Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
Posted Apr 22, 2019, Updated Feb 12, 2024
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This Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe is made with 8 ingredients in 15 minutes on the stovetop (no baking required)! Time to ditch the boxed mac and cheese for this irresistibly creamy, smooth & cheesy homemade recipe!
I have six kids and a husband with a taste palate of a 12-year-old-boy, which means we eat a lot of mac and cheese in our house. A lot of mac and cheese.
So naturally I created this easy homemade mac and cheese recipe so that we could consume less of the boxed varieties. Because I really care about feeding my family healthy meals that they actually enjoy. And did I mention that they love mac and cheese?
Once you taste this homemade mac and cheese you and your family will say “goodbye” to powdered cheese forever, and say “hello” to this creamy dreamy real-cheese version over and over again.
This homemade mac and cheese recipe is made with only 8 ingredients in 15 minutes. That’s the same amount of time it takes to make the boxed varieties, but with no preservatives or artificial ingredients.
Homemade Mac and Cheese: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are some notes on the ingredients in this mac and cheese recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
- Macaroni. I have used just about every noodle variety under the sun to make this mac and cheese recipe and it always turns out delicious! I recommend a shape (bowties, rotini, etc.) instead of spaghetti noodles, but they do work if it’s all you have. You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, etc. etc.
- Butter. There really isn’t a substitute for butter in this recipe. However you can use either salter or unsalted with great results.
- All-Purpose Flour. There are a few substitutions that work well for the flour including corn starch, tapioca starch/flour, and all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Milk. Any kind of liquid dairy works well in this recipe. Just remember the higher the fat content, the creamier your homemade mac and cheese will be. 2% milk, whole milk, half and half and cream all work well!
- Sour Cream. I have used Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream with excellent results.
- Cheese. I recommend a high-quality medium to sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor. Also, to avoid grainy mac and cheese, I suggest buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. This ensures there are no stabilizers or additives in your cheese sauce.
- Garlic powder. This ingredient is optional but I think it adds just a touch of flavor that takes this mac and cheese recipe up a notch without making it unpalatable to kids. Adjust the amount to your family’s tastes!
How do you make Mac and Cheese?
This homemade mac and cheese recipe is very easy to make and comes together in 15 minutes flat. As always we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Gather & Measure the ingredients
This easy mac and cheese recipe is fast-paced once you start cooking, so it’s important to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go.
Cook the Macaroni
Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Be sure to add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water. It may seem like an insignificant step, but it makes a huge difference in the overall taste of this mac and cheese (or any pasta dish for that matter)!
Drain the macaroni when it is cooked but do not rinse it.
Make the Cheese Sauce
While the macaroni (or your noodles of choice) is cooking, make the cheese sauce. It’s really easy but there are a few notes that we’ll go over to ensure your success!
Make a Roux
This homemade mac and cheese sauce starts with a roux. What is a roux? It’s a mixture of fat (usually butter) and flour that is used to create thick sauces. Start by melting the butter (do not let it brown).
Then whisk in the dry ingredients (flour, salt and garlic powder) until the mixture is smooth. Let it cook (you will see it bubbling) for about 60 seconds.
Add wet ingredients.
After the roux has cooked for 60 seconds, add the milk and whisk the mixture really well. Add the sour cream or Greek yogurt and whisk again. At this point the mixture will be fairly runny.
Cook over medium heat whisking every 10-15 seconds until the sauce starts to thicken.
Do not let this mixture boil. If you do you may end up with a mac and cheese sauce that is too thick. Once the sauce has thickened enough to stick to a spatula, turn the heat to low.
Add the cheese & whisk until smooth
Then, add the cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and all the cheese is melted. This will take 1-2 minutes over low heat. At this point it is important to taste the cheese sauce and adjust the salt/garlic according to your tastes!
Add the Cooked Macaroni
Once the cheese sauce is silky smooth, turn off the heat, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so keep that in mind!
