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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I made this tonight and the taste was DELICIOUS! However, please help!! I don’t know where I messed up, but my cheese sauce was a little chunky? I’m not sure how to describe it but the texture just seemed so off.. I guess you could say that it was more like the texture you get when you melt pre-shredded cheese that has that weird coating on it. I used freshly grated shredded cheese so I don’t know where I messed up. Maybe it was the butter and flour step? My flour and butter mixture (before adding the milk) was thick and chunky. It kind of looked like crushed pineapples. Sorry if I’m confusing you! Please tell me if you have any ideas on how I can make it differently next time. Or is it supposed to have this texture?
^ The best way to describe the texture I had was that it tasted floury.
Hi, Elaine!
Hmmm…I’m so hoping we can figure this out together because, no, the cheese sauce shouldn’t be chunky or taste floury. I’m hoping you’re watching for my reply so we can talk it through. I literally make this once a week so I’m quite familiar with the process. :o) Okay, so you melted your butter over medium heat and whisked in only 1/2 c. flour, right? Was the texture chunky at this point? It shouldn’t be. It should be smooth and thicken up quickly. It’s important that you’re really whisking well through this part because you are setting the base for the sauce. When you add the milk, you need to add it in SLOWLY. I trickle it in while I whisk, whisk, whisk. It usually starts to thicken immediately as a response to the heat and thickening power of the flour. Did this happen for you? Continue to whisk until the sauce is creamy and smooth and thickened. Another way you can go from here is to add the shredded cheese on top of the hot pasta in the dish and then pour the milk sauce over the top and let it set a minute to melt the cheese and then stir the whole thing together. Maybe you’ll want to try that at some point. Please let me know if this helps at all or if I can explain something else further. I’m glad you cam back for help. No one wants chunky cheesiness. :o)
Oh my goodness! That may be the problem. My sauce was not smooth AT ALL after I added the flour to the butter. I used the correct measurements so I don’t know what went wrong. I whisked and whisked for a good 2-3 minutes, but it pretty much looked the same the entire time I was mixing it. Chunky.. Like relish.. (But yellow instead of green, of course) I thought I did it correctly so I moved on to the next steps. Huge mistake 🙁 Is it supposed to be smooth like.. mayonnaise smooth? Maybe I just don’t know the definition of smooth.. Lol.
Haha!! We will get to the bottom of this. :o)
I’m wondering how high the heat was and did you use a whole stick of butter (1/2 cup)?
My heat settings don’t have low, medium, high, etc. It goes from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest. So I had it on 5. :/ Yes, I used a whole stick of butter. This is driving me crazy! Lol.
It’s hard to know because each stove, heck, each burner is different. When you have time today, set your burner to four and melt 1/4 c. butter in it. When it’s melted, whisk in 1/4 c. flour and see what happens. If you don’t want to waste it, whisk in 2 c. of milk and some salt snd pepper, 2-3 c.of cheese and you have a cheese sauce to go on broccoli or a baked potato. :o)
Or just try the whole mac and cheese recipe again, but stop if you see chunks or clumps.
This was delicious! Although I’m not sure what I did wrong because mine was super super thick.
Hi, Audra! If the flavor was good, perhaps you inadvertently added to much flour? That would be the only thing I can think of that would make the sauce too thick. The end result SHOULD be a creamy, cheesy sauce that is nice and thick, but in a good way. :o)
This looks delicious! I’m starting to think about recipes for Thanksgiving and I’d love to share this in my Friday Finds. Thank you for posting!
xo Rachel
This recipe hit the spot tonight. Very easy to make, and delicious!
I will be trying to work with this recipe to make it gluten free, as I have family and friends who are gluten sensitive.
I will be sure to get back to you and let you know if it was success, or an epic fail.
Thanks again for sharing your recipe.
Karen, I’m so excited about your comment for so many reasons! If you find a way to make this delicious AND gluten free, I will post how you did it on the blog post! Many thanks for trying it, commenting, and your research! :o)
Karen, did you figure out a gluten free option?
Hi, Anna!
