Best 7 Homemade Mac Cheese Recipes

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Homemade mac and cheese is a classic comfort food that can warm the soul and satisfy any craving. Whether you're a fan of the classic cheddar variety or prefer to experiment with different cheeses, spices, and add-ins, there's a homemade mac and cheese recipe out there to suit your taste. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a delicious and heartwarming meal that the whole family will love. So gather up your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to indulge in the cheesy goodness of homemade mac and cheese.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE



Homemade Mac and Cheese image

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

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
¼ cup butter
2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika

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

BAKED LIL' SMOKIES N HOMEMADE MAC-N-CHEESE



Baked Lil' Smokies N Homemade Mac-N-Cheese image

This is a great kid-pleasing meal. You can make it ahead and refrigerate it until you are ready to pop it into the oven. I actually came up with this one day when I realized I had to make a pack of smokies or throw them out (But alas, no other ingredients on hand). So I just took my mom-taught homemade mac and cheese recipe and added smokies.

Provided by Chefcrystal

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h15m

Yield 4-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 (16 ounce) box macaroni noodles (cooked)
1 (14 ounce) package Little Smokies sausages
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb cheese (more if desired ( fresh grated is best, but not necessity)
3/4 cup milk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cook Macaroni noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
  • Saute lil' smokies in pan until warm.
  • Grate cheese while the above is cooking.
  • Grease a baking dish (the deeper the dish the more layers you can make).
  • Layers: Noodles (enough to just cover bottom of dish). Smokies (divide the by the # of layers to get them equally distributed). Cheese (cover noodles and smokies to your taste: Just make sure to reserve enough for the other layers).
  • Butter (dot this on).
  • Then begin over with the layers until all is used up (finishing with the butter).
  • Finally pour the milk over top (Important: the milk is an estimate; I never measure, just pour until it feels right but this should be about right. Just adjust according to your taste on subsequent makings).
  • Cover and bake 30 minutes.
  • Remove cover and bake another 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1177.8, Fat 63.8, SaturatedFat 31.8, Cholesterol 157.9, Sodium 2191.5, Carbohydrate 98.5, Fiber 3.6, Sugar 4.4, Protein 51.1

HOMEMADE MAC & CHEESE (THE BEST YOU'LL EVER HAVE)



Homemade Mac & Cheese (The Best You'll Ever Have) image

I made this up today and it turned out even better than I imagined. I took ideas from many differnet mac & cheese recipes and tailored them to my preference. Please try this recipe and rate it! I have been on recipe zaar for years and no one has tried or rated any of my recipes yet.

Provided by Princess Peggy

Categories     Cheese

Time 50m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 lb elbow macaroni
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 yellow onion, chopped
havarti cheese
muenster cheese
extra sharp white cheddar cheese
breadcrumbs
garlic powder

Steps:

  • Boil water.
  • Add macaroni. Cook until tender.
  • Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil, then set aside.
  • Combine softened cream cheese and sour cream.
  • Heat cream cheese and sour cream mixture over medium heat until uniform.
  • Add desired amount of garlic powder.
  • When mixture is smooth, add cheeses, bit by bit.
  • I don't know the exact measurements for the cheeses, I just got all the cheeses in standard blocks and shredded it all. It looked like alot to me.
  • Once all the shredded cheese is incorporated, combine cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, and caramelized onions in a baking dish.
  • top with bread crumbs, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

MARIE'S HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE



Marie's Homemade Mac and Cheese image

This is my mother's family recipe. I believe it is an Icelandic recipe. Kids and husbands love it!

Provided by LEATHERNLACE_93277

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Pasta     Macaroni and Cheese Recipes     Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Time 1h20m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 6

2 pounds uncooked elbow macaroni
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 eggs, beaten
2 ¾ cups milk
2 pounds Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  • In a 9x13 inch baking dish combine soup, eggs, milk, half of the cheese, cooked macaroni, salt and pepper. Mix well and then top with remaining cheese.
  • Cover and bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until top is lightly browned.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 537.1 calories, Carbohydrate 49.6 g, Cholesterol 118.1 mg, Fat 25.3 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 26.9 g, SaturatedFat 15.1 g, Sodium 668.7 mg, Sugar 3.5 g

SANDY'S HOMEMADE MAC & CHEESE



Sandy's Homemade Mac & Cheese image

Homemade Mac & Cheese is so rare nowadays at gatherings...its easier out of a box. Like Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Mac & Cheese is worth the extra effort! I would also like to add, that being in a metropolitan area makes it easier for me to find certain cheeses shredded that some small town grocers might not have available. I...

