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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Mac & Cheese
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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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MOST PINNED MAC & CHEESE RECIPE ON PINTEREST
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Hi!
I wanted to know if I could add some velveeta for extra cheesiness or do you think that would compromise the recipe??
Thank you!
Hello, Alexis! I promise, this recipe is full of so much cheesy goodness you would never miss velveeta in it. I’m not a fan of processed cheese so I would tend to steer you away from it. But, it’s your recipe once you make it so make it how you feel best :o) Happy Thanksgiving!!
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times and it’s always delicious, thank you!
Question, could I throw it in a crock pot versus the oven? Would that compromise the taste?
Hi, Eileen! I always bake mine, but many readers have asked the same question so I will share with you what they have said. I don’t think you’ll compromise taste in any way. It may not have the same texture as baked, but again, many readers have had success. :o) Happy Thanksgiving!
“I just wanted to follow up with my post from the other day. I tried making this in a crock pot for my work holiday pot luck, and it turned out great! I added all of the ingredients into the crock pot at once (uncooked pasta), excluding the panko bread crumbs. I fried the panko bread crumbs in butter like the recipe said, and saved in a zip lock baggie. Cooked on low for 3 hours stirring every hour. Topped with the pre-fried panko bread crumbs a bit before it was time to eat. This recipe was such a hit!”
Hi! Excited to make this for thanksgiving this year. Do you think 1 block of sharp cheddar, 1 block white cheddar, 1 cup gouda would be good? Trying to come up with the best cheese combo!
Hello, Alexandra! YES! Great choices! You’re about to win Thanksgiving. :o) Have a lovely holiday season.
I make this every couple of weeks (starting this past Thanksgiving as well) and am convinced there is no possible “best” combination because the possibilities are infinite! My favorite so far is 2 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar, 2 cups Smoked Gouda, 1 cup Pepper Jack, and 1 cup White Cheddar. That sounds close to your inquiry, and my friends salivated over it long after it was gone. I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow except changing out the White Cheddar for Havarti. I confess I know nothing about cheese but just pick up things here and there regarding what other people like, so I just switch out one at a time. It gets a little pricey with all the fresh cheeses, but it also makes a TON, so I find it reasonable. Then again, I’d keep making it regardless of cost, because it truly is the best recipe of anything in the history of cooking. LOL
“best recipe of anything in the history of cooking.” HAHAHAHAH! For the win! :o) Thanks, Lisa.
I have made this mac and cheese multiple times and it is by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had!! Thank you so much for this recipe (:
Happy Dance!! :o) Thank you, Casey! Each time I hear compliments like this, I am grateful for awesome folks like you and that we can share good food. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for sharing. I made this last night and it turned out so good. I then shared the recipe with friends who loved it. I used one 8oz block of Cabot Extra sharp that I shredded and then a little less than a half pound of Cooper Sharp American (it so creamy and delicious). I did assemble it a couple of hours early since I needed the oven for other things, and then baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes to make sure that it was heated through. Perfect! Thanks again. It is a keeper.
Hi, Chad!! Yum to all of that!! I must confess, I have made it a couple hours before baking as well with much success. Good thinking on all your cheese and baking choices. I love how flexible the recipe can be! Thank you for the kind words, great suggestions, and for trying my recipe! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. :o)
Hello! I’m dying to make this for thanksgiving, I’m a bit nervous but I’m hoping everything will come out just fine. I just have a quick question, what kind of cheese or cheeses do you use when you make yours?
Hello, Amber! I’m happy to hear you’re making THE Mac for Thanksgiving! :o) I typically make it with sharp Cheddar as I almost always have that in my fridge! But you can bet that if I have Gouda or Havarti, I’ll throw that in with the Cheddar for a different spin! I sure hope you love it! Happy Thanksgiving!!
I make this every Thanksgiving now for the last 4 years or so! Love this recipe!
Shayla! Thank you so much for letting me know that TWN gets to be a small part of your family’s Thanksgiving!! What an honor! I hope you have a beautiful holiday this year as well. :o)
Hi! Made this deliciousness for a friends thanksgiving themed birthday (lol) a few months ago and it was a hit! I’d like to make it again for actual thanksgiving but I was wondering if it would be okay to add in some spices like paprika, oregano, Italian seasoning, thyme, basil etc? Or would the taste be completely off? Thanks!
Hello, Misha! Thank you for the compliments!! I’m so glad you have had success with THE Mac! And I just have to know, was the Thanksgiving themed birthday so they could eat all the yummy Thanksgiving food? Love that!!
As for the spices — 10 points for creativity! I’m not sure if you mean all of those spices or if you were just throwing some out there, but as a Mac and cheese purist of sorts, I can’t say it sounds appealing to me, but to each his own, so I think it’s ultimately up to you! :o) I don’t think I answered your question very well, but I hope that however you choose to make it, you enjoy it thoroughly this Thanksgiving.
Can you tell me how much pasta is “1 lb. pasta” ? 1 box?
And how many blocks of cheese makes 6 cups?
Last year I shredded 6, 8oz blocks and I had too much cheese!
Please advise!
Hi, Stephanie! Yes, a typical box of pasta is 16 oz. or 1 lb.
And typically, an 8 oz. block of cheese produces 2 cups of grated so three, 8 oz. blocks should do the trick for you! :o)
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you!
You are so welcome! :o)
Hi Alison! It took about 20-30 minutes of constant whisking to get the the rue/milk mixture to thicken does that sound right?
Hello, Olivia!! No, it should just take a few minutes for the roux to thicken. Try turning your temp up a bit, since you’re right there whisking I don’t think you need to worry about burning it. :o) Thanks for the question!