Serve
Serve this homemade mac and cheese recipe all by itself for an easy lunch or dinner. I often serve it with roasted broccoli. My kids love it with chopped up hot dogs. I enjoy eating a small portion with a giant salad. You can also serve this homemade mac and cheese as an easy side dish for a BBQ or potluck!
What can I add to Mac & Cheese?
If you’re looking for an extra special way to serve this easy mac and cheese recipe, here are some suggestions for delicious add-ins:
- cooked & crumbled bacon
- hot dogs (a kid favorite, as mentioned above)
- Vegetables (broccoli, peas, carrots, etc.) (check out my vegetable mac and cheese recipe)
- Minced garlic and diced onions (cook them in the butter before adding the flour when making the roux, you may need 1 extra TBS butter if you’d like to add this)
- Hot sauce, ketchup or BBQ sauce
FAQs about Homemade Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese recipe is one of my most popular, so here are some of the commonly asked questions.
Store the leftovers of this homemade mac and cheese recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since it thickens as it cools, you may need to add 1-2 TBS of milk when it’s reheated it to restore its original creaminess.
Yes, you can freeze this homemade mac and cheese, however I don’t recommend it. Since this mac and cheese recipe is so easy to make, there’s really no need to freeze it. If you’re looking for a freezer-friendly mac and cheese recipe check out my baked mac and cheese!
If you’re looking to serve this mac and cheese recipe as a side dish instead of the main event, here are some suggestions for other dishes that pair well with it:
meatloaf (recipe coming soon)
BBQ (hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc.)
large salad (like this burrata salad)!
fried chicken (classic)
This balsamic pot roast(one of our favorite main dishes)!
Serve it alongside this avocado chicken salad!
For a truly kid-friendly dinner, serve it with homemade chicken nuggets or healthy Sloppy Joes.
Yes! Making this mac and cheese recipe gluten-free is very easy! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta and all-purpose gluten free flour, and presto! You have delicious creamy gluten-free mac and cheese!
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Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni uncooked
Cheese Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional but recommended)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)
Instructions
- Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Be sure to add ¼ tsp salt to the water used to boil the noodles. Drain, and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce:
- Mix flour, sea salt, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add flour mixture and whisk to combine.
- Cook for 1 minute until mixture is slightly brown.
- Add 1 cup milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Add sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and whisk until smooth.
- Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture is thickened (about 3-5 minutes). Do not let it boil.
- Once mixture is thick (sticks to the back of the spatula), reduce heat to low and add cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Taste and add more salt/seasoning if desired.
Assemble & Serve
- Add cooked pasta to the pot of cheese sauce and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Let the mac and cheese cool for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese sauce has thickened a little bit and sticks to the noodles. Serve warm!
Video
Notes
- Macaroni. I have used just about every noodle variety under the sun to make this mac and cheese recipe and it always turns out delicious! You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, etc. etc.
- All-Purpose Flour. There are a few substitutions that work well for the flour including corn starch, tapioca starch/flour, and all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Milk. Any kind of liquid dairy works well in this recipe. Just remember the higher the fat content, the creamier your homemade mac and cheese will be. 2% milk, whole milk, half and half and cream all work well!
- Sour Cream. I have used Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream with excellent results.
- Cheese. I recommend a high-quality medium to sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor!
- Garlic powder. This ingredient is optional but I think it adds just a touch of flavor that takes this mac and cheese recipe up a notch without making it unpalatable to kids. Adjust the amount to your family’s tastes!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nice, simple and good recipe. Thanks! I used evaporated milk and no sour cream but it was very creamy. Instead of pasta, I used cauliflower and green beans, keeping it low carb. Didn’t even miss the pasta! In order to thin the sauce when it thickens, or to reheat, I add chicken stock or broth. It DEFINITELY needed more flavor, so I added, garlic, chili flakes, Lawries seasoning salt and paprika. Then it was soooo good!
