Macaroni and cheese, a dish that has been passed down for generations, holds a special place in the hearts of many food enthusiasts. Its creamy, cheesy goodness and comforting texture make it an all-time favorite. Whether you prefer a classic recipe or a modern twist, creating easy homemade mac and cheese is an enjoyable cooking experience that yields a delightful and satisfying meal. Let's dive into the world of mac and cheese and uncover the secrets to crafting the perfect dish that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
Here are our top 12 tried and tested recipes!
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Provided by Trisha Yearwood
Categories side-dish
Time 50m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- For the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
- For the cheese sauce: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
- For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.
SIMPLE MACARONI AND CHEESE
A very quick and easy fix to a tasty side-dish. Fancy, designer mac and cheese often costs forty or fifty dollars to prepare when you have so many exotic and expensive cheeses, but they aren't always the best tasting. This recipe is cheap and tasty.
Provided by g0dluvsugly
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 630.2 calories, Carbohydrate 55 g, Cholesterol 99.6 mg, Fat 33.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 26.5 g, SaturatedFat 20.9 g, Sodium 777 mg, Sugar 7.6 g
EASY STOVE-TOP MACARONI & CHEESE
Make and share this Easy Stove-Top Macaroni & Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Marie
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 30m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour, and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly to form a roux; add salt and pepper; slowly add milk, stirring well after each addition.
- Cook and stir until bubbly.
- Stir in cheese a small amount at a time until fully melted.
- Drain macaroni; add to cheese sauce; stir to coat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 590.7, Fat 24.4, SaturatedFat 14.9, Cholesterol 71.3, Sodium 540.1, Carbohydrate 68.7, Fiber 2.8, Sugar 2.4, Protein 23.2
3-INGREDIENT MAC & CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
Nothing says comforting and classic like mac and cheese. Remember when you were a little kid and you sat down at the dinner table? There it was: a glorious pot of mac and cheese. Ooey, gooey, and oh-so-delightful. Well, we're taking you back there with our 3-ingredient mac-hack. That's right: only three ingredients to bliss. It's so good, you'll never go back to the boxed stuff!
Provided by Alvin Zhou
Categories Sides
Time 15m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir constantly until the pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, then add the cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and the pasta is evenly coated.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 803 calories, Carbohydrate 100 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 37 grams, Sugar 18 grams
EASY ONE-POT MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: whole milk, elbow macaroni, butter, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, fresh parsley
Provided by Matthew Johnson
Categories Sides
Time 20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, gently heat the milk to a simmer.
- Add in the elbow macaroni. Cook until the pasta is tender.
- Once the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat. Add in the butter, cheddar, salt, and pepper. Fold these ingredients with the pasta until the cheese and butter melt into the milk to create a thick sauce.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 758 calories, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 37 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 32 grams, Sugar 12 grams
EASIEST MAC-N-CHEESE EVER!
I have tried many more-complicated recipes for macaroni and cheese. Not only is this one often requested for family functions, but it is easy to make! Kids LOVE this recipe. It is so handy for busy moms.
Provided by Anncredible
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 20m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
- Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Combine the cheese food, milk, and pepper in the saucepan; cook until the cheese has melted, stirring frequently. Stir in the drained macaroni until evenly coated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 136.2 calories, Carbohydrate 15.9 g, Cholesterol 15.7 mg, Fat 5.2 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 6.2 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 241.5 mg, Sugar 2.4 g
HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE
This is a nice rich mac and cheese. Serve with a salad for a great meatless dinner. Hope you enjoy it.
