is rated so high. If you’re looking for a classic, homemade mac & cheese, this isn’t it.
Sorry you didn’t like this dish, Adrienne. Usually our readers love it!
This looks so good I’m trying to for the holiday already bought my ingredients. so I will let you know
I’ve made this several times before. It’s soooo good! Do you think that it will dry out if make it ahead of time and keep it warm in a crockpot for a party?
I have never tried making this recipe in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure. If we want to make crockpot mac and cheese, we use this recipe instead! It’s a reader favorite :)
Can I add lobster meat?
Sure! That would be a great addition. We have this great lobster mac and cheese recipe that might interest you!
Have you ever put it in a slow cooker? I need to take to another house.
Hi J.P, I have never tried making this recipe in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure. If we want to make crockpot mac and cheese, we use this recipe instead! It’s a reader favorite :)
Can I make this recipe a day ahead?
This Mac and Cheese can be prepared 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.
Made this last night. Delicious. This will be my go to from here on out. Used Heavy Cream because I wanted it for another recipe.
Made this tonight (without the soup) and it was a hit! Thanks for all your recipes. My family always enjoys them.
Hello, do you think this would freeze ok? I want to split it into 2 meals and freeze the other half.
Hi Kathleen, we 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 is hands down the best home made Mac and Cheese recipe ever and I have made it many times. A can of cheddar cheese soup is essential so don’t forgo it. Simply Awesome!
Best Mac, and cheese ever!!
Best recipe ever! Was searching for a perfect and think I have now found it! Thank you!
Followed the recipe to the T and it was loved by all on Thanksgiving. The Cheddar Cheese Soup seemed weird but the casserole came out perfect. I would highly recommend you try this recipe. My only question is that I see other recipes by Holly for Mac & Cheese that does use the cheddar cheese soup, what would be the difference in the end result.
So glad you enjoyed it! The soup just adds a slightly different flavor to the sauce, if could be added to (or left out from) either recipe if you’d like.
Can you make it the day before and not cook it till the next day. Thanks
This recipe can be prepared 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.