Homemade Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe ~ Easy, Creamy & Crowd-Pleasing~
Homemade Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Looking for a more southern soul food style baked macaroni and cheese? Click here to try out my sister’s recipe.
Looking for a more southern soul food style baked macaroni and cheese? Click here to try out my sister’s recipe.
Homemade baked macaroni & cheese….ahhhh…just the thought of those bubbling cheeses & pasta baking to perfection in the oven makes me smile! Is this really the ultimate comfort food ????
I’ve been baking a crap load of homemade macaroni and cheese recipes since last week. Just trying to figure out which one is worthy enough to sit proudly on my Thanksgiving table.
I try to go with a different baked macaroni and cheese recipe every year, but this year after trying so many and being disappointed, I decided to go with my old tried & true recipe. Those “testing” ingredients were getting pretty darn expensive! My purse & waistline simply can not afford to test out any more recipes!
Ok yall, so this is the cheesy beauty that I will be serving up again this year. I’ve already received phone calls asking, no THREATENING, me that “I better be making this macaroni and cheese on Thanksgiving! “
This baked macaroni & cheese recipe is what I call a true crowd-pleaser. It’s creamy & cheesy which satisfies the kids (because yall know how kids are with mac n cheese) yet rich, comforting & complex enough to please those adults wanting that good ol’ southern style baked macaroni & cheese. Don’t let the chicken stock scare you in this recipe. It just adds a lil flavor and kicks up the cheese taste (it doesn’t taste chicken-ish)
Homemade Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe ~ Easy, Creamy & Crowd-Pleasing~
Recipe Type: side dish
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- Equal parts water & chicken broth to boil macaroni in
- 3 cups of macaroni (uncooked)
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half n half
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups of finely grated cheese (I buy the bag of Kraft mixed cheese(It’s the one with the picture of the macaroni on the front. I think it’s called classic melts. It is about 3 cups worth per bag and then I add a cup of Gouda cheese)
- Additional cheese to go on top (I like to use all sharp cheddar on top)
- Black pepper
- Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large pot, add equal parts water & chicken broth. (Just enough to cook your macaroni in) Bring to a boil.
- Add macaroni and cook until al dente. About 7-8 minutes (look on the back of the box for the cooking time and set your timer so that you don’t overcook it) When macaroni is done, drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter & whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes. Whisking the entire time.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup chicken broth, half n half, & milk. Whisk until combined. You want the mixture to steam but NOT boil. Adjust your heat accordingly
- Add in the cream cheese & stir until completely dissolved and smooth. Whisk & stir like crazy to get it smooth. I used a spoon to mash the cream cheese up a bit.
- Remove from heat & add in 4 cups of cheese & stir until smooth.
- Pour cheese mixture over cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Add some black pepper if you’d like.
- Grease a 9 X 9-inch pan with butter & pour the mac n cheese into it.
- Top with sharp cheddar cheese and paprika.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Do not over-bake to prevent it from being dried out. You want the macaroni and cheese to be somewhat jiggly when you take it out. It will set as it cool and just be the creamiest, cheesiest thing ever.
- Let cool for about 15-20 minutes before digging in so that it can set completely. I never can wait that long but hopefully, you have stronger willpower than me when it comes to macaroni & cheese.
I couldn't find that Kraft mixed cheese you mentioned. Do you know what kind of cheese goes into it?
Here is the 7 cheese Mac and Cheese, I did it for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/delilahs-7-cheese-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html
I made this last night and I was trying to let it sit like you stated, but I couldn't. My whole apartment was filled with the aroma and it tast even better. I woke up in the middle of the night and got some more. This morning I had some too.
Like someone mention, it taste even better after it sit overnight.
I also like the fact you use different cheese. I know for myself that was my first time I ever tasted not along used Gouda cheese. Its great. I love it.
Thank you very much. I cooked my first Thanksgiving Dinner with your help.
Keep up with the receipes, Im loving them.
I too usually make Patti Labelle's Over the Rainbow recipe. Will be using this recipe this year, sounds really good. So glad to find this website, God bless.
This was so good. Looks like I have a delicious one for Thanksgiving. Thanks Monique and Happy Thanksgiving to you and Everyone.
Whoa! Made this today to take to our early Thanksgiving party at work and EVERYBODY who had some wanted the recipe . This is a really good southern style baked macaroni & cheese recipe. I love that it's creamy and cheesy. A lot of baked macaroni and cheese recipes can tend to be on the dry, gritty side.
I added in an egg and used evaporated milk instead of the half n half & milk. I also put a few slices of butter on top of the cheese before I popped it into the oven. Might as well make it super fattening right? lol It was delicious!!!
I was hoping there would be some leftover for me to take home for my husband to try but the pan was scraped clean!
A good mac n cheese recipe is hard to come by so thank you for sharing yours.