Jamielyn Nye
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This easy homemade mac and cheese recipe is made on the stovetop with 8 ingredients and ready in 25 minutes! It’s so creamy and rich, you’ll never go back to boxed mac and cheese again.
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Table of Contents
- Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Ingredients
- How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Cooking Tips
- Favorite Meals to Serve with
- More Macaroni Recipes
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Printable Recipe
Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
My slow cooker mac and cheese has been a long time favorite, but I also loving making this homemade mac and cheese on the stove top when I want it done quicker. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and tastes just as delicious.
Nothing screams comfort food like a bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese. When the craving hits, it’s tempting to make a box of Kraft on the stove. But this homemade mac and cheese recipe is almost just as easy and tastes so much better!
The noodles are tender and the cheese sauce is perfectly creamy and rich. It’s made with two different types of cheese, which boosts the flavor even more. You could even take it up a notch and make baked macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients
All you need is 8 simple ingredients!
- Elbow macaroni: Any bite-sized noodles work but elbows are a classic.
- Butter: Salted butter or unsalted butter work just adjust added salt.
- All-purpose flour: Helps thicken the sauce.
- Milk: Whole milk will add rich flavor.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard or Dijon both are okay to use.
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese.
- Gruyere: Or Monterey Jack. Two cheeses add the best flavor!
- Seasoned salt: Adds a special touch!
How to Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Noodles. Cook the elbow noodles in a pot of boiling water until tender. Then drain and set aside.
- Roux. Start making the roux by melting the butter in a large pot, then mix in the flour. Keep stirring the mixture over medium-low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sauce. Then whisk in the milk and mustard. Once the mixture is simmering, remove from heat and add in the cheese. Stir until the consistency is smooth and the cheese has melted completely.
- Combine. Then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked noodles and then serve while warm!
Cooking Tips
- Best cheese to use. I like to use a mix of sharp cheddar cheese and gruyere. You can substitute sharp cheddar for mild, replace gruyere with jack, colby, fontina or mozzarella. Even using all cheddar tastes great.
- Simple sauce variation. If you want something simple and creamy with Parmesan to toss with your mac and cheese, use this white sauce recipe.
- Grate your own cheese. Instead of the pre-shredded bags, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. The bags have extra ingredients added in, which makes it harder for the cheese to melt. Grating your own gives it the perfect texture!
- Salt the water. Add a Tablespoon of kosher salt to the water you cook the noodles in. This helps boost the flavor.
- Hot sauce. If you like heat, mix in a dash of hot sauce right before serving.
- Baked version. Finish the dish off in the oven by making baked macaroni and cheese. Once it’s ready, pour the mixture into a baking dish and top with extra cheese or breadcrumbs. Then bake until golden and bubbly.
- Make it a meal. Mix in some cooked chicken and broccoli right before serving to make this dish a complete meal.
Favorite Meals to Serve with
This homemade macaroni is the perfect addition to any of your favorite comfort meals. We love serving it with the following dishes:
- Meatloaf
- BBQ pulled pork
- Sloppy joes
- Pot roast
- BBQ brisket sandwiches
- Roasted pork tenderloin
Need more comfort food ideas? Make my homemade pot pie, fried mac and cheese or this easy hamburger casserole!
More Macaroni Recipes
- One-Pot Chive and Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Fried Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Homemade Mac and Cheese
5 from 13 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
This homemade macaroni is creamy, rich and the ultimate comfort food! It's made with simple ingredients in just 25 minutes from start to finish.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow noodles (use 2 1/2 cups if using large elbow noodles)
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 3-4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1-2 teaspoons yellow or dijon mustard
- 2-3 cups medium or sharp cheddar cheese (shred from block)
- 1 cup gruyere or jack cheese (shred from block)
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
S&P and hot sauce to taste
Instructions
Cook your noodles in a large pot of water according to package. Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water. Drain once cooked.
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat and then whisk in flour. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring consistently.
Whisk in milk and mustard. Let come to a simmer and then remove from heat.
Whisk in the cheeses and stir until smooth and melted.Add in salt and pepper, and season to taste.You could add a dash of hot sauce if desired as well.
Add in cooked noodles and stir to combine. Serve while warm.
Notes
Cheese:
- You can also substitute the sharp cheddar cheese for a mild one.
- I love using gruyere as it adds a wonderful flavor and smooth and creamy texture, however you can substitute it for jack, colby, fontina or mozzarella. You could even just use all cheddar if preferred.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
More about Jamielyn Nye
More delicious side dishes
- Easy Cheesy Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Add a comment
21 comments
- Kellia
Super easy, quick, and delicious! So creamy. HAPPILY ate leftovers every day until it was gone!
- Reply
- Jamielyn Nye
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! :)
- Reply
- Regina
On the Mac and Cheese recipe is the yellow mustard or Dijon mustard Called for in the recipe powder or liquid
- Reply
- Jamielyn Nye
I use liquid dijon, either works :)
- Reply
- Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I can’t wait to try this recipe at home, it looks very tasty!
- Reply
- Gina
So incredibly creamy, love the two types of cheese in the recipe!
- Reply
- Kim
Hi where can I find the other ingredients that used to be part of this recipe?
Salt
Pepper
Garlic salt
??
Thank you so much.- Reply
- Jamielyn Nye
Hi Kim! Salt and pepper is added to taste. There is no garlic salt in this recipe, but you are welcome to add a little if you would like.
- Reply
- Catalina
Love how easy these macaroni and cheese are to make!
- Reply
- Brandy @ Nutmeg Nanny
Homemade mac and cheese is the best! This looks so good!
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- Dan Zehr
This sounds like something I need to try. I really like
- Reply
- Chrissie Baker
Now, this recipe will be one of my favorites. Looks incredible!
- Reply
- Melanie Bauer
Looks so perfect! Comfort food at it’s best, seriously drooling over this right now!
- Reply
- Anna
Nothing beats a good homemade mac and cheese! I wish I had a big plate of it right now!
- Reply
- Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. You totally nailed it with this recipe.
- Reply
- Lois Balsman
Love a good mac & cheese recipe, especially one that makes a lot! Does this amount fit into a 9X9 pan? I would think it would need at least a 9X13. Thanks for sharing this great looking recipe!
- Reply
- Laura Capello
It does fit in a 9×9 pan, but you could put it in a 9×13 pan and just have it be less tall if you prefer! :)
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- Deb hallett
What do you mean for whipping cream?
- Reply
- Jamielyn
Whipping cream is also referred to as heavy cream. It’s usually near the milk and other dairy products at the grocery store. I hope this helps!
- Reply
- Nell
Oooh, Yummy! You’ve given me an idea for supper, tonight. We’ve had some cold, wintry weather the past few days. Always interested in perfecting my go-to mac & cheese recipee Also, thanks for the great cookie ideas recently. I’ve found some new favorites including the Pistachio Cherry Meltaways — a real hit at a cookie walk. I may add a few chocolate jimmies or mini chocolate chips to the batter next time, as this reminds me of another pistachio treat made with the jimmies.
- Reply
- Jamielyn
Homemade mac & cheese is an essential in our house! I hope you enjoy this recipe. Those pistachio cookies are delicious…I’m sure they would be even better with chocolate in them! Good idea!
- Reply