Provided by Sandy Lowery

Categories     Pasta Sides

Time 55m

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 c colby cheese, shredded (i can find this prepackaged, but if shredding yourself, this will increase prep time by 15 min)
2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick butter, melted
2 can(s) evaporated milk (or 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk as per your preference)
1 pkg cream cheese, cubed
1 box elbow pasta
2 c monterey jack cheese, shredded (i can find this prepackaged, but if shredding yourself, this will increase prep time by 15 min)
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
6 c (at least) water for boiling
1 tsp onion powder (optional)

Steps:

  • 1. Prep: In large bowl, mix colby, cheddar, and monterey jack cheeses together. Reserve 2 cups. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • 2. Bring water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and return to boil for 8-12 minutes until al dente consistency. Drain. (Helpful tip: I find that if I add a splash of olive oil to the pot right before I add the pasta it helps keep the pasta from sticking.)
  • 3. While pasta is boiling, heat butter and 1 can evaporated milk (or 3/4 cup of buttermilk) till hot. Slowly add cream cheese until creamy.
  • 4. Alternate adding cheese mix and remaining milk until cheese is melted and smooth. (Please note: you may not use all of the milk. I don't know why, but sometimes I need all of it, and sometimes I have some left over.)
  • 5. In large bowl or pot, combine and stir the drained pasta, cheese sauce, and pepper (and onion powder if using.) Spread into large baking dish.
  • 6. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top of macaroni mixture, and bake for 15 minutes until melted.

HEALTHIER HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE



Healthier Homemade Mac and Cheese image

To make this rich mac and cheese recipe healthier we use whole wheat bread crumbs, low-fat milk and cheese, whole wheat noodles, and reduced the amount of butter. Serve with a salad for a healthy meatless dinner.

Provided by MakeItHealthy

Categories     100+ Pasta and Noodle Recipes     Noodle Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 (16 ounce) package whole wheat macaroni (such as Smart Taste®)
2 tablespoons butter
2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups low-fat (1%) milk
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk to roux, stirring constantly. Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is thick, about 3 minutes. Place macaroni in large baking dish and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until butter is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread over macaroni to cover. Sprinkle with paprika.
  • Bake in preheated oven until cheese sauce is hot and breadcrumbs are browned, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 770.4 calories, Carbohydrate 106.6 g, Cholesterol 60.3 mg, Fat 22.4 g, Fiber 10.6 g, Protein 42.5 g, SaturatedFat 13.1 g, Sodium 750.2 mg, Sugar 9.6 g

HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE CASSEROLE



Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole image

Whole wheat pasta and lots of fresh broccoli add a little wholesomeness to this classically indulgent comfort food.

Provided by Reynolds Kitchens

Categories     Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips     Reynolds®

Time 1h5m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

Reynolds Wrap® Pan Lining Paper
8 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ½ cups milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
½ cup fine dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 2-quart casserole dish with Reynolds Wrap® Pan Lining Paper, parchment side up. No need to grease dish.
  • Cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to the package directions, adding the broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to the saucepan and set aside.
  • Cook the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons hot butter in a large skillet 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and black pepper. Add the milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheddar cheese and cream cheese, stirring until melted. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and broccoli and stir until well combined.
  • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and mix with the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the buttery bread crumbs.
  • Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes or until bubbly and internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 388.4 calories, Carbohydrate 35.2 g, Cholesterol 59.1 mg, Fat 20.2 g, Fiber 2.4 g, Protein 16.9 g, SaturatedFat 12.2 g, Sodium 483.3 mg, Sugar 6.1 g

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients: This will make a big difference in the final flavor of your mac and cheese. Use a good quality sharp cheddar cheese, fresh milk, and real butter.
  • Cook the pasta al dente: This means that the pasta should be cooked until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it. This will prevent it from becoming mushy when you add the cheese sauce.
  • Make a roux: A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken the cheese sauce. This will help to prevent the sauce from becoming too thin or runny.
  • Use a variety of cheeses: Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of cheeses in your mac and cheese. A combination of sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyère is a classic choice, but you can also try using other cheeses like Gouda, Brie, or Fontina.
  • Add some extras: You can add all sorts of different ingredients to your mac and cheese to make it even more delicious. Some popular options include bacon, crumbled sausage, diced tomatoes, and chopped green onions.

Conclusion:

Mac and cheese is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you like it simple or loaded with toppings, there's a mac and cheese recipe out there for everyone. So next time you're looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, give one of these recipes a try.

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