Easy Mac and Cheese that’s homemade, cheesy and delicious! Your family is going to love this recipe. Ditch the box and make this recipe for dinner tonight.
Homemade Easy Mac and Cheese
Seems easy enough yet there are so many different ways to prepare this family favorite side dish. For some people, it means opening a box and boiling some water. But after you read this post I hope you’ll see that making homemade Easy Mac and Cheese can be really easy and it’s so much better than a box…really!
For years I have been making one recipe that I named Olivia’s Mac and Cheese because she loves it so much and I enjoy making my kids happy. But recently I’ve started making another recipe for Mac and Cheese.
This one bakes in the oven while my other recipe, named after my daughter, is a stove top recipe. Both are easy, creamy and delicious and the perfect side dish for grilled chicken or hamburgers. To me this recipe is also the perfect comfort food on a long crazy day.
Types of Pasta to Use
You can use whichever favorite pasta you like. When my kids were little they loved shells, so that’s what I usually used. Lately whatever I have on hand works.
Here’s a photo of the Mac and Cheese ready for the oven using my kid’s favorite shells.
Ready to serve hot and bubbly from the oven.
I recently redid the photos for this recipe. The two photos above and the photo below are from the original post that was published five years ago.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe five years have passed since I posted this recipe and ten years since I started blogging. So much has changed with blogging and with my life.
I hope you try this recipe. I know you’ll enjoy it as much as my family does. In fact, we had it just the other night with grilled steak. It was amazing.
How to Freeze Mac and Cheese
- If you want to freeze the mac and cheese, use a freezer-safe pan. I like to use aluminum pans.
- After the mac and cheese has baked, allow it come to room temperature.
- Don’t try to freeze mac and cheese while it’s still hot or ice crystals may start to form on top.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Homemade Mac and Cheese can be frozen for up to two months.
How to Reheat Frozen Mac and Cheese
- Remove from the casserole from the freezer the night before and allow it to defrost in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven until warm.
- You can also reheat the casserole frozen. Keep it covered with the aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until warmed all the way through.
You might also Enjoy these Side Dish Recipes:
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus
- German Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Fiesta Corn Salad
Homemade Mac and Cheese that's easy, cheesy and delicious! Your family is going to love this recipe. Ditch the box and make this recipe for dinner tonight.
- 1 package pasta
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups medium cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
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Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.
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Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat.
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Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and mustard and stir until smooth.
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Now add the milk and stir constantly until boiling.
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Remove from heat and stir in TWO cups of cheese.
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Reduce heat to low and continue to stir until everything is combined.
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Stir in pasta and pour into a baking dish.
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Sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
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Bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly.
I’ve made your Mac and Cheese but don’t want to bake it till the next day.
Will there be any problems doing this?
Do I need to add any more liquid to it before baking?
Thank you
Char
I have never tried this but I do think it will be fine! I wouldn’t add any extra liquid. Let me know how everything comes out after you bake it. Thank you for visiting my site.
Lois this looks so mouthwatering good. I am definitely going to make this. Show my daughter what a real mac and cheese is and not that boxy stuff.
That is so funny! I could eat homemade mac and cheese a few times a week! Thanks for visiting!
I always have room for another mac and cheese recipe. This looks divine! I am ALL about the cheese!
Yes, same here. We love cheese too! Thank you for visiting!
Love this recipe, mine is very similar, I love adding the mustard. Now I just need the time to cook tonight. Pinning/sharing.
This looks simple and delicious! I'm featuring it today…thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2013/03/featuring-you_20.html
Looks amazing, so cheesy, this would be a favorite in my house as well!
Oh that looks SO good. YUM!
My son would LOVE this, he is obsessed with Mac and Cheese 🙂
Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods! I'll try your recipe, thanks!
YUMMO! I may very well be making this for dinner tonight!
Yum… Mac N' Cheese might literally be one of my favorite foods.
I love mac & cheese. It is my favorite comfort food.
I make the same Mac & Cheese…it's from Martha's 101 recipe. Love it, and I think it's one of the best recipes out there, and EASY! 🙂
Good morning! Oh my does this sound good! Everyone over here would love it I know! Hope all is well with you Lois and you are recovering nicely! Enjoy your day! HUGS