Easy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and it is easy to make! It is nice and smooth with a delicious browned melted cheese layer on top.
Servings: 5
Calories: 804kcal
Equipment
- 2½ quart casserole dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces noodles elbows or mini shells recommended
- 8 ounces mild cheddar see notes
- 8 ounces colby jack see notes
- 1 cup milk whole milk is recommended
- 1 cup heavy cream recommended, but can substitute with more milk
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
- 3 dashes cayenne pepper or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Cook the noodles according to package but cook them until they are almost done not quite done. Drain but do not rinse.
- Shred the cheeses into a bowl and take about ⅓ cup out to put on top (doesn't have to be exact)
- Pour the milk and the heavy cream together in a measuring cup (or another container.)
- In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add in the flour. Stir constantly for about 1 minute, it will thicken up quickly.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream/milk mix while stirring constantly. Add a little bit at a time until you have added it all.
- Add in the cayenne and garlic powder, continue stirring frequently. Cook on medium to medium low (stoves vary) for about 2 minutes, you want it to be heated through and hot but not boiling or simmering.
- Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly. Once it is fully melted and creamy, remove from heat and add the cooked noodles. Stir well.
- Pour into a 2-2½ quart baking dish and top with the cheese you set aside.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until it is bubbly and the layer of cheese on top just starts turning brown or to desired amount of browning.
Notes
Nutritional values are estimated and so are serving sizes.
It is highly recommended that you buy blocks of cheese and freshly shred them for a much smoother texture and better taste. I don't recommend using the already shredded cheese.
We really like this with mild cheddar and Colby jack, but you can use your preferred cheeses as long as they melt well. We don't recommend mozzarella or provolone unless you want a stringy texture - tho we love those cheeses, they don't melt smoothly.
You can add salt and pepper to taste, but we find it doesn't need any salt.
This mac and cheese will fit in a 2 quart Dutch oven but just fits. We use ours often, but it will be up to the top!
Nutrition
Calories: 804kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2147IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 735mg | Iron: 1mg