Delicious macaroni and cheese that is quick and simple. When you use so many expensive cheeses, fancy, designer mac and cheese can cost up to $50 to make, but they aren’t always the greatest tasting. This easy meal is affordable and delicious.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 25 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) box elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 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.
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- At the same time, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
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- Add flour, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth, about 5 minutes.
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- Pour in milk slowly, while stirring continuously. Continue to cook and stir until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes, making sure the milk doesn’t burn.
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- Add Cheddar cheese and stir until melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
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- Drain macaroni and fold into cheese sauce until coated.
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- Serve hot and enjoy!
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- You can never have enough cheese, and I usually add an extra 1/2 cup without ruining the recipe.
- Keep a careful eye on the milk when boiling, as milk boils fast and burns easily. Burnt milk will show up in the recipe’s flavor if overcooked.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 630 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 55 g |
| Cholesterol | 100 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21 g |
| Sodium | 777 mg |
| Sugars | 8 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Nope it was a hit. When I make this it’s gone the next day.
Honestly the taste was superb! I added a little less cheese, flour, and milk, but it still came out creamy and cheesy! I also added chili flakes and parsley for a little extra flavour and spice.
Loved it.. did add hamburger, I LOVE meat… I think it calls for 1/2 cup fat and 1/2 cup flour ( IF) you decide to add meat… otherwise THIS y the only way I will be making Mac and cheese from now on
Super easy and my boyfriend loved it! Had three helpings of it. I made a double batch so I just doubled everything and it was super yummy. Definitely going in my recipe book!
Came out clumpy when I added the milk to the heated flour/butter roux. A waste of ingredients I had to toss out
This is a solid recipe – very clear and straightforward – and my only recommendation is that a simple way to add more flavor is to stir in 1/2 cup of mild buffalo wing sauce prior to adding the cheese. It makes quite a difference – trust me!
I make this all the time! My only suggestion is to heat the milk before adding it to the roux. I always bake it for 30 min with a topping of bread crumbs and cheese…..Yum!
I doubled the recipe and added some onion powder and garlic powder to taste
Much healthier version is using whole milk and full fat real cheese,nt cheese products.
Very tasty with some added seasonings, but I agree with so many others, mine turned out WAY too soupy. I made a lot more macaroni and that took care of the problem, but since there are only 2 of us I’m really glad this is freezable.
I was craving mac and cheese and tried out this recipe, I did add spices (onion, garlic and mustard powder) but this was delicious and I added spinach for a bit of vegetable add! really good!!
Kids enjoyed this simple Mac and cheese recipe. I added a bit more cheese but followed the rest of the recipe.
Love it❣️ U can’t get much better imo (very few ingredients & easy, yet SO delish!) My new go-to for family gatherings! Thx!
Delicious, Best Mac and cheese I ever had!!!!!
This is my go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. I like to put it in a casserole dish, top with some grated Parmesan, and put it in the oven at 350 for 30 mins. It comes out perfect every time.
It came out superb
it was really fun to make with my older sister!!!!!!!!!!! it tasted fabulous
I followed the recipe exactly and it was super yummy! My 3 1/2 year old picky eater liked it and finished his entire bowl. This will be my go-to recipe for future Mac n cheese dinners 🙂 thank you!
This is a great one-pot (i set aside the drained pasta so I could use the pasta pot to create the roux and save on cleaning) recipe I love finding great-tasting recipe that I can serve after a long day. I followed the recipe exactly as written but I can see my adding some spice next time as others mentioned.
I switched to this recipe after I had a few bad experiences with my old recipe. I’m so glad I did because this recipe is way better. The roux is the secret. Make sure you get that right and everything else is easy.
Perfect! I omitted the salt tho because cheese is salty. Super easy recipe. The sauce came together smoothly and I used plant based milk. I did add a dash of mustard powder and a dash of hot sauce from another recipe I have that calls for evaporated milk but I was out. I wanted creamy and this fit the bill.. Yum. Will be making it again as it’s healthier than evaporated milk. Thank you for the recipe. 5 star.