If there’s one recipe that all cooks need to have under their belt, it’s a classic Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe. Straight-up creamy, comforting, cheesy goodness! This classic stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe is made with a simple but creamy roux-based cheese sauce that will satisfy all of your cheesy pasta cravings. It’s amazingly delicious on its own straight off the stovetop, but we also have instructions for baked mac and cheese and a list of fun add-ins and other ways you can make it your own.
I have tried so many Mac and cheese recipes and my kids haven’t liked a single one. I gave this one a try tonight and they all came back for seconds. We will definitely be adding it to our recipe book.
Jillian
For this extra cheesy homemade mac and cheese recipe, I used slightly more roux and added about 30% more cheese than I generally do to my simple stovetop macaroni and cheese recipes. The thicker sauce and extra cheese made this recipe so lusciously creamy and cheesy that I couldn’t stop sneaking forkfuls between photographs. AND the best part is that it even stays smooth and creamy when reheated in the microwave. Mac and cheese heaven! 🙌
Here’s what you’ll need to make this super creamy and cheesy homemade mac and cheese recipe:
Cheddar is probably the most popular cheese for macaroni and cheese and sharp cheddar provides the most pronounced flavor. But if you want to experiment outside of the confines of cheddar, there are a ton of other cheeses that are great in macaroni and cheese! You can use one or a combination of cheeses to make this recipe your own.
Here are some other cheeses that work great with macaroni and cheese:
To get the smoothest, creamiest cheese sauce for your mac and cheese, follow these tips:
This classic stovetop mac and cheese recipe starts with a roux, which is a cooked mixture of flour and fat (in this case, butter). The roux thickens the sauce and helps the cheese melt smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping up as it melts. While there are ways to make a cheese sauce without a roux, taking this extra step definitely creates the creamiest, dreamiest cheese sauce for your mac and cheese.
Here’s where the recipe can get really fun. In addition to changing the cheeses, you can switch up the herbs and spices, add in some veggies, or your favorite protein to make your own creation. Here are some other fun ingredients to add to your mac and cheese:
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It’ll get a bit thicker the longer it’s stored because the pasta will absorb more of the creamy sauce, but it’s still delicious! I usually reheat it in the microwave until heated through.
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Start by shredding an 8oz. block of sharp cheddar. It’s very important to shred the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Gather the other ingredients.
Boil 8oz. of macaroni according to the box directions (boil for 7-8 minutes, or just until tender). Drain the macaroni in a colander. (I used the Walmart ”Great Value” brand).
You can start the cheese sauce either while the macaroni is boiling, or wait until it’s draining and just make it in the same pot to save on dishes. Add 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and ½ tsp onion powder to the pot.
Place the pot over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Whisk the butter, flour, and onion powder together as the mixture begins to get bubbly and frothy. Cook and whisk for about one minute after it becomes bubbly.
Whisk 2 cups of milk into the butter and flour roux. Continue whisking as the milk begins to heat (keep the pot over medium heat).
Allow the milk to come up to a gentle simmer, at which point it will thicken to the consistency of heavy cream or gravy. Turn the burner off at this point.
Season the sauce with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp hot sauce, or the seasonings of your choice (other great options are dry mustard, pepper, smoked paprika, pesto, etc.).
Begin adding 8oz. shredded cheddar to the pot, one handful at a time, whisking until it is completely melted before adding more. If the sauce cools down too much to continue melting the cheese, you can put it over low heat briefly, but avoid allowing the sauce to simmer again. Overheating cheese sauces will cause them to break and become grainy and oily.
When all of the cheese is melted into the sauce, the cheese sauce is complete. You can give it a taste at this point and adjust the seasonings if you’d like. Remember, you want the sauce to be seasoned well because the flavor intensity will be diluted a bit once the macaroni is added.
Add the cooked and drained macaroni back to the pot and stir to combine with the cheese sauce.
And that’s it! Your homemade mac and cheese is done. Don’t tell me you don’t want to dive right into that pot and swim around a bit. 😂
Our homemade mac and cheese was originally published 12/6/21. We updated and republished it 12/31/24.
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