I had a reader named Gillian leave the following comment telling us how she adapted the recipe for gluten sensitivity. Hope this helps! :o)
I have made this recipe a few times now. I am gluten free because I feel horrible if not. I usually make it regular and a small portion gluten free but tonight I made the whole dish gluten free using Tinkyada elbows, two types of cheese some cooked bacon and topped it with crushed Miltons gluten free Crispy Sea Salt crackers crushed and mixed with the butter. I don’t think the family will be any the wiser it is gluten free with all that cheesy goodness! Thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe is going to be a definite keeper. I tasted the mac and cheese before I put it in the oven and was already impressed. I can’t wait to taste the finished product! Thanks for all your efforts in perfecting the recipe!
Julie!!! I sincerely thank you for the compliments! I look forward to hearing how it went over for whomever enjoyed it. :o)
Tomorrow, try frying the leftovers in a non-stick skillet until each side is golden brown. There’s nothing quite like it!
Great recipe!! I made this tonight but made a few tweaks. I sautéed some diced onion before adding the flour. I just love the flavor of onion in the mixture. I also adding a couple bay leaves, a tsp. of mustard powder and a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the sauce. The mustard powder gives it a little tang and the paprika a fun splash of color and a touch of smokiness. For my cheese I did 2 cups of shredded Havarti and 4 cups of sharp cheddar. I love how versatile macaroni and cheese can be. I once saw a recipe make Mexican macaroni and cheese which is next on my list when I have a craving for Mac n’ cheese again!! I also doubled the topping. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Sounds like you really made this one your own! Thanks for all the ideas! I love this as a base recipe — great as-is or easy to add to. And you’re so very welcome for it! Hope you stick around and try some of my other recipes and come back to share ideas!
Many thanks! :o)
I add paprika (sometimes smoked) and dry mustard powder(Colemans) to my mac n cheese too. I also switch up the pepper using white pepper. Great minds think alike! Been making mac n cheese like this since home ec class in high school!
Hi there, Patti Anne! Yup, it’s just a fantastic base recipe for everyone to add to as they choose. Thanks so much for the nice comment and for stopping by That Which Nourishes. :o)
Can you make it the night before? How long would it need to cook?
or make it a few hours before it needs to be served and just cook it longer?
Hi, Jenny!
That’s a really good question for which I don’t have a really great answer. A cheese sauce
tends to change consistency and texture when it’s not served immediately. Technically, it’s possible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It takes me about 15 or fewer minutes to throw together and 12-15 in the oven so I would say if you could adjust your plans to make it just before serving, you’ll be much happier with the results. Thanks for the great question! :o)
Alison, all I can say is WOW! Sitting here watching the 7th game of the World Series, and at the same time, enjoying reading all of the positive comments about your mac and cheese, this Gamma to six knows what she will have on her table the next time our family of 15 sits down for a meal! It has been such a pleasure to read reviews where people have actually made the dish, and then YOU have been so gracious to reply. I certainly am looking forward to preparing your recipe; my biggest problem will be deciding which cheeses to use 🙂
-dwd
Ahhhhh…Diane…your comment made me smile! :o)
My blog is important to me — an investment of myself — so each comment is a treasure! It amazes me that people take the time to come back here and let me know how they liked it and what worked for them. I cannot wait to hear how your family likes it! The cheese quandary…yes, it is a sad, sad problem to have, right? You will not go wrong with my favorite — 2 c. Havarti, 4 c. Cheddar. It’s our staple food around here.
Thanks again, for taking the time to make an appearance. Best wishes to you and all those sweet grandbabies!
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It’s our two year anniversary, and since we had mac n’ cheese on our first date, it’s our tradition now! We’re saving money by cooking at home this year, and I really didn’t want to just make kraftdinner.. I’m not the greatest cook, but this looks so easy! I am so excited to make this recipe tonight.
I’m sure my DBF will just LOVE it!
I’m making this and baked salmon, Thanks so so much for sharing! You’re a gem!
Em
Okay, you win for sweetest comment! Literally made me say, “Awwww!”
I’m jealous of that dinner tonight! You’re going to make him one happy guy!
Check out some of my other recipes. The goal of my blog is to simplify really good, nutritious food so that even if you don’t feel like you’re a great cook, you can learn to make yummy things and eventually you won’t say that anymore! 🙂
You’ll do great tonight! Way to step out!