Description
This Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe is the ultimate comfort food! It’s exceptionally cheesy, creamy and so easy to make. Serve it as a main dish with a vegetable or salad on the side, or as a side dish with your favorite meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces short pasta shapes (such as elbow macaroni or shells)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk (low fat or whole)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Step 1: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Step 2: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and place it back into the cooking pot.
- Step 3: Combine the two cheeses in a bowl.
- Step 4: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Continue whisking until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Continue cooking, whisking often, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Step 5: Whisk in the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Then gradually stir in half of the cheese until melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
- Step 6: Pour half of the pasta with cheese sauce into the baking dish and sprinkle on ⅓ of the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining pasta. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.
- Step 7: Bake 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted on top.
Notes
You can assemble the macaroni and cheese up to 1 day ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake it, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to take the chill off. Then bake, adding about 10 extra minutes to the bake time listed in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 435 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 435 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 63 mg
Keywords: homemade mac and cheese, baked macaroni and cheese, creamy pasta, comfort food