THE Mac and Cheese
Nov 29, 2022
Once upon a time, there was a girl who just wanted creamy, cheesy mac and cheese. Not full of spices or fancy things, just plain ol’ gooey mac and cheese.
So I developed this recipe and now I share it with you, friends. Because you all deserve this bit of comforting yum in your life.
You are so welcome.
This is the original picture that made THE Mac go viral!
This one is the one I make to go along with Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders or Hammy Sammies or Beef Roast Sandwiches. How about Loaded Roast Beef and Bleu Sliders? You should probably check them out! Heck, this would make a PBJ look great. We love to add chunks of ham and make it a full meal. Add some bacon or crab if it floats your boat! Pulled pork with onions and barbecue sauce? Oh good heavens!
The possibilities are endless.
Our favorite combinations are a Havarti (2 c.) – Cheddar (4 c.) blend with bacon, or smoked Gouda/Cheddar with ham. Also, we’ve grown quite fond of next-day-leftovers* pressed flat and fried in refined (no coconut flavor) coconut oil. Crispy on the outside and hot and gooey on the inside. How can you resist?
This recipe has gone viral since I first posted it. If you’re visiting from Pinterest, please take a minutes and check my recipe index for hundreds of other great recipes!
And it’s EASY. The only bummer is the tired hand you’ll have from grating all of that cheese.
Boil your choice of pasta (it doesn’t matter the shape, just choose one that holds all the cheesy goodness) in water salted with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, melt 1/2 c. (1 stick) of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in 1/2 c. flour
Add in 1/2 T. (Tablespoon) Kosher or Himalayan sea salt and 1/2 T. (Tablespoon) pepper.
(Originally, the recipe called for 1 T. each of Kosher salt and pepper, but since most readers were using table salt, the result was too salty. Please note that I have changed the numbers to reflect what works well as a general rule. Start less and add more as needed to taste. You can add it in, but you can’t take it out!)
Slowly pour in 4 cups of whole milk (don’t skimp here–in fact you can even use some cream) whisking as you go until smooth. Keep whisking until the sauce comes just to a very low boil — it will take several minutes. This is where it will thicken considerably. If you stop heating it too soon, it will not thicken correctly so whisk and heat until thickened just like in the picture at right. Remove from heat.
Grease a 9×13″ dish with butter and add the cooked pasta to the dish.
Over the top of the pasta sprinkle 6 cups freshly shredded Cheddar (I use white or sharp), or any mix of cheese you prefer. Just please skip bagged cheese. Because of additives, it melts differently. You will get the best result if you grate a block of cheese!
Pour the beautiful cream sauce over the top of the cheese and pasta and let it sit a couple minutes to begin to melt the cheese. Then, stir the whole beautiful cheesy goodness together and make the topping. In a small skillet, melt 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add in 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs. Stir constantly until golden brown. Sprinkle over the pasta and cheese.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Hot, cheesy perfection.
Serves 6-8 as a main dish or 10-12 as a side.
*I have received many questions regarding preparing THE Mac ahead of time. It is my recommendation to make this fresh before serving. Many people LOVE this cheesy goodness reheated, and love the leftovers as much as fresh out of the oven, But because it is a cheese sauce, it can tend to separate and does not lead to optimal results if you are making it for a get together. Of course, it is possible to make this ahead, put it in the fridge and then just add some time to your bake time, and it does taste AMAZING, but for optimal results, make it, bake it, and eat it. :o)
For Crock Pot tips, see the very bottom of this post!
- 1 lb. pasta of your choice
- ½ c. butter
- ½ c. flour
- 4 c. milk
- 6 c. freshly shredded sharp or white Cheddar
- ½ T. Kosher or sea salt
- ½ T. pepper
- 2 T. butter
- ½ c. panko bread crumbs
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk and cook 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and pepper.
- Slowly pour in 4 c. milk whisking until smooth and heating to a low boil until thickened. Do not stop whisking and cooking until thick. Remove from heat.
- Grease a 9x13" baking dish and add the hot pasta to the dish. Over the top sprinkle 6 c. of freshly shredded cheese.
- Pour the thickened cream sauce over the hot pasta and cheese and let it sit until the cheese melts. Stir everything together.
- Melt 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add in panko bread crumbs, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven 12-15 minutes.