Provided by Judy
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
- In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
- Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 858.2 calories, Carbohydrate 66.7 g, Cholesterol 141.6 mg, Fat 48.7 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 37.7 g, SaturatedFat 29.9 g, Sodium 879.3 mg, Sugar 10.7 g
CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is the ultimate creamy mac and cheese recipe. It's saucy, thick and very rich, with a wonderful cheddar flavor. Once you taste it, you'll be hooked. -Cindy Hartley, Chesapeake, Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 55m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in sour cream, Velveeta, Parmesan cheese, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth and cheese is melted. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. , Drain macaroni; toss with cheddar cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in cream sauce. , Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 653 calories, Fat 46g fat (30g saturated fat), Cholesterol 143mg cholesterol, Sodium 1141mg sodium, Carbohydrate 35g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 25g protein.
THE EASIEST BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE
There may be lots of recipes out there for macaroni and cheese, but this is the first one I ever found that you don't have to cook the macaroni before you bake it. It is also really simple to put together - all in the casserole dish you are baking it in! I got this from a newsletter of an organization. I take this to potlucks all the time and I always come home with none of it left. It's a dish I'm constantly handing out the recipe for; be sure not to use cheese that has been frozen and thawed because it will ruin the consistency of the dish. You can also cut down on the butter if you would like to lose some of the fat. This is not a real creamy cheesy type of macaroni and cheese, which can sometimes be a little too rich for our tastes. I've made those, but my family prefers this kind over any other.
Provided by CookingONTheSide
Categories Cheese
Time 1h10m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in microwave.
- Pour macaroni in 2-3 quart casserole dish. Pour butter over macaroni. Stir well to coat.
- Add salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Add cheese. Sometimes I may use a mixture of monterey, colby and cheddar, depending on what I have at the time. Mix well.
- Add milk. Do not stir.
- Bake uncovered in oven for 60 minutes. I do think this tastes best when it is still hot from the oven.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 704, Fat 37.3, SaturatedFat 23.1, Cholesterol 116.4, Sodium 1131.8, Carbohydrate 61.2, Fiber 2.1, Sugar 2, Protein 30.7
BUDGET MACARONI AND CHEESE
This is a quick and creamy main dish. I've tried many macaroni and cheese recipes, but this is my favorite.-Debbie Carlson, San Diego, California
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour, salt and pepper; stir until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. , Drain macaroni. Add to the cheese mixture; toss to coat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 412 calories, Fat 20g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 61mg cholesterol, Sodium 437mg sodium, Carbohydrate 44g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 15g protein.
EASY MACARONI AND CHEESE
A wonderful and easy Macaroni and cheese recipe. Have dinner ready for the hungry kids quickly. Serve alone or as a side dish.
Provided by Chelsea_
Categories Cheese
Time 25m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
- Stir in flour and salt.
- Add milk and macaroni to saucepan, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, and cover.
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add cheese, and stir until cheese melts.
- Serve.
CHEESY MAC & CHEESE
Everyone comes home for dinner when I make this homemade macaroni and cheese. It also receives great compliments at potlucks. -Debra Sult, Chandler, Arizona
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 50m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the flour, cream, half-and-half, sour cream, egg, mustard, cayenne, salt, pepper and nutmeg until smooth., Drain pasta. Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Stir in cubed cheeses. Top with cream mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese., Bake, uncovered, at 350° until bubbly and golden brown, 30-40 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 563 calories, Fat 43g fat (28g saturated fat), Cholesterol 172mg cholesterol, Sodium 648mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 25g protein.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Freshly grated cheese, real butter, and high-quality pasta make all the difference in the final dish.
- Cook the pasta al dente: This means cooking it until it is just tender, but still has a slight bite to it. Overcooked pasta will make your mac and cheese mushy.
- Make a roux: A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that helps to thicken the cheese sauce. It also adds a rich and creamy flavor.
- Use a variety of cheeses: A blend of different cheeses will give your mac and cheese a more complex and flavorful taste. Cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan are all good choices.
- Don't be afraid to experiment: There are endless ways to customize your mac and cheese. Add your favorite mix-ins, such as bacon, broccoli, or jalapeños.
Conclusion:
Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a few simple tips, you can make a delicious and creamy mac and cheese at home. So next time you're craving a cheesy and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try.
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