Made this after taking an evening nap that ended up lasting until 12:01AM. Was about to make box mac and cheese but felt like I could do better. Never made roux before, looked like a disaster while I was doing it, just kept going and it turned out great. Used half the amount of macaroni, didn’t have whole milk so mixed skim and heavy whipping cream, mixed like 4 kinds of cheese that were probably not expired. Felt like something I’d make while drunk and ambitious. At the end I added some pasta water from the noods to thin out the sauce a little. You gotta salt that water man it makes all the difference. Anyway this is literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted. 10/10 Stars
I commented above but forgot to rate!
Awesome recipe!! I made this with gluten free noodles and gluten free all purpose flour and it was outrageously delicious. The sour cream was the best idea ever!!! My 12 year old approves. Thank you!
I doubled the recipe and received rave reviews and several share requests. I was taking it over to a potluck of sorts so I put it in a pre-warmed, cast iron pot with 2 layers of pasta and extra grated cheese – in the middle and on top. Kind of felt that there was going to be too much liquid but it all got absorbed after sitting in the pot for an hour or so. I was also able to turn the whole meal around in about 30 minutes. Hand grated cheese is a must for this. Thanks for a great recipe!
Made it with half cheddar and half jack, just because that’s what I had in hand. I loved it, my kids tolerated it, which saying something because they only like boxed mix Mac and cheese.
My one constructive feedback is that I used about 9 oz of pasta and had more sauce than needed, so I should have poured sauce into pasta until I reached the right mix instead of pasta into sauce, or next time just use 10-12 oz pasta.
I am generally not much of a cook, and I was tired of ordering food from outside. After I saw your recipe with all the pictures and detailed instructions and the video was a huge help. I dared to make this and WoW it came out amazing. I loved the taste and all thanks go to you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Miranda!
This recipe is absolutely decadent. I added red pepper flakes and used half cheddar, half Gouda. I’m in heaven 😍
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Hannah!
This recipe reminds me of the mac and cheese my mom used to make on the stove top <3 – it came out so delicious and I used SOY milk and skipped the sour cream because I just didn't have any. I used cheddar and mozzarella cheese and it came out amazing!! You're absolutely right, the garlic powder does elevate the flavor. I had never used garlic before but will now. TY 🙂
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Jane!
Dear Laura,
I made Mac and Cheese as a late dinner for a single man last night using your recipe . It was delicious. I just had it for breakfast too. Reheated leftovers in the same pot using gentle heat and a teeny bit of water, then some milk. Added some dried thyme and dried basil and finally topped it with crushed Hawaiian style potato chips. Again delicious and solidly satisfying,
A few notes:
1. I used Penne Rigate 86 pasta as I was out of elbow pasta. Perfect fit. And it made the Mac and Cheese look worldly and elegant. 2. 2. Used corstarch instead of flour for the roux.
3. Did not use sour cream or yogurt as i didn’t have any and increased the amount of grated cheddar by 1/3 cup to compensate for the loss of volume and water the yogurt would have brought.
SURPRISE/ADVICE: Once I melted the butter for the roux everything started to move real fast. For example, I didnt have the time to go into the fridge to find the milk to add an extra squirt of it to what i was cooking because it seemed that if i neglected the sauce for one second it might have burned. I really was SURPRISED at how quickly each step fell into place and led to the next step and suddenly the cooking was done. My ADVICE is to follow Laura’s suggestion to have every ingredient measured out and accessible to use the moment you need it.
Laura, thank you for the use of your recipe and your experience to guide me to a wonderful, easy and nourishing meal that I will make again and again. Best wishes to you and your beautiful family. You all look so lovely together that it makes me grateful to be alive.
Nick Barknot
San Francisco, CA
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment Nick, both about the recipe and our family! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We make it weekly for my crew and I love hearing that others enjoy it too!
Sooo GOOD! Turned out great, I substituted for the Greek yoghurt and it turned out amazing!
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Kait!