Crock Pot results:
I have tested THE Mac in the crock pot and I got some decent results! For those of you who need to buy a couple hours if you’re bringing THE Mac to an event without an oven, I found a way to work it! Make all of the elements of THE Mac — make the pasta, grate the cheese, make the cream sauce and stir it all together. Also, make the panko topping, but set this aside to add to the top before serving.
Keep this in your crock pot on low for about two hours. After that, stir it, set the temp to warm and be prepared to serve it as soon as possible since the longer it sits on warm, the more the sauce bakes in and you lose the creaminess that makes this spectacular. It still tastes delicious, but the texture definitely changes to be more like a traditional baked mac and cheese.
Please note that all crock pots are different and one that has a bit of a higher temp may dry this recipe out quicker! Keep an eye on it and be prepared to turn it down or off if needed. Again, fresh is best, but I hope this provides you an alternative if you need it!
Two hours on low before stirring.
Ready to serve from the crock pot!
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Once upon a time, there was a girl who just wanted creamy, cheesy mac and cheese. Not full of spices or fancy things, just plain ol’ gooey mac and cheese. As such, The Mac & Cheese was born. Alison's recipe has become our claim to fame—standing strong as the Most Pinned Mac & Cheese Recipe on Pinterest.
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I have tried this recipe twice and I can’t get the sauce to thicken. I’m following the directions exactly. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hello, Nikki! It is so hard for me to guess what is happening in your kitchen to figure out why your sauce didn’t thicken. :o( I’m so sorry this is happening. I know it is frustrating. Technically, at the right temperature, these ingredients almost HAVE to thicken so my only guess is that you are not bringing it up to a high enough temperature…? Would that make sense? Mine usually thickens JUST before the bubbles of a boil.
I just made this while my grandkids were here, deliciously good, easy too! Thanks!
Hello, Denee! There’s nothing like nourishing the grandkids and making them happy, is there?!? :o) Mine kinda make my world go ’round. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and letting me know you love it. Hope you find lots more to love here on TWN.
This recipe is so good!!! I’ve even used the sauce a couple times on potatoes!
Thank you, Monique! That makes sense to do! It’s just a mornay (cheese) sauce. :o) I appreciate the compliment very much!
I have failed at making mac and cheese SO many times. It was always too dry, too runny, too mustardy, too grainy, not salty enought etc etc. I tried all kinds of recipes until I just gave up and accepted that i’d never be able to make good mac and cheese. HOWEVER.. I decided to try one last time on a whim and chose this recipe. I am so happy because it turned out amazing! I followed the directions exactly.
Hi, Nikki! I, too, was a mac and cheese failure until this recipe. :o) I absolutely LOVE that we both found some goal-resolution in THE Mac. Sounds like it was in the nick of time, too! Phew! And thank you for making it as I wrote it and letting folks know that it works just like that. You just have no idea how happy that makes this girl. Please poke around our site and find some more fun stuff to make and eat! And thanks again for your kind words.
Would have been nice if you specified in the ingredients list that it was WHOLE milk, and not just “Milk.”
Shay, it doesn’t really matter what kind of milk you use. Millions of folks have used all different kinds of milk successfully, and I believe I do make the flexibility of ingredients clear in the blog post. I’m sorry you were disappointed, but I really can’t anticipate everyone’s expectations. I just share good recipes that work and that folks love. Thanks for stopping by.
made this for the first time tonight- holy. so. good!!!
It was a little peppery for my husband’s taste (I love a good dose of pepper so I didn’t reduce it in the recipe), but the sauce was creamy and thickened beautifully. I used 2% milk and 4 cups of bagged cheddar cheese (I know I know…) + 2 cups of fresh grated parmesan because that’s what I had on hand- didn’t seem to matter, but I bet this would be THAT MUCH BETTER if I was able to do it with the called for ingredients. Thank you for a super solid and easy go-to meal!
Hey, Erin! So you loved it with 2% bagged cheese and Parm, huh? Girl! Just wait til you make the *real* thing! :o) Do me a personal favor and go out tomorrow and buy a block of Havarti and a block of Cheddar, some bacon, and whole milk. Shred all that cheese, fry up about 6 slices of bacon and then make THE Mac. See what happens. And let me know. ;o)
Thanks for all the kind words, and for taking the time to comment. Hope you find lots to love here!
I followed the recipe. I did cheddar and white cheddar cheese. The 1T of kosher salt though was waaaaaaay to much salt. It almost ruined it for me. I ended up adding milk after it was cooked to my babies’ portion and reheating to cut the sodium. I know that it mentions above to do whatever amount of salt works for your family, etc. and I’m just replying to say that I definitely would only add maybe 1/4 T of salt and a half T of pepper when making the cream sauce. And I love salt!
Hello, K. I’m sorry you added more salt than you were able to enjoy. Seasonings are a very relative thing, and all I can do is strongly recommend folks start with some salt, and trust their instincts. I cannot possibly suggest what everyone will enjoy. I appreciate your input and hope it helps someone else. :o)
Hi Alison,
I wanted to say that I had the same issue with K when following your recipe and using 1/2T of salt. It was waaaaay too salty and I had to add another cup of milk to try and temper the saltiness. I too also love salt and thought you must have meant 1tsp. Will follow your guidance on just salting to taste next time because aside from the salt amount the recipe is truly great.
Thank you for your comment, Oanh. I really do believe the problem comes in with the TYPE of salt even more than the amount. Salt is relative based on shape and type (kosher/sea/table). The shape alone of the salt determines how it will distribute in the recipe. Did you happen to use Kosher salt as I suggested? It will make all the difference in this case, and even then, kosher salts are all different! Not to mention, how much salt is in the cheese you use! There are so many factors that I couldn’t possibly say exactly how everyone’s recipe will turn out, rather provide exactly what I do and what all the people I serve it to, love. I hope you find the exact amount that your tastebuds love! :o) Thank you for your compliments.
So just wanted to report back— I actually followed the directions this time and it was legit the best Mac n cheese I’ve ever had. I got so many compliments on it at dinner! Can’t wait to make it again!
Haha! You seriously just made my day! :o) So glad you tried it again and enjoyed it so much. The best ever, hey? I’ll take that. Thanks for making me smile. You’re the kind of folks that make me keep working on my blog.
Hello!
I’ve never tried this recipe but considering it as a side dish for New Years football party. I’ve been reading through comments hoping to come across bacon recommendations! Looks like you recommend 6 slices? Just crumble into sauce before pouring onto pasta?
Thanks!
Jen
Hi, Jen! Great idea! :o) Yes, just cook and crumble the bacon and add stir it in with the sauce. I hope you love it! Happy New Year!!
[…] a good feeling, and I definitely had it the first time I made this Mac & Cheese recipe. I got it from a friend and was amazed by the simplicity, the amount of cheese and the custardy, […]
Has anyone tried to make this a freezer meal?
Hi there, Kaitlin! I haven’t heard of anyone making this a successful freezer meal. I have tried freezing individual servings without much success. I just don’t think a bechamel sauce can hold up well through a freeze and a thaw. So, to preserve quality and yumminess, I guess I would recommend against it and enjoy it fresh. :o)
Please make sure you don’t do what I did and use salted butter with 1T added salt 🙁 I was very disappointed when I tasted my quite salty Mac and cheese. It would be very helpful to clarify in the recipe that you mean unsalted butter. I’m sure you could be successful with salted butter but definitely leave out the additional salt. Otherwise it turned out just fine even though I substituted almond milk. That’s what I had on hand.
Hello, Sally! I never stated that I use unsalted butter, in fact I never have. I do make sure to mention that 1 T is a lot of salt and to consider seasoning less if you’re the least concerned. Thank you for your input. I’m glad to hear it works with almond milk — I’m sure that will be helpful to some readers. :o)
Love this recipe! I make it all the time for my friends and family and get a ton of compliments!
Question – do you think this would cook well in a 4 qart crock pot? My co-workers and I are having a potluck and I would love to bring this in!
Hi, Katy! Yay! Thanks so much for the kind compliments! :o)
This is the most recent comment from another reader regarding making THE Mac in a crock pot. I hope this answers your question.
“Just an FYI that the crock pot worked out pretty well! I think I prefer the oven method, but this worked great when trying to juggle several dishes at once. I did have to stir it a few times and also waited until about 10-15 minutes before serving to add the panko on top. Delicious